Experienced prop primed for first ever BHP Premiership

The Brisbane Broncos star said she was so excited about how far the female game had come since she first ran onto a rugby league field as a child after her dad, former Maroons great Rohan Hancock, nominated her when the team was short.   

"I think I've probably told this story 100 times, but dad was coaching the Killarney kids for the Warwick comp and they were short so they said to Rohan 'do you know anyone that's going to be able to play?' and my dad said 'yeah, my daughter - she'd love to have a run'," Hancock said. 

"The story goes, I threw the jersey on, mum plaited my hair, I put the headgear on, scored a couple of tries, kicked some goals, and we won.

"Then some bloke apparently said to dad, 'that boy will play rep footy one day'. Dad turned around and said 'that's my daughter'. I took my headgear off and my plait fell out. All the younger boys that were my age were like 'she's a girl' . 

"That was the start of my footy career. Unfortunately, because I am a dinosaur, we could only play until the age of nine, so then I took up every other sport known to man."

Hancock went on the represent Australia at the world juniors for javelin, with a dream of going to the Olympic Games. 

"That didn't happen obviously.... my love for footy, it was still there," Hancock said. 

"There was a drought in Killarney, so I organised a game of footy between two local groups. Went down to the pub and grabbed the roughest females that I could find, and signed them up.

"Went to the abattoir and there was a couple of rough girls up there too. Made my sister, my two cousins, the hairdresser, all play footy for the community. Our little community. It was good fun. 

"My cousin got knocked out. It was pretty fiery because there's a lot of hatred between Killarney and Warwick. We're very competitive. 

"But it was a great game of footy and I think we raised about $10,000. The polocrosse was on, the trail bike ride was on in Killarney and the footy was on so everyone was down having a drink and enjoying the footy."

Hancock said that was the start of her career, proper. 

"From that game, we organised another game, then the Toowoomba Filllies coach came over and said 'mate, we'd love for you to come over and play football for the Fillies'. I said 'dad will say 'yeah' but mum, she will not. She'll say 'no, you're my little girl'.... even though I was so tomboyish and rough as guts. 

"I went and played for the Fillies and then I was fortunate enough to get selected to go to the World Cup in New Zealand. That was 2003. So that was my first year of open women's footy. That was very memorable. I was  21 years of age, playing for my country for the first time. It was great.

"I'm thankful there was no social media around back then. Hanging out with the like of Karyn Murphy and Millie Edwards, and the Tahnee Norris' of the world. We had so much fun back then."

Hancock said now, she relished the opportunity to be one of the more experienced players in the game and help foster the young girls coming through.

"I'm excited... I've never enjoyed footy so much," Hancock said.  

"I'm not dreading training, I really enjoy everyone's company. Especially at Souths. We've got a lot of young girls there at the moment. 

"We've got Nakita (Soa) and China (Polata) and Lil (Mikaio) and River (Smalley) and Tyesha (Mikaio).... they all played in the under 18 Queensland team last year.

"To have those girls there and a couple of other girls that are all under the age of 22... I'm 38. Nakita, who is our halfback, is 17 years of age. I've got 21 years on her. I presented her her jersey for Met East probably three or four years ago, in high school, and to play football with her in the BHP Premiership is going to be something really special for us.

"I just think it's beautiful that I've been able to watch these girls play at Karyn Murphy Cup, club, the last few years, and now to get to actually play footy with them - it's pretty cool.

"That's probably one of the little fires burning in my belly... that's what keeps me going and why it's so enjoyable."

But, Hancock said, she was completely out of her comfort zone when it came to the girls doing TikTok. 

"TikTok is a thing. Learnt my first one in Toowoomba. It was woeful," Hancock said. "I was so embarrassed. I'm a white girl... I don't have any rhythm."

Hancock said she expected 2020 to be a big year for herself and women in league. 

"There's been a lot of firsts, especially towards the back end of my career," Hancock said.

"The NRLW, we're now the mighty Queensland Maroons... I never dreamt that would happen. And to have the women's game classed as State of Origin, that to me, that means the world to me. 

"My goal this year is not to get injured. Just really to enjoy the back end of my career... I've been saying that for seven years, that I'm going to retire. I've finished saying it. One day I will retire and it'll probably be the year I don't say it.

"I'm starting to get older and my body is starting to fall apart a bit. But I honestly enjoy every Tuesday when I wake up. I'm like 'yay! footy training at Souths tonight. Can't wait to see all my mates'. We just have so much fun at training. It's the same Thursday... 'you beauty, footy training'. And I get to hang out with my mates again on the weekend."

Hancock said to finally have a professional competition that formed part of the pathway for girls was phenomenal. 

"To have a competition that's going to be professionally run, good referees, everything is ready to go... that'll be something that I think all of the girls will really enjoy this year," Hancock said. 

"Not having to worry about doing things behind the scenes with their club... they can just focus on playing footy without worrying about getting touch judges or who is going to wash the jerseys. 

"I think the more professional the competition is this year, the more the girls will enjoy their footy. Obviously we want to put a good showcase out there. Especially being the first year."

Hancock said icing on the cake for her this year would be playing Origin.

"Obviously Queensland, I think, is the pinnacle. I love, love, love State  of Origin," Hancock said. 

"If I'm good enough then hopefully the coach will give me a spot. If I'm not playing, I'll be there with bells on because obviously Queensland means the world to me. 

"Obviously 10 in a row, lost, drew, lost the last three. I can't handle it. It's doing my head in. This is the year. It's going to be the year.

"I know there's a lot of injuries, but I'm sure the coach will pick the right side and it'll be a game to watch, that's for sure."