Jada Taylor will make her NRLW debut on Sunday but the pint-sized Sydney Roosters fullback won’t have any trouble with the big stage if her performance for the NSW Under 19s is anything to go by.
Taylor scored a try against Queensland that started in her own in-goal and finished 108 metres down the other end of the field. The moment quickly went viral on social media and has now been viewed more than 15.5 million times.
In what has been a hugely successful year for Taylor, she also won a Tarsha Gale Cup premiership with the Sydney Roosters Indigenous Academy and will now make her NRLW debut with regular No.1 Sam Bremner having a week off.
“I was at home when I found out, so I got to walk out and tell the family which is pretty cool, it is not something they expected either,” Taylor said.
“It was a proud moment, and I am glad I get to share it with them.
“I’ve seen all the love already on social media under posts of me being named and it is crazy to think I haven’t even debuted yet.”
Taylor, who won the Nat Dwyer Medal for best player on the field in the Under 19s women’s State of Origin match, was full of praise for the Roosters’ pathways system.
“I knew I was in a good system, but it was my first year back in League, so I wasn’t expecting to get to do all these cool things and be where I am now,” she said.
Taylor is also looking forward to running out alongside her idol Isabelle Kelly, who was named the Harvey Norman NSW Women’s Origin Player of the Year at the Brad Fittler Medal on Monday night.
“I am just excited to get out on the field with her so that I can say that I’ve done it,” she said.
“These things don’t come around often so to be able to debut for such an amazing club surrounded by some legends of the game is very exciting, I can’t wait.”
