Tweed Seagulls: BMD Premiership gains and losses for 2024

Author: Rikki-Lee Arnold Statewide content producer
Timestamp: Thu 7 Mar 2024, 09:35 AM

When it was time for Tarryn Aiken to come back to Queensland this year, there was no other place for her but Tweed.

The Harvey Norman Queensland Maroons playmaker is back in the BMD Premiership in 2024 after last year going down to New South Wales to play in their women’s competition with the Central Coast Roosters, as part of her new contract with the Sydney Roosters in the NRLW.

But, after NSW moved their competition to later in the year for 2024, Aiken has returned home and gone straight back to where it all started for her in the BMD Premiership – the Tweed Seagulls.

“It was straight back to BMD and obviously Tweed welcomed me back,” Aiken said.

“It’s really good to be back. I wouldn’t have gone anywhere else. Tweed is my home so it was always just straight back to Tweed for me.

“I grew up in Tweed and got my first crack there in this competition. I’m really proud to come from Tweed and to play for them and I love playing for Tweed and playing with my best mates.

“I’m really excited to be back in Queensland and I get to spend half the year here now.

“We’ve had a great pre-season, probably the best I’ve been part of for Tweed. It’s really exciting.”

After a tough run in 2023 that saw the Seagulls go without a win, they have recruited strongly to get back as a force this season.

As well as the return of Aiken, they have signed Burleigh Bears premiership winners Ash and Felice Quinlan, as well as Sydney Roosters backrower, Olivia Kernick.

Under the guidance of Lawrence Faifua and Lombros To’omaga once again, Aiken said she can feel a difference at Tweed – highlighted by the fact it was her best pre-season there so far.

“We’ve got a fair few young Tweed girls coming through, trying to crack into the NRLW, which is really exciting,” she said.

“There’s a good vibe around at the moment, which is good. Everyone is just trying to be better and we’ve built really well as a squad.”

Aiken has moved back to Tweed for the BMD Premiership season and will split her year between Queensland and New South Wales once the NRLW starts again.

She said her goals have not changed much from previous years, with a keen eye on a return to the State of Origin arena.

And it is those wishes to wear maroon again that show how key it is to have the BMD Premiership season run into the Origin period.

“Everyone wants to get footy in, especially before Origin and NRLW,” Aiken said.

“It’s also important performance-wise to be playing all year round. You just can’t not play for six months and go into Origin straight away.

“We’re really lucky in Queensland to have the BMD competition.

“At the moment the goals for me is just focusing on Tweed and getting through a good BMD season and then hopefully push for Origin selection in the middle of the year and then down to Sydney again with the Roosters.”

Tweed Seagulls 2024 gains and losses

Gains

Taryn Aiken (Returning to Tweed/Central Coast Roosters), Olivia Kernick (Sydney Roosters), Lily-Rose Kolc (Burleigh Bears), Ashleigh Quinlan (Burleigh Bears), Felice Quinlan (Burleigh Bears), Jay Jay Taylor (Sydney Roosters)