“A lot of excitement has been going through my mind,” she said.

“I’ve been looking forward to this day for the last few months. To sign with the Warriors was a little bit of a surprise for me to be honest but nonetheless I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity the New Zealand Warriors are offering me.

“I’m excited to be a part of something that’s growing super, super quickly and you’d be silly not to want to be involved in it.

“The Warriors are a team I grew up watching on TV. My family are rugby but when we knew the Warriors were playing on TV we’d change the channel to watch them.”

Blyde will join a strong roster in Auckland, with the likes of Apii Nicholls and Laishon Albert-Jones also signed with the club for next year.

Warriors boss Cameron George believes the signing of Blyde will turn the team into a genuine force as they return to the NRLW for the first time since 2020.

“This is so exciting, a real landmark day for the club and for the game attracting a player of Michaela’s exceptional calibre,” he said.

“It says so much about the excitement the NRLW and rugby league is generating on the New Zealand sporting landscape.”