Toowoomba’s Kayla Jackson to make NRLW debut with Titans
Three years ago Kayla Jackson was mustering cattle and travelling 30 hours a week to play rugby league. Now the 22-year-old is set for a remarkable NRLW debut with Gold Coast Titans.
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Kayla Jackson was mustering cattle and driving 3000km a week to play rugby league a few years ago.
Now the 22-year-old will cap one of the NRLW’s most remarkable journeys, swapping western Queensland’s Roma for a Gold Coast Titans’ debut.
In those early league days Jackson, who now lives in Toowoomba, would leave Roma at lunchtime on Tuesdays and Thursday to make a 1000km round trip to Brisbane for training.
Returning home around midnight she would rise just a few hours later to go to work in a job far more demanding than any league match.
“At one stage I was working at a feedlot in Roma and I was travelling twice a week to Brisbane on a Tuesday and Thursday night,” Jackson told this masthead earlier this year.
“I would work at lunchtime, travel down, train, get back around midnight and then get up around four or five o’clock in the morning to be out on horse and muster (cattle) the whole day.”
This Saturday Jackson will line up against North Queensland Cowboys in Townsville.
The rugby union convert received the news she never expected to hear last Friday, when Titans coach Karyn Murphy made a shock call.
“The past five days have been exciting and overwhelming,” Jackson said.
“I was given the opportunity to train with the Titans earlier this year but unfortunately at the time I didn’t receive a spot in their Top 24.
“I was happy to go away back to the Western Clydesdales and really get to work with them and improve my game.
“When Murph called me last Friday it was a massive shock, she said we’re calling you up, we need you for round one and I couldn’t believe it. It’s still so surreal.
“I work in admin at Toowoomba Hospital and they have been absolutely amazing. I’ve basically had to put life on hold between travelling for training and heading to Townsville for round 1.”
Jackson’s call up comes off the back of a recent trial game with the Titans.
The talented centre, who starts on the wing this weekend, put her best foot forward with a solid 20-minute hitout in the match.
Her debut also means mum Janelle will make good on a massive deal struck with her daughter a number of months ago.
“Mum has been living near Shark Bay (Western Australia) for the past couple of years,” Jackson said.
“I told her I’m playing all this footy now and I don’t like that you’re not here to see it.
“I told her if I make my NRLW debut she has to come. Right now (Wednesday afternoon) she was about to drive across the Nullabor on her way to Queensland.
“All of this – the call up, training, driving to the Gold Coast with my sister for training so she can be there for my jersey presentation, knowing I am going to make my NRLW debut – it still baffles me. I get goosebumps and can’t believe it is really happening.
“I’m nervous, excited and it’s an absolute honour to be representing family, my region, the Western Clydesdales and the Titans knowing it wasn’t long ago that I was inspired by the girls I will now play alongside and maybe one day my journey might inspire others.”
Originally published as Toowoomba’s Kayla Jackson to make NRLW debut with Titans
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