![Charlotte Eather receives her Tarsha Gale Cup jersey from fellow Bulldogs Gayle Broughton and Josh Reynolds. Picture supplied Charlotte Eather receives her Tarsha Gale Cup jersey from fellow Bulldogs Gayle Broughton and Josh Reynolds. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/KUhQizDbwW8WqAyPP4x5yp/647da3be-2bef-411c-8119-f4e3d593e7bc.jpg/r0_0_2132_2223_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
It only took five minutes for Charlotte Eather to leave her mark on an experience that made her "so emotional".
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With loved ones looking on at the historic Belmore Sports Ground in Sydney, the Gunnedah native crossed on debut for Canterbury in a round one Tarsha Gale Cup clash against St George on February 4.
It was an auspicious start to the biggest sporting moment of the 18-year-old's life, in what has been a transformative period for her after she relocated from her hometown to Sydney late last year in order to chase her NRLW dream.
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"It was, like, such a great feeling," the winger said, adding that the moment was enhanced by the presence of her loved ones at the game.
"And the second game, too, scoring the first try for us was also a really good feeling."
That's right: Eather scored Canterbury's opening tries in her first two matches for the club.
She said she was "so nervous" ahead of her debut. "But once it was kick-off, I felt like I was in my element.
![Eather is joined by her mother, Leaia, cousin, Dominic Lamositele, father, Jarrod, and partner, Blair Beasley, after her Bulldogs debut. Picture supplied Eather is joined by her mother, Leaia, cousin, Dominic Lamositele, father, Jarrod, and partner, Blair Beasley, after her Bulldogs debut. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/KUhQizDbwW8WqAyPP4x5yp/152d64bd-e8ba-4281-8de0-764787d94021.jpg/r0_0_725_820_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"Like, I didn't get much chance with the play in the first round; most of it was played up the middle. But it was still good to be out on the field."
The atmosphere at the opener, Eather added, was "really good".
Eather played a full game in the 50-4 thumping of the Dragons.
She also played a full game in round two, when the No 5 crossed in the 12th minute of the Bulldogs' 30-16 win over the Rabbitohs at Redfern Oval in Sydney.
She was "rested" for the side's 22-20 round three defeat of the Knights at St Johns Oval in Newcastle on Saturday.
Undefeated Canterbury have a bye this week, with Eather hopeful of being back in the side for their next match - a home encounter against Manly on March 4.
She said Canterbury coach Jason Tonna told her he "wanted to rest" her against the Knights "to give some other girls a run".
"He didn't say I did anything wrong," she said.
She added:
He did say he was gonna bring me back on. Hopefully it's for the next round.
Eather - who was named in the NSW Country under-18 rugby union squad last year - is living in Sydney with her longtime partner, Blair Beasley.
She works for a childcare provider, and is studying criminal justice and criminology. She is doing the latter online.
"So I'm hoping that once I finish this [the degree] I can get into being a correctional officer," she said, adding: "I always wanted to be something like that."
For now, however, Eather said she was "definitely" focused on becoming an NRLW player.
"Hopefully I stand out a bit more in the next few games," she also said.
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