In a potentially stunning off-season move, the Newcastle Knights are facing the prospect of losing last season's premiership-winning NRLW co-captain.

Boyle was linked to the Roosters on Friday and the Newcastle Herald understands the Knights are resigned to the representative prop playing elsewhere in the upcoming season.

The 24-year-old's potential defection will come as a shock to Knights fans given her partner Adam Elliott plays for Newcastle's NRL side and is contracted until the end of the 2025 season.

Boyle, who began her NRLW career with Brisbane, only joined the Knights ahead of last season and led the club to its maiden title.

However with all NRLW players only on one-season contracts last year, Newcastle's 2022 roster was always a high chance of being raided.

The protracted negotiations between the NRL and Rugby League Players Association over a collective-bargaining agreement (CBA) has not helped their cause.

Four expansion sides - the Tigers, Sharks, Cowboys and Raiders - are also entering the competition in 2023.

Boyle is also working in a number of areas off the field, including commentating for the Nine Network, the free-to-air broadcaster of the NRL and NRLW.

No contract or formal agreement can be signed between a player and NRLW club until a dedicated contracting window opens, making clubs hesitant to comment on potential signings.

That is expected to occur in coming weeks once the CBA is finally signed off.

The loss of Boyle, a NSW and Australian representative, would be significant for the Knights given her leadership qualities and the role she played last season.

The Cobargo product featured in all seven games, making an average 200 metres and 27 tackles per match.

But Newcastle did have a star-studded line-up last season and it's believed most of the squad is intending to remain at the club.

In any case, if the Roosters do sign Boyle they will simply be getting one back on the Knights after Hunter products Hannah Southwell, Olivia Higgins, Yasmin Clydsdale and Tayla Predebon all left the Sydney club to return home for Newcastle's second NRLW campaign last year.

In the men's game, there has been plenty of player movement between the two clubs in recent years.

Connor Watson left the Roosters in 2017 to join Newcastle, where he spent four years before re-joining the Sydney side ahead of the 2022 season.

Through the same period, the Knights signed former players Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Aidan Guerra and Mitchell Pearce from the Roosters.

Just last month, Knights flyer Dominic Young announced he was leaving the club, likely joining the Roosters for 2024 and beyond.

Boyle's manager was contacted for comment on Friday but did not return calls.

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