Woman of Steel winner wants to play NRLW

Here is a job application for the 2020 season no NRLW club would want to pass up.

•   Super League's 2019 Woman of Steel is available to play in Australia
•   Willing to play for any of the four NRLW clubs
•   Able to play a number of positions

Now all that's left for Leeds Rhinos' Queensland-born halfback Courtney Hill is to wait and see if anyone is interested.

Two weeks ago the 32-year-old won her second straight women's Super League grand final with the Rhinos with a 20-12 win over Castleford Tigers.

It was only her second season of league after a lengthy professional cricket career as a pace bowler with the Queensland Fire, then Brisbane Heat.

And like former Women's Big Bash League teammate Ash Barty, who went from tennis to cricket and back to tennis, Hill seems to be on the journey of league to cricket and back to league.

She wasn't concerned about making the switch after her last WBBL season in 2017.

"I wouldn't say I was worried because I continued to play a lot of touch footy back in Australia after my league days were over in the boys' competition," Hill told NRL.com.

"So the skills were similar. It was just getting used to the physical contact and physical nature of the game again.

"I'm going to be England for a little while but I'm constantly looking to challenge myself and find new opportunities. I've obviously been following the NRLW and love what I've seen.

"I wouldn't care who I played for, what position I played," she said of becoming part of the Broncos, Dragons, Warriors or Roosters.

"It's just really enticing and attractive to come home and play league at home."

She's not given up completely on cricket but she is feeling more tempted by what league has to offer for women right now.

"So I have to work out if it's a pipe dream or is a viable option for me."

Hill is coming back to Australia in early November to see family and friends and is hoping to make contact with all four NRLW clubs.

How did this merry-go-round of sports and different countries come about?

Born in Maryborough the family moved to Monto, south-west of Rockhampton, where she went to boarding school.

She played rugby league in the boys competition in Monto and loved it. But as was the case with so many female players, she had to leave the sport at 12 and pursued cricket, touch footy, water polo, and athletics.

"It got to that 'Sorry you can't play with the balls any more' stage and I was at an all-girls high school so rugby league wasn't 'a thing' in those days," Hill said.

"It was a natural progression for me with cricket. I couldn't play rugby league but I could play cricket with the boys."

She played in the men's cricket competition in Rockhampton as a bowler and then got a contract with the Queensland Fire for the 2008-09 season. Then she played in the first three seasons (2015-17) of WBBL.

"I'm still a big Ash Barty fan – always will be."

Hill's partner is England professional cricketer Lauren Winfield, who is based in Leeds. So in 2018 Hill took up residence there, although by her own admission "my cricketing days were done".

She had a connection with the family of former Broncos centre Joel Moon, who had six seasons and 170 games with the Rhinos (2013-18).

"So we were always talking about Leeds Rhinos and how Joel was going… and I saw a social media post that the club was having trials for the women's team so I thought 'Why not go back to rugby league?'"

Two Super League titles, a Challenge Cup trophy, and the Woman of Steel award later, and it seems a pretty good decision.