Georgia Hannaway had planned on spending the second half of this year studying to become an electrician at TAFE in Queensland.
Instead, she's preparing for an NRLW semi-final after starring for the Sharks in an impressive rookie campaign.
It marks a rapid rise for the former Australian sevens representative who stepped away from rugby union to pursue her NRLW dream late last year.
Hannaway thought it could take years toiling away in Queensland's BMD Premiership before an opportunity in the top grade would come and planned accordingly. The 23-year-old started looking for work and mapped out the path to become a sparky.
The Sharks, however, had other ideas and Hannaway hasn't skipped a beat since trading the high-vis for the No.6 jumper.
She will fill that role in the biggest game of her career on Sunday afternoon when Cronulla travel north to face the Broncos in a sudden-death semi-final.
Match: Broncos v Sharks
Finals Week 1 -
home Team
Broncos
1st Position
away Team
Sharks
4th Position
Venue: Totally Workwear Stadium, Brisbane
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL
"I have no regrets about leaving rugby union," Hannaway told NRL.com. "It was the best decision that I've made. I had a bit of heartache last year when I made the decision because I had worked so hard in sevens to be the best player I could be and it didn't work out as I wanted it to.
"I've always loved league and always wanted to come back to it so as soon as I got half a chance I took it."
Sharks coach Tony Herman was among the first to realise Hannaway had the potential to develop into one of the NRLW's elite players.
In fact, so confident was Herman that he signed the playmaker after just one pre-season game ahead of the BMD Premiership.
Sharks v Cowboys – Round 1, 2024
The coach was instantly attracted to Hannaway's ability to play multiple positions, aware of the importance of versatility within an NRLW squad restricted to just 24 players.
The youngster has delivered in spades, starting off the bench in Round 1 before stepping into the five-eighth role after Emma Tonegato suffered a calf injury.
An ankle injury forced Hannaway to miss three matches and she was 18th-player in Round 7 before she returned to five-eighth for the past two weeks.
Herman always knew the playmaker would play a big role throughout the side's campaign and she hasn't let him down.
"Georgia is talented but she hasn't played a lot of rugby league," Herman told NRL.com. "She'd only played 11 games in the BMD [before joining the Sharks] and we're very lucky to have her in the club.
"She's a ball runner who plays eyes up footy and just wants to play. We've worked hard not to coach that out of her and we want her to be herself, try things out and play what you see.
"She adds another dimension to our attack. People are surprised by how we she can do it and it looks a bit off the cuff sometimes but she can actually play with that attacking mindset and it looks good when it comes off."
Broncos v Sharks – Round 8, 2024
The Sharks face a tough task in their bid to knock off the Broncos juggernaut after a late season form slump saw them slip from first to fourth and forced into a semi-final in Brisbane.
Herman's squad will, however, take plenty of confidence from a tight loss to the Broncos in Round 8, where they led until Chelsea Lenarduzzi crashed over in the final minute to break Cronulla's hearts.
Hannaway played with and against several Brisbane players throughout the BMD Premiership earlier in the year, leading Norths to the grand final.
The Devils fell agonisingly short of a title, losing to Mackay 16-6 in the decider.
The playmaker, who was last week named BMD Premiership Rookie of the Year and selected in the team of the year, has carried the pain of that defeat with her during the Sharks' campaign and she's determined to ensure the emotions are reversed throughout the next two weeks.
"I never cry but I had so many tears in my eyes," Hannaway said. "It was devastating. We'd worked so hard, we fought to the end but unfortunately Mackay played better.
"It gave me more fire in my belly because I hate the feeling of losing. It was an emotional day and it made me never want to lose again. It gives me that fight, determination and a stronger mentality to say I want to win and put my body on the line for my team."
