This Is How We Play - Cronulla Sharks NRLW Podcast with Jada Taylor and special guest Madison Ashby

[00:00:00] This is how we play the Cronulla Sharks NRLW Podcast brought to you by Quest Apartment Hotels. The Cronulla Sharks NRLW team are more than footballers. They're teachers, tradies, students, coaches, mums, mentors.

[00:00:27] Women who live double lives in pursuit of the game they love. By day they clock in and by night they suit up. Join us in celebrating the strength, determination and resilience of our Sharks NRLW superheroes. It's not just about what they do on the field, it's about everything they do off it to keep the dream alive. Our women play it their way.

[00:00:53] Hey my name is Sam Shinazzi, I love the Cronulla Sharks. I'm the host of the Long Running SharkCast pod. It's my honour to be here as one of the co-hosts on the new podcast series dedicated to the women behind the Cronulla Sharks NRLW team. My co-host. Hello. Here she comes, is your number one. The player who counts the defensive numbers from out the back as we count her run meters from the in goal to the try line.

[00:01:16] We're going to get to know a new NRLW player each week and we'll also have the luxury of having the best fullback in the NRLW. The Sharks very own Jada Taylor. Oh snazzy, I need to take you everywhere. Wow, what an intro. So I am, yeah, an honour to be here and love this club. I don't know about some of those things you said but, yeah, it's an honour to pull on the jersey every week. Great to have you here Jada. This is going to be a lot of fun.

[00:01:39] And today we are very honoured to have the Sharks very own Madison Ashby, a dual sport athlete, Maori Australian heritage, career highlights including Commonwealth Games, World Cups, Olympics. In 2018 she was part of the Tasha Gale competition where they went undefeated and now she's back as a shark. Eight years later, Madison, welcome. Hi, thank you for having me. How are you? I'm good, thank you. How are you guys? Feeling good. We're excited to be here.

[00:02:08] I want to backtrack a little bit and we're just going to have a friendly, fun conversation here. I grew up down the road, five minutes literally, moved away for a little while, came back. Jada, I know where you're from but tell our audience where you're from. Yeah, I'm from God's Country, Tamworth, New South Wales. So a long way from home, it's about five and a half hours for me to get home in northwest New South Wales. So yeah, I've made the Shire kind of my own and the home away from home now but definitely not a city girl. Where are you from Mads?

[00:02:36] I'm from Penrith, born and raised there. I went to school out in Mount Druitt all the way to Emu Plains and yeah, now Cronulla is my home so it's good to be here. So let's go back to 2018, Madison. You were part of the team that went undefeated. Give us some backstory there, like approximately how old were you? Were you living in the area? Give us a bit of the Maddie back then. Oh gosh, no, I was not living in the area. I've always lived in Penrith.

[00:03:02] I was 17 and my dad and Quincy's dad were the coaches. So that's why I came out here. It was a good opportunity and I got to play with a lot of my closest friends till this day. And now I'm back in the team playing with Quincy Dodd and Tahle. So her dad was the coach? Mm-hmm. Wow. That's insane. And like that was, even back then I remember like being, I'm a few years younger and I remember being like, oh my gosh, what a team full of superstars. Who was actually in the team? Because I think there was a couple of Sevens girls in there as well.

[00:03:32] Yeah, there was. There's Soraya Pucky, she now plays for the Roosters. And there was Faith Nathan, she's a part of the Australian Sevens team. So what's it like for you to go from Penrith to here? Is that a bit of a commute for you? Is that a struggle or do you enjoy it? Something you embrace? I embrace it. My dad has, and my dad and mum have both driven me out everywhere. I played touch out in Manly and then played here for Canola. So I normally just passenger princess sleep all the way here, but no, it's humbling in a way.

[00:04:02] It's like living around the corner now five minutes away from training. It's definitely a new light on, I should have lived close to the training earlier on, but no, it's good. I got to spend some of my fondest moments with my dad in the car. What did that season at the Sharks mean to you and how did it change you as a person? Oh my gosh. I knew always one day I was going to come back to rugby league. So that was honestly one of the best highlights of my career. People don't speak about it enough, but like you have your fondest moments as a kid.

