Maddie Studdon has worked to become NSW captain material
IT wasn’t that long ago that Maddie Studdon was in a battle to hold her place in the halves for the Australian team. Now she’ll lead the Blues out into battle on Friday night.
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IT wasn’t that long ago that Maddie Studdon was in a battle to hold her place in the halves for the Australian team.
By the time the team ran out for the World Cup final on December 17 last year, Studdon wasn’t in the side and instead watched on as Caitlin Moran led the team around the field in the number seven jersey.
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There’s no bitterness from that experience. Studdon says herself that “those girls were on top form and I had to work even harder to get that position, so that’s what I did.”
On Friday night Studdon will run on to North Sydney Oval with the seven on her back and the ‘c’ next to her name for her NSW.
With Moran and Blues captain Ruan Sims injured for this week’s State of Origin, Studdon has been given her chance to put into play all she has learnt from the past 12 months.
It was tough, but worth it.
“Learning everything from the experience, changing my game a little bit, being more calm and taking more control out there with how I speak to the team on the field. That’s what I learnt in World Cup,” Studdon said from the Blues camp in Wollongong.
“I’m very grateful for that opportunity as well and I probably wouldn’t be where I am today if I didn’t go through that tough time.
“I’ve worked really hard and changed my game a bit and I’m excited with how I’m playing at the moment and I can’t wait to get out there on Friday and keep working hard with these girls.”
There is more exposure to people with years of experience in the game, as former players with NRL, state and international experience take up positions in the women’s game and clubs bring women’s teams into the fold.
Studdon has sought input from people as close to her as her father, to Jillaroos coach Brad Donald.
Even Greg Inglis has been around to offer advice with her playing for South Sydney in the NSWRL women’s premiership.
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“I get a lot of advice from my father, he was a coach and gives me feedback, but I’ve been working with Brad Donald, the Australian Jillaroos coach, and Milton Dymock (who has worked with a number of clubs as well as the NRL) has given me advice,” she said.
“I’ve got a lot of help, even Ben Cross (NSW coach) right now he’s helping my game and my role.
“I’m at South Sydney and a couple of players do come up to us. Greg Inglis is very good and he comes up to our team and has a chat with us … I’m very excited and very fortunate to have these people around me.”
NSW are preparing for a tough contest on Friday night against a Maroons side led by new coach Jason Hetherington.
The Blues plan to match them through the middle and hope their quick outside backs can cause some damage.
“They always come out hard and physical so we know they’re going to bring that extra hard this year,” Studdon said.
“Getting coached under a great coach and even their assistant coaches, they’re really going to learn a lot.
“We’ll work hard the whole 60 minutes and we’ll be quite physical as well. We’re a bit of a quick team so we’ll be going up the middle and hopefully get them tired as well.”