Group 4: Rebekah Hartmann on captaincy and the Kootingal Roosters' fast start in 2023

The first was when she initially stepped into the role for the Kootingal Roosters women's side last year, following an injury to incumbent captain-coach Abby Schmiedel.

"It was such a surprise last year, I kind of just threw myself into it a little bit," Hartmann said.

"I wanted to do the best job, and I got a bit of experience through some trial and error, seeing what works and what doesn't work."

The second occurred when she was offered the role full-time after Schmiedel's departure for the North Tamworth Bears at the end of last season.

That gave Hartmann the opportunity to take a much more measured, considered approach to the captaincy, as opposed to the on-the-run nature of her first stint in the job.

"This year, I just felt a lot more calm and in control of how I could approach things," she said.

"I just felt a lot more comfortable and confident in who I was and who I wanted to be as a leader."

It's safe to say that the Roosters women have responded well to Hartmann's leadership. They remain unbeaten from seven games so far, with the only blemish on their record a draw against Werris Creek in round six.

But in the opinion of the Newcastle product, their success is more down to the talent within the squad than her influence. Indeed, her goal this year was simply to "bring out the best in everyone else".

"I think part of being a captain or a leader is putting the team first," Hartmann said.

"It really is the individual achievements. We have so much different talent, and so many confident players and people who put themselves out there and really do their best, and I can't take any credit for that."

While she played down her influence on the side's success, Kootingal coach Jeff Faint was effusive in his praise of Hartmann, who he considers a "fantastic leader".

"She's such a good person around all the girls," Faint said.

"She gets around anyone, no matter their ability or their age, she's just a fantastic leader. And she's actually our club captain as well, and we wouldn't have anyone else."

This weekend, the Roosters will aim to keep their blazing start to the year going against the Moree Boars women in Kootingal.

Though the visitors haven't had the strongest start to the season, with just two wins from six games, Hartmann is wise enough not to underestimate any opponent.

"Moree is always a really good side, they've always been really strong," she said.

"They're always such good opponents to come up against ... they always throw something different at you and they're a really strong side."

Given the threat posed by their opponents, Hartmann and Faint will no doubt plan their approach meticulously. But another who might be recruited to offer an opinion is Hartmann's husband, Kurt, who is also the Roosters' first grade hooker.

As she has a tendency to overthink at times, Hartmann said Kurt is a "natural leader" who has helped bolster her confidence.

"I'm constantly annoying him, seeking his advice," she said.

"I'm constantly bouncing ideas off of him, talking with him about the good, the bad, what he thinks of different approaches. He's just so level-headed, so intuitive, and really knows what he's talking about."

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