Bright future: NSW Origin coach excited by success of maiden U17s Lisa Fiaola Cup competition

Kylie Hilder has lived women’s rugby league from close range for more than a decade. Now with a major expansion to the pathways program, the Sky Blues Origin coach sees an even brighter future.

Penrith Panthers players come together during a recent Lisa Fiaola Cup match at Henson Park. Picture: Warren Gannon Photography.

While the majority of fans revel in the rapid expansion of the NRLW, Kylie Hilder is just as excited by what’s evolving in the grassroots.

In a dual role with the NSW Rugby League, the former Jillaroo and now Sky Blues Origin coach also doubles as Female Pathways manager.

And it’s the introduction of this season’s under-17s Lisa Fiaola Cup competition that has her eyeing an even brighter future for the women’s game.

Played alongside the U19s Tarsha Gale Cup, the new competition now aligns the women’s pathways program with the men’s.

NSW Sky Blues coach Kylie Hilder is excited by the growth in women’s pathways. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short

“We’ve been pushing really hard for a few years now to get the 17s up and running,” said Hilder.

“A short version was tried last year to gauge interest and look at the standard. We were blown away and the clubs were really excited, now we have 13 clubs playing in the first full season, it’s unbelievable.”

With so many players involved, there were initial doubts about the quality of the competition.

“The standard is high,” said Hilder, who never had any doubts. “And that’s because the girls are starting to play a lot earlier. Many play with the boys up until the age of 12 and now we are also seeing more girls only comps at the community level too.”

In a clever move to limit the effects of poaching across club boundaries, rules have been put in place to ensure player development isn’t restricted to specific regions.

“There’s always a risk that clubs will recruit from outside their boundaries,” she said.

“This year we put in a rule that 60-70 per cent of players on each list must be local homegrown talent. It ensures player development continues in each area and also makes the competition fairer.

“It’s also important to minimise travelling large distances because at that age the girls are still at school and we want to make sure their priorities outside of football are not compromised.”

Newcastle’s Macey Cox spots an opening in round three of the Lisa Fiaola Cup. Picture: Michael Gorton

The benefits are expected to flow beyond the clubs, and increase the standard and competition for representative spots at the elite levels.

“I’m now in my fourth year as Sky Blues coach and there’s still girls that are still relatively new to the game,” Hilder explained.

“We’re now seeing a rapid rise in quality from the pathways. Last year for the first time we had an U17 City-Country game and the quality was outstanding.

“Now we’re pushing the NRL to include an U17 Origin match along with the U19s because both states are now in a position to field quality teams.

“And from a NSW perspective, those girls are the future Sky Blues, so it’s important to have them understand our systems and requirements as early as possible.”