After her 109 metre try attracted 1.7 million views online and arguably the best individual try of the year status, pan66.com thought it was time to introduce the world to Jada Taylor.
The 18-year-old newly signed NRLW Rooster was named player-of-the-match in the Under 19’s Women’s State of Origin for her scintillating all-round performance, which was capped off by the miracle effort in the 54th minute.
With supreme talent, a happy-go-lucky attitude and unwavering dedication, the young Tamworth product looks to have a bright future in rugby league.
When did you start playing rugby league?
"I started playing league with the Dungowan Cowboys when I was five but when I was too old to keep playing with the boys I transitioned into OzTag and rugby sevens. I just absolutely idolised my older brother, I wanted to be like him and everyone else in my family, so I jumped on the league bandwagon. Then in year 10 I moved to Sydney to go to boarding school and I joined the Roosters pathways system. I was eligible to play Tarsha Gale Cup two years ago but I was still recovering from two shoulder reconstructions so that kept me out for a couple of years. But then watching some of my mates I played sevens with switch to play NRLW I thought, I can’t wait to get on the field and prove myself that I can play too."
What was running through your head when you scored the runaway try in under 19s Origin?
"When I noticed I was in the clear I was thinking to myself just get there, you can’t get chased down now. I knew I was running past my family as well so I guess that gave me the extra little push and got me there. The girl chasing me, Otesa Pule, is one of my best mates from the Roosters so if she caught me I knew I wouldn’t hear the end of it. But now I won’t let her live it down. A couple of weeks later and I’m still buzzing, I just feel like I'm on cloud nine."
How have your friends and family responded to your Origin performance?
"I’ve got quite a big family and they all drove from Tamworth to watch me play so it was so special to have them, my grandparents and friends in the stands. I didn’t expect people to get around the video so much, I heard it had hit over one million social hits which was so unexpected. The support from home has probably meant the most. Hearing about how little girls from home who are just so excited to start playing footy now, that’s probably had the most impact. I think I've done about three interviews for the papers at home, so it's great the town's behind me and everyone seems to be really excited."
What do you get up to when you're not playing rugby league?
"Balancing everything is a bit of a challenge at the moment as I still play rugby with the Aussie A sevens squad and I also started studying primary education at university this year. Not only are my parents really big on life after footy but I remember Dean Widders told us at Nationals about how the NRL does have a shelf life. So I think it's important I also prioritise my studies because good footy players can fall into the trap of having nothing to fall back on when their career ends. I think education is really important and the NRL is obviously really big on that as well like with the education bursary I got for player-of-the-match."
Taylor talks Roosters signing
Who do you look up to in the game?
"Coming through the Roosters pathways, I really look up to Isabelle Kelly. She’s just a beautiful person and always goes out of her way to make me feel supported and a part of the group. She’s in her eighth season now so I’ve watched her since I was younger and I think she’s such an instrumental role model to so many younger girls and an even better person."
What's next for Jada Taylor?
"I've signed my NRLW contract with the Roosters and now I just want to keep progressing as a player. It’s such a great opportunity to be around the people at the Roosters like the head coach John Strange and also some of the older girls who are just so professional and so dedicated. I’m just loving league so much. Hopefully I have a good back end of this season and even if it’s not making my debut, I just learn from the experience of being around the girls. I just want to keep pushing forward and if it’s not this year, hopefully it’s next year that I get to play in the NRLW."