Barnham: Quiet achiever who 'will absolutely kill it'

Queensland Under 19 utility Shauna Barnham is “a quiet achiever” who goes about her business and excels.

The Rockhampton product started playing rugby league aged 15, moved to Brisbane to attend Marsden State High during Year 11 and was part of Meg Ward’s Norths Devils for the 2024 BMD Premiership season.

The 19-year-old has flourished – despite moving away from her rocks, her parents – to earn a spot in the Queensland Under 19 side.

“It all started at Rockhampton Tigers for me… played my first grand final with them, for under 17s,” Barnham, the youngest of six children, including four brothers, said.

“Looked up to my oldest brother. He moved to Brisbane and was working around child safety… he was a big role model because he’s seen a lot of bad stuff and didn’t want me to…. he wanted me to make something of myself and for me, that’s in footy.

“Footy just gets you away from everything and it’s just something that I’ve always enjoyed… if I’m not playing footy, I’m watching footy. My sister and brothers ask if I ever have a break from footy and the answer is ‘no’.”

Barnham said State of Origin is her household growing up was quite the event.

“Oh mate… household full of brothers, dad that’s just so passionate about footy, it was just crazy… a lot of language, a lot of jumping… mum and dad support New South Wales, and my sister, so it was a very big war when New South Wales and Queensland played,” Barnham said.

“I was a big fan of Johnathan Thurston and Greg Inglis, the way they played their footy… all the hard work JT put in to make a name for himself.”

Barnham said getting to wear maroon now was simply amazing.

“I feel so grateful (to be picked),” Barnham said.

“I did not know how to feel when I got the call from (coach Deanna Turner)… it was just a ‘wow’ moment.

“Representing my family and being a kid who has grown up in Rocky, you don’t have that many opportunities… I made the move from Rocky to Brisbane for my footy career because I got a scholarship at Marsden.

“Moving away from my parents, it was probably one of the hardest things…  doing life without mum and dad, because they’ve always been my rocks, it’s been really hard. But am I with my sister, which is good.”

Barnham said her parents – despite going for New South Wales – were so happy for her Queensland selection.

“I think they were just so pumped for me because they’ve known how much I’ve wanted this, worked hard for this, so I think they’re scrapping NSW at the moment,” Barnham said.

“I don’t think mum and dad will make it because dad does dialysis every second day, so it’s hard for them to travel. Watching though… poor dad will be screaming at the TV.

“Not too sure if the rest will travel… they like surprises. My brother will wear maroon because he’s passionate.”

Barnham said she aimed to do whatever was asked of her come Thursday.

“I’m a half. But this year I’ve been lock, No.9, prop at Norths Devils… I learnt a lot as a player, with all of the positions… probably one of my hardest but best years of footy,” Barnham said, adding her ultimate goals were to get an NRLW contract and represent Queensland as much as she could.