After featuring in both the opening and closing games of the year in one of her busiest seasons to date, Titans forward Shannon Mato doesn't want it any other way in 2024 – hoping to feature in the first game on the calendar with the NRL Harvey Norman All Stars match in Townsville.
Mato began her busy 2023 calendar schedule with the Māori All Stars team in February in Rotorua before going on to feature in 11 NRLW games, two State of Origin matches and both Jillaroos fixtures in the Pacific Championships, as well as games for Mackay in the BMD Premiership statewide competition earlier in the year.
Featuring in the most senior games of any player in 2023 having played the maximum number of games available to her, Mato said she would never miss the opportunity to represent her culture and was already excited for the occasion in 2024.
“It’s my favourite time of the year, my favourite campaign,” Mato said. “It definitely starts off my year on a high, it makes me very happy that I get to connect back to my motherland and represent our people and share it with Indigenous family.
“This year it was definitely special to take it back home; I was able to visit my father's grave and that was even more special.
“And to see the faces of all the Māori people back at home and how happy they were to get to experience it; I was glad that we were able to share that with them all.
“I am always keen to put my hand up for this campaign and I’ll always put my hand up for as long as I can and as long as they are willing to take me.
“I will never miss this campaign unless something happened, I am always honoured to represent my culture and my family, I never take this jersey lightly.”
In 2024, the NRLW regular season will again be nine rounds with the Pacific Championships taking place after the grand final, while a three-game Origin series will be launched for the first time in the women's competition.
Mato, who claimed back-to-back player of the year awards for the Titans as well as the Dally M Prop of the Year, said while the pain for losing the decider was still there, there was a renewed passion to go all the way next year, with many of the young team learning a lot from the experience.
“Big heartbreak from the grand final, but I'm glad that I get to go back to Titans and reset,” Mato said.
“We have same goal and hopefully we will get a different outcome.
“The team have got a really great attitude and there was a lot of development amongst us all.
“I'm excited for them to keep growing and keep learning and adapting to the club culture.”
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