City forward Jaida Faleona: 'I love the physicality'

Jaida said since starting at Coomera Cutters, she had not looked back, spurred on by plenty of supportive coaches.

“I’ve been watching my brother play since I was little and I had the opportunity to play with him in under 12s, with the boys… it was very nerve-wracking,” Jaida said, adding she played her first game in division two and was asked by the division one coach to play.

“It was really good knowing that a div one coach, in my very first game, saw that I had the skill set to move up straight away. It boosted my confidence.

“Then my dad started coaching me and then I found some other people that I consider my family now that drive me to be better and improve my game so hopefully I make my NRLW debut sooner rather than later.

“The whole culture around league and how big it's getting… it’s expanding so quickly. I love it."

Jaida said the teachers and coaches at Keebra Park, including QRL High Performance Unit referee Dan Schwass, helped her improve her game.

“Any team I go to, everyone's very welcoming… the coaches are there to help improve my game and anyone else's game… help us improve as players and as people,” Jaida said.

As well as playing rugby league at school this year, Jaida played rugby union for Bond University Premier Women under coach Lawrence Faifua.

“I’ve grown up with him since I was under 12 and this year was his last year of coaching,” Jaida said.

“I've played sevens in union through his pathway and I kind of wanted to see him out of that role. So next year I will be going to full rugby league.”

Jaida said rugby league was more her jam and one person who truly inspired her was Queensland great Karyn Murphy.

“She’s just so wonderful and so welcoming… you can go to her for anything,” Jaida said, adding she loved being part of the Titans system and getting to work with players like Elliston.

“I look up to them as my older sisters and I can go to any of them for advice... Jessika is my mentor… my Tweed breed, we both go to Tweed together," Jaida said.

“Hopefully this year I get called into the BMD Premiership squad and I can play alongside her. She’s a really cool person, good mentor.

“She just tells me to play hard and be myself and not to hold anything back in a leadership role on the field, or outside of the field, and just to rip in.”

Jaida said to one day play for Queensland, like Elliston, would “be a great privilege”.

“Ever since I started playing, it's been one of my biggest goals,” Jaida said.

“It would be a great achievement to be selected and get that opportunity. I would appreciate the opportunity and go hard out.”

For now, Jaida is determined to impress for City this Saturday, confident her side will finish with a win against Country.

City coach Ana Fotu said Jaida, able to play anywhere in the forward pack, showed great leadership and was “the type of player you want on your team”.

“Jaida is the kind of player to get the girls going… really positive and especially with this kind of moment where a lot of girls don't know each other, just coming in and having that kind of player that takes ownership and just starts leading, is good,” Fotu said.