All Stars return the next step in the long journey of Murphy

More than 10 years on from her first appearance in the side, Mahalia Murphy is hoping to take the opportunity to represent her culture as part of the Indigenous Women’s All Stars team again.

Murphy shot to prominence as a rising young star, playing All Stars in 2013 and earning selection in the Jillaroos in 2015 before undertaking a journey to represent Australia in both rugby union and rugby sevens. Returning to league via the Dragons in 2020, Murphy again made a return to the NRLW last year with Parramatta and said a recall to the All Stars arena – where she last played in 2015 – was always in the back of her mind.

So when the proud Kamilaroi woman received the invitation to join the Indigenous Women’s All Stars pre-camp in December last year in preparation for this month's game in Townsville, it was a special moment.

“Playing league, I know there’s All Stars, I know there’s Origin, I know there’s NRLW … (but) knowing that’s there, I was like ‘that would be cool if I get to play with them again’, but I knew coming back to league that you have to prove yourself, you have to earn your spot,” Murphy said.

“It’s what you have to do in every team, but I was thinking ‘I hope to be able to play for them again’, so when I did get the call (to join camp), I was really grateful and happy and really excited to know that I had the chance to represent culture again.

“It was definitely in my head and something that I wanted to do, but it was just whether it would become an opportunity.”

During the camp, the assembled players took part in team bonding activities that incorporated learning about culture as well as putting in some on-field work.

“I was able to join in a training session, go out to Country and learn some stuff out there,” Murphy said.

“It was good because we had a big mix of players, we had some girls that were really experienced, we had some young girls coming through, we had girls who have been there for a couple of years; so it was a good mix and it was just good to meet everyone and see where everyone is at.

“We were able to go out on Country and learn how to make coolamons (carrying vessels) and prepare some stuff for the opposition team for some gift-giving, so that was pretty cool.”

Since her last appearance in the All Stars team, a lot has changed in rugby league overall, especially for women, with Murphy excited to see the expanded pathways and opportunities offered to young players that just weren’t available at the time she switched codes.

“Back when I first played, you had to stop when you were 12 and then you had to wait until you were 16-17 to play again, but now we don’t have that, we your age groups and different pathways through school, through community,” Murphy said.

“You have different age groups merging into NRLW and the footy season itself is good, you are playing consistently throughout the year … even just the participation numbers, it has grown massively, so that’s definitely as a change since I left the game.

“I always refer back to this young girl I used to train when she was little – that was Cassey Tohi-Hiku – and now she’s playing alongside me at Parra and I am like ‘man, I remember when you were running around for school!’.

"Just to think if we had that opportunity back then in school for us, how much we could have developed.”