'No fear factor': Tenacity the key to O'Sullivan's rapid rise

After a lifetime spent pursuing excellence in basketball and rugby union, the Tamworth native played her first game of league in April, during the State Police Carnival held locally.

Now, nearly two-and-a-half months later, O'Sullivan is set to become an Australian representative.

After the NSW Police team's win over Queensland Police last Friday, O'Sullivan was named in the 20-strong Australian Police squad.

"It definitely wasn't expected," O'Sullivan said.

"I had moments where I did my job [in the centres] and did it well, and other parts of the game where I probably could have performed a bit better.

"I was very lucky to be selected, it was the cherry on top of the win."

In spite of the good fortune that O'Sullivan believes had a role in her selection, it appears that her courage played an even bigger part.

The boldness that inspired her to take the field in April without any prior experience is, according to O'Sullivan, one of her strongest assets on the field.

"One thing that has been mentioned to me is that I have no fear factor," she said.

"I'm pretty willing to take on any players of any size, despite the fact that I may not necessarily match them."

That, combined with the footwork and agility she honed during years of playing Rugby Sevens, makes her a formidable prospect to her opponents.

Despite these advantages, O'Sullivan feels as though she is just starting to shake off the habits formed by years of rugby, and, thanks to the training camps with the NSW Country Police and NSW Police teams, is beginning to feel at home in the alternate code.

"I think being in those camps, they are able to break down different things and explain it," she said.

"So seeing that in terms of plays has been a whole lot easier. Everyone hopes to get better each game, and with a little bit more understanding I feel like I'm getting the hang of it."

No dates have yet been confirmed for the Australian Police team's upcoming fixtures.

But, when the opportunity does roll around for O'Sullivan to pull on a national jersey, she will look to treat it as another learning experience in her burgeoning league career.

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