Why Jesse Southwell is poised to be NSW's halfback for next 10 years

'There's no use being a brilliant seven if you don't have a connection with all the players around you, and that's something she's worked really hard on, which makes me really excited for her … she's got a really high ceiling, and she's not there yet, which is great for the women's game.'
Strange said there were 'a lot of other good halves in the game', but predicted that challenge would bring out the best in Southwell.
'I think she'll love that as well,' he said. 'That'll push her game higher and higher.'
In his Sydney Morning Herald column two weeks ago, Johns recalled how he first came across Southwell when he was a coaching consultant at the Knights.
'It's safe to say that everyone on the field in those training sessions was blown away by the skill level she has,' he wrote.
He added that she 'has so much improvement still to come' and declared she should be 'the long-term halfback for the Jillaroos, starting right now'.
Southwell is yet to wear the green and gold in rugby league, although she was part of the extended squad at last year's Pacific Championships. She helped Australia's rugby union sevens team win a Commonwealth Games gold medal in Birmingham as a 17-year-old.
Incumbent Jillaroos half Tarryn Aiken, who will play five-eighth for Queensland on Thursday, clearly has no intention of surrendering her spot in the national team without a fight.
'I'd definitely like to retain my jersey,' Aiken said. 'You always want to retain your jerseys in any team and definitely the Jillaroos.'
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Aiken, who last year won the prestigious Golden Boot award, starred for Australia in their 90-4 hammering of England in Las Vegas three months ago, kicking 11 goals and producing six try-assists.
Strange, meanwhile, was confident complacency would not be an issue for the Blues, who want to finish the series on a high note in front of a crowd expected to surpass 20,000.
'We've spoken about that as soon as we came back into camp for game three,' he said.
'It's about us and putting a really good performance out there on the field. If we don't do that, then we'll be disappointed, irrespective of the result ...
'We've got to make sure that we keep working hard, and the Queenslanders are going to be desperate. They don't want a 3-0 whitewash, so we've got to be better if we want to win this game, which we do.'

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'Hole in my face': Donoghoe nose best after doc's fix

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2 days ago

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'Hole in my face': Donoghoe nose best after doc's fix

