Premiership winner Simone Karpani says it’ll be “sad” to see Tamika Upton leave the Newcastle but remains confident the Knights have the talent to keep challenging for titles even if the superstar fullback is granted an immediate release.

It comes following a bombshell announcement on Monday that Upton is seeking a release on compassionate grounds for the remaining three years of her current deal to return to Queensland.

Upton spent three seasons with the Broncos before she moved to Newcastle where she quickly emerged as the best fullback in the world, leading the Knights to back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023.

She claimed the Karyn Murphy Medal as the best player in each of those finals, while she was also crowned the Dally M winner for her incredible performances.

But it looks like she’ll return to Queensland next year for personal reasons, with Karpani confident Knights coach 파워볼 Ben Jeffries will make the necessary adjustments to ensure her departure doesn’t undo all their recent success.

“I think anyone would be sad if someone like that was leaving,” she said.

“She’s a great player, but we’ve also got lots of other great players. It’s unfortunate, but I do wish her the best.

“It’ll definitely be harder (to return to the top) because she’s a phenomenal player, but whoever comes in will be just as great.

“It’s going to be a surprise to me (who plays fullback) but I’m sure with a coach like ‘BJ’, he knows what he needs. Whoever he brings in, I’m sure she’ll be great.”