At the end of her first full season in the NRLW last year, it is reasonable to assume Jada Taylor was thrilled.
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The 20-year-old had achieved her long-held dream and in so doing, shown countless other young women from the North West that reaching the highest level of the sport was achievable.
But in truth, she was frustrated.
There were several reasons for Taylor's discontentment. Foremost among those were the numerous serious injuries she incurred during her first year with the Cronulla Sharks.
"In round two, we played on a Sunday and the Friday night I rolled an ankle," Taylor told the Leader.
"I did all the ligaments on the outside and it was swollen for a couple of weeks. I couldn't walk, so it was pretty rough ... then the week I was returning, I rolled my other ankle and did my syndesmosis [ligaments high on the ankle].
"And then, when we played the Broncos [in round seven], I dislocated my shoulder. So it's been a bit of a rough season."
In a display of quite stunning resilience, the fullback played through her injuries until the season ended.
Only then did she go in for a shoulder reconstruction (the third of her career), which was followed by surgery on her ankle.
"The hardest part was that the Sharks took a pretty big leap of faith in me, which made me excited," Taylor said.
"Then to turn around and not play a few games, I felt a little bit shitty."
In their first season of NRLW, the Sharks finished sixth on the ladder and, though they were inconsistent, produced several performances which hinted at the depth of talent they possess.
This would have been enough to leave most first-year teams satisfied and confident they could build in years to come.
But Taylor had so much belief the strength of their roster that she felt they could have pushed for finals.
"I'm a very competitive person, which is probably why I've gotten to where I am," she said.
"But I think nobody's happy to finish sixth, and I think the drive in the girls to be better this year is something you can already see in the way we're training."
Now well on the path to recovery, Taylor is back into her fitness regime and expects to start contact training soon.
A frustrating 2023 season has left the former Dungowan Cowgirl hungrier than ever to see her side through to glory. But it also contained one bright spot of recognition for the work she had done off the field throughout the year as a part of the Deadly Choices Education Program.
The club awarded Taylor the NRLW Sharks Have Heart Community Award, and nominated her for the NRL's Veronica White Woman of the Year medal - which ultimately went to the North Queensland Cowboys' Tahlulah Tillett.
"Regardless of if I'm playing footy or not, the community's what I'm passionate about," Taylor said.
"I love working with kids and being able to inspire the next generation is really rewarding. Giving back is what our game is, because we're nothing without our grassroots."