Dolphins utility Kurt Donoghoe's return to play from a broken nose that looked like putty has been hailed as the inspirational act that lifted the side to the cusp of the NRL top eight. The in-form utility could hardly breath after he reeled away in agony from a tackle with his nose splattered all over his face in the stunning 44-8 win over Canterbury before last week's bye. Club medico, Dr Peter Hackney, worked his magic in the sheds to put the nose back in place and Donoghoe missed just 11 minutes of action, returning to the field to score a try and star in a win that has the Dolphins on 12 points and just two points outside the top eight. "It was pretty rough to be honest. I went into a tackle and remember coming out of it and looking at a few of my teammates in shock," Donoghoe recalled. "I had no idea what was going on. I went to touch my face and there was a hole in my face. I couldn't breathe out of (my nose) so I was mouth breathing. "I had my mouthguard in so I was trying to take that out. It was a stressful moment. "I was in a fair bit of pain but the doctor looked after me pretty good. He had two cracks at it." Donoghoe played hooker against the Bulldogs but will return to the No.14 role he has made his own in Friday night's home clash at Suncorp Stadium with St George Illawarra. Regular rake Jeremy Marshall-King trained well on Monday and is set to return from a nasty gash in his leg that had got infected. Winger Jamayne Isaako said Donoghoe's courage in their last outing had been a huge boost to the squad. "For him to come back from an injury like that certainly inspired the team," Isaako said. "To have a bloke like that turn up even though they are busted showed the character that we have in the team. We build and thrive off that." Donoghoe was modest about his actions. "I did it early in the game and didn't want to let the boys down. It was important we got that win for our season," he said. "There were other boys out there busted as well." The 23-year-old was a star for Fiji in last year's Pacific Championships. Nicknamed "Donga", he is one of coach Kristian Woolf's favourite players and so long as he is fit will be chosen each week for his versatility, toughness and skill. "The last two years I have been in and out of the team so be able to stick to one spot and for (Woolf) to have belief in me gives me heaps of confidence," he said. "I am playing my best footy and I have been able to be consistent. "Wherever the team needs me I am happy to jump in." Dolphins forward Max Plath also trained on Monday but is no certainty to return from a foot injury that has kept him out since round seven. Dolphins utility Kurt Donoghoe's return to play from a broken nose that looked like putty has been hailed as the inspirational act that lifted the side to the cusp of the NRL top eight. The in-form utility could hardly breath after he reeled away in agony from a tackle with his nose splattered all over his face in the stunning 44-8 win over Canterbury before last week's bye. Club medico, Dr Peter Hackney, worked his magic in the sheds to put the nose back in place and Donoghoe missed just 11 minutes of action, returning to the field to score a try and star in a win that has the Dolphins on 12 points and just two points outside the top eight. "It was pretty rough to be honest. I went into a tackle and remember coming out of it and looking at a few of my teammates in shock," Donoghoe recalled. "I had no idea what was going on. I went to touch my face and there was a hole in my face. I couldn't breathe out of (my nose) so I was mouth breathing. "I had my mouthguard in so I was trying to take that out. It was a stressful moment. "I was in a fair bit of pain but the doctor looked after me pretty good. He had two cracks at it." Donoghoe played hooker against the Bulldogs but will return to the No.14 role he has made his own in Friday night's home clash at Suncorp Stadium with St George Illawarra. Regular rake Jeremy Marshall-King trained well on Monday and is set to return from a nasty gash in his leg that had got infected. Winger Jamayne Isaako said Donoghoe's courage in their last outing had been a huge boost to the squad. "For him to come back from an injury like that certainly inspired the team," Isaako said. "To have a bloke like that turn up even though they are busted showed the character that we have in the team. We build and thrive off that." Donoghoe was modest about his actions. "I did it early in the game and didn't want to let the boys down. It was important we got that win for our season," he said. "There were other boys out there busted as well." The 23-year-old was a star for Fiji in last year's Pacific Championships. Nicknamed "Donga", he is one of coach Kristian Woolf's favourite players and so long as he is fit will be chosen each week for his versatility, toughness and skill. "The last two years I have been in and out of the team so be able to stick to one spot and for (Woolf) to have belief in me gives me heaps of confidence," he said. "I am playing my best footy and I have been able to be consistent. "Wherever the team needs me I am happy to jump in." Dolphins forward Max Plath also trained on Monday but is no certainty to return from a foot injury that has kept him out since round seven. Dolphins utility Kurt Donoghoe's return to play from a broken nose that looked like putty has been hailed as the inspirational act that lifted the side to the cusp of the NRL top eight. The in-form utility could hardly breath after he reeled away in agony from a tackle with his nose splattered all over his face in the stunning 44-8 win over Canterbury before last week's bye. Club medico, Dr Peter Hackney, worked his magic in the sheds to put the nose back in place and Donoghoe missed just 11 minutes of action, returning to the field to score a try and star in a win that has the Dolphins on 12 points and just two points outside the top eight. "It was pretty rough to be honest. I went into a tackle and remember coming out of it and looking at a few of my teammates in shock," Donoghoe recalled. "I had no idea what was going on. I went to touch my face and there was a hole in my face. I couldn't breathe out of (my nose) so I was mouth breathing. "I had my mouthguard in so I was trying to take that out. It was a stressful moment. "I was in a fair bit of pain but the doctor looked after me pretty good. He had two cracks at it." Donoghoe played hooker against the Bulldogs but will return to the No.14 role he has made his own in Friday night's home clash at Suncorp Stadium with St George Illawarra. Regular rake Jeremy Marshall-King trained well on Monday and is set to return from a nasty gash in his leg that had got infected. Winger Jamayne Isaako said Donoghoe's courage in their last outing had been a huge boost to the squad. "For him to come back from an injury like that certainly inspired the team," Isaako said. "To have a bloke like that turn up even though they are busted showed the character that we have in the team. We build and thrive off that." Donoghoe was modest about his actions. "I did it early in the game and didn't want to let the boys down. It was important we got that win for our season," he said. "There were other boys out there busted as well." The 23-year-old was a star for Fiji in last year's Pacific Championships. Nicknamed "Donga", he is one of coach Kristian Woolf's favourite players and so long as he is fit will be chosen each week for his versatility, toughness and skill. "The last two years I have been in and out of the team so be able to stick to one spot and for (Woolf) to have belief in me gives me heaps of confidence," he said. "I am playing my best footy and I have been able to be consistent. "Wherever the team needs me I am happy to jump in." Dolphins forward Max Plath also trained on Monday but is no certainty to return from a foot injury that has kept him out since round seven.