The 21-year-old Bathurst talent has made the bold decision to step away from rugby sevens and try her hand in the NRLW as a Newcastle Knight.

While Whitfeld loved being part of the Australian representative rugby sevens program - she's won gold medals in the World Rugby Sevens Series and said she may very well to return to rugby at some stage - she decided it was time to make a change and try to new code.

"I was looking for a bit of a new challenge," she said.

"It's exciting to have this new journey, to have this huge challenge ahead of me and try to learn the game in a short period of time and go out there and perform.

"I know I've gone against the grain a little bit in doing this, but I'm really excited for it. It's my journey I guess, everyone has their own journey and their own path."

While she's carved up in rugby sevens for Sydney University and Australia and she won a Central West Rugby Union premiership with the Bathurst Bulldogs, league is very new to Whitfeld.

Playing league tag with St Pat's is the closest she's come.

But when the chance arose to join the Newcastle Knights for the 2022 NRLW season, Whitfeld took it.

"When I did decide to take some leave from sevens, an opportunity came up because my manager had a contact at the Knights. It all happened pretty fast," she said.

"I ended up signing with them literally just before the pre-season started. It wasn't how I thought the year was going to end, but I'm really excited for it.

"I'm really excited to be with the Knights for the next few months and the adventure it will be and while I haven't played league, I am learning heaps."

The growth and popularity of the NRLW was one of the big drawcards for Whitfeld.

Since its inaugural season in 2018 which featured just four teams, the NRLW has expanded to now have six, while in 2023 it will be a 10-team premiership.

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Whitfeld believes NRLW players will become full-time paid professionals in the not too distant future, making it another option for female athletes.

"A lot of the experienced girls in sevens, like the ones that have been there for 10 years, they didn't have this opportunity when they were coming through," Whitfeld said.

"I look up to those girls and think 'Gosh, being in the program for 10 years is such a long time', but I think league is coming forward in leaps and bounds and is now a huge attraction, it's another opportunity for girls.

"It's [league] very different to sevens in terms of the structure of training, most of the girls have full-time jobs so training is at night time.

"Hopefully in a few years that will change, they can become professional and girls can focus on their footy full-time like the sevens girls do.

"Hopefully what I do shows all the girls back home and across the Central West that there are pathways in league and union and they can do whatever they want to do."

Newcastle has played one season of NRLW and while not able to post a win, showed plenty of promise.

The Knights are eager to make the 2022 season a success, with Whitfeld one of handful of new signings.

Former Brisbane Broncos stars Millie Boyle (prop) and Tamika Upton (fullback) have made the switch to Newcastle, while the Knights have also recruited Australia representative Hannah Southwell from the Sydney Roosters.

Whitfeld attended her first training session this week and though she knows she has plenty to learn, has loved the environment.

"It's a pretty special group to be around. Everyone has been really supportive and welcoming, which is awesome," she said.

"There's been a lot of learning, the attacking has been similar, but for me the technical side of the contact in defence is my biggest learning curve. I'm sure I'll pick it up fast.

"But the facilities are so amazing and everyone is really professional from the staff to the players."

One thing that Whitfeld has learned already is the special link the Knights have with the Newcastle community. A school visit on Tuesday ranks as a special experience.

"League is such a huge thing over here, literally the drive behind it is the community and everything you do is about the community and about giving back," she said.

"They're really big on community engagement which is something that I love, I love being able to give back.

"Like we went on a school visit on Tuesday, I'd only been to one training session, but when we walked in and they said 'It's the girls from the Newcastle Knights' the kids were so excited.

"Just being associated with the club, the whole community knows them, it's like 'Oh my gosh it's the Knights'. It's awesome you have such a huge impact on the kids.

"That's an awesome thing and I can't wait for the first round - it's amazing how the city gets around it."

The Knights will play their season opener on August 21 against the Brisbane Broncos.

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