Chance for hopefuls to impress

SCOUTS will be out in force at Pizzey Park as the NRL Women’s National Championships gets underway but that will be the furthest thing from Tyler Birch’s mind.

The six-team competition from today to Sunday featuring SEQ, Queensland Country, NSW City, NSW Country, Combined Affiliate States and the Defence Force shapes as a chance for players to stake their claims for Origin and the NRLW.

It’s a simple equation for

Birch, though.

“I want pretty much just to play the best that I can and if a scout happens to pick me up, that would be a bonus,” she said.

“But I don’t really worry too much about that stuff because it takes away the fun from the game for me.

“My Dad (Joe) had this thing when we were growing up, ‘just play for you and don’t worry about scouts because if you play for that stuff then you end up getting disappointed whereas if you play for fun you end up enjoying the game way more and not wanting to leave the sport’.”

Helping her in any case will be the familiarity of playing alongside a stack of Burleigh club teammates under Bears coach Tahnee Norris and at their Pizzey Park field.

Originally a rugby union player from Wellington, Birch is a natural outside back in league but has worked hard to expand her horizons this season after being asked to step up in the Bears’ halves in the absence of Zahara Temara.

Temara has missed the entire season to date with an ankle and knee injury and won’t play for SEQ despite being named, instead offering mentoring.

All up, 12 players across Gold Coast clubs Burleigh, Tweed and Runaway Bay were selected for SEQ.