Leeds Rhinos stars Georgia Roche and Fran Goldthorp backed to 'smash' NRLW by Amy Hardcastle

Along with York Valkyrie back-rower Hollie-Mae Dodd, Roche and Goldthorp are the first English players to move to the NRLW.

Half-back Roche is expected to join Newcastle Knights, while full-back Goldthorp will line up for Gold Coast Titans when the NRLW season gets under way in July.

Neither player has featured for Leeds this year, meaning Hardcastle – an off-season arrival from St Helens – has yet to line up alongside Roche and Goldthorp at club level.

But after seeing the duo up close in the England set-up, Hardcastle is convinced they have what it takes to crack the NRLW.

“I think they are going to do class out there," said Hardcastle in the wake of England's 64-0 rout of France last weekend.

“I am so happy and so proud of them. They have got these opportunities and they deserve it.

"They have worked incredibly hard and I can’t wait to see them smash it out there.”

Roche and Dodd both featured in the mid-season Test, which was one-sided from the moment Leah Burke opened the scoring inside 90 seconds.

Hardcastle felt it was a worthwhile exercise as England began their journey to the 2025 World Cup under new coach Stuart Barrow.

“We need more games under our belt," said Hardcastle.

"We have got to start gelling as a team and we’ve got to try the combinations.

“We need these international games to be able to do that. We had a few new combinations so it was just about keeping it simple and finding our feet again."

It was England's first game since losing to New Zealand in the semi-finals of last year's World Cup on home soil.

Hardcastle got her customary try in the closing stages and helped winger Burke score four.

“It was nice to get over,” said Hardcastle.

“I waited nearly 80 minutes but for me now, it is about doing the little fundamentals right – it might be good support play, being an option and not getting the ball, to cause a distraction, or whatever.

“Leah is a class player and that’s what it’s about. She needs that space so you can’t be greedy as a centre, you have to let her have her time and that’s what makes us a good combination."