She hit the headlines and the TV highlight reels with a spectacular try while playing for the NSW Under-19 Baby Blues, with young fullback Jada Taylor now committing her immediate playing future to the Sharks in signing a two-year NRLW contract.
Still just 19 but one of the emerging talents in women’s rugby league, Taylor is set to excite the fans on the field with her attacking talents, while at the same time aims to make a contribution in the community, working for and representing Sharks Have Heart in the Indigenous space.
After playing two games for the Sharks in the Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership team, Taylor hopes to step up and produce a few more try scoring highlights for the first Cronulla NRLW side.
“It’s the try that keeps on giving,” Taylor joked in reference to her 109 metre effort playing for the NSW Baby Blues. “Obviously I’m with the big girls now and that might mean not as many tries, but hopefully I still get few.
“I’m so happy to be here, I’m pumped and can’t wait to take to the field with the (Sharks) girls,” Taylor said.
The announcement of Taylor’s signing coming on the back of the recruitment of representative players Quincy Dodd, Emma Tonegato and more recently Holli Wheeler, and with Tonegato hinting at a permanent switch into the halves, the youngster from northern NSW isn’t taking anything for granted but is tipped to fill the number one jersey.
“I’m here to do the best for the team and I’ll play wherever that is,” Taylor responded.
While the initial three Sharks NRLW signings involved players with senior rep experience, coach Tony Herman believes the youthful exuberance and undoubted talent of Taylor will add some x-factor to his team in 2023.
“Jada is a naturally gifted footballer with great speed and footwork and it’s very exciting to have her here at the Sharks,” Herman said. “Most rugby league fans will be aware of her length of the field try for the NSW 19’s but they wouldn’t be aware of the amount of work she puts in to create those opportunities.
“She is an exciting prospect with exceptional talent and Sharks fans are going to really enjoy watching her in the black, white and blue.”
Growing up in Tamworth, Taylor played her rugby league against the boys until age 12, but when opportunities dried up was forced to turn her athletic talents to OzTag and Rugby Sevens.
Moving to Sydney and boarding school in Year 10, Taylor returned to rugby league in entering the women’s pathways at the Roosters, before enduring the set back of two shoulder reconstructions. She would quickly bounce back to prominence, her return culminating in selection for the Baby Blues and the spectacular length of the field effort that attracted 1.7 million views online and was arguably the best individual try of 2022 at any level of the game.
Taylor was also voted player of the match for her performance for the NSW 19’s in their win over Queensland.
The addition of Taylor to the Sharks squad represents another positive signing, complementing those of fellow ‘spine’ players Tonegato and Dodd at hooker, and with more quality players yet to be announced the Cronulla side is building a team to compete with the leading outfits in the NRLW competition.