[00:04:32] So you should appreciate those moments and getting to win undefeated Atasha Girl grand final first time for this club was just unreal. So that's definitely one of my highlights. Was the format really different? I feel like obviously the women's game as a whole has developed so much. Like originally in 2018, we only had four NRLW games. But the format for like Tasha Gale, even Harvey Norman, everything was different, right? The numbers on the field. Yeah, we had nine players on the field.

[00:04:57] So not as many as there are now, but it was still rugby league the same, just nine players, but it was good. It was enjoyable. It's good to be back though, playing 13 a side, playing proper. So it's exciting. What does it mean to both of you when you see how far the games come from an NRLW and even just a female perspective? I know it gets spoken a lot about in the media, but sometimes we don't have this opportunity like I have now with both of you amazing athletes. Like what does it mean to you?

[00:05:25] So you said back in the day, there were shorter numbers in teams. It was obviously a different environment. And now you're on national TV, international TV. You're doing podcasts, you've got sponsors, the whole thing. Is it surprising where we're at now? I know there's a long way to go, but obviously we're in a good place. But what does it mean to you and how have you seen that develop? I think it's unreal. When I first started playing, I was six and I played for St. Mary's Leagues Club and playing with the boys.

[00:05:51] And then played all the way up to, I think it was 12 when girls had to stop with them. And then that's when I kind of made that transition into rugby. And then league came back because all of a sudden there was Tasha Gale. So I came back and played and that's all we had. The only thing I think from there was the Australian Rugby League team. Oh, it was like Trans-Tasman at the time. And that was the only open opportunity there. And then that's where the juggle between going to rugby or sevens.

[00:06:22] Rugby League or sevens was, I don't know, kind of limited in a way because there was more opportunities going down the rugby pathway than there was the league pathway. But when I've come back to the game now, how much the sport has grown and now girls can play all the way up until they're 18. And then they go into Harvey's and then could potentially make an NRLW team and make proper careers out of it. It's just extraordinary. I started when I was five with the boys, but not many of the girls are like that. A lot of the girls, you know, started when they're 18.

[00:06:52] Some of them started when they were in their 20s. So I think to see now how amazing, I guess, even junior rugby league is, our grassroots, there's all girls competitions. And that sort of stuff allows parents to put their child into it and be confident that their little girl is going to be OK. And I mean, don't get me wrong. Some men like some men and women don't want to put their little boys in because they think the sport's too rough.

[00:07:15] So, you know, when it's your little girl and they're playing against girls, I think that's more of a confidence thing, you know, not only for the child, but for the parents as well. And now, yeah, there's been a boom in grassroots. And when that sort of stuff happens, you've obviously seen the expansion of the NRLW competition. And, yeah, I think a few more years time, we'll see that go to a full time career. And that's something that's really, really cool. And I think the difference is like, I know we're going to get into more of Maddie's Aussie seven stuff.

[00:07:39] And the difference is now, like people want to be staying in the country to play here, play in front of their home fans and, you know, make a life where you can actually just be comfortable and live two minutes from home and turn up to training. And one day this is going to be a professional sport for women. And I can't wait for the day. Hopefully I'm still playing. I'm sure you will be. You're only a young thing, Jada. I forget because you've been in the club for so long. I keep saying that. But then we've got girls who are 18th, having their 18th birthdays and stuff. And that stuff freaks me out. I'm 23 soon. Oh, my gosh.

[00:08:09] But you've been here since you were a baby. I know. I still refer to myself as a baby. I think it's time to grow up. What about the effect that players like yourselves have on younger women and girls, i.e. role models? When I come to the games here, particularly the standalone games, it's noticeable. Unbelievable. The gender difference. It's great. It's fantastic. Does that ever come across your minds? Do you think about that? Yeah, it's kind of a weird experience. Like Jada said, we're not young anymore and we're transitioning into that older phase.

[00:08:38] So girls have got to watch us play footy a lot more. When I was younger, all we had on TV was like Ruan Sims and Alana Ferguson and they were the girls you really knew or it was vice versa like Charlotte Castic, Ellie Green, Emily Cherry, all those girls. So there wasn't really much, a vast range of girls that you could look up to that are playing footy. And now there's so many opportunities. Like my little cousins all play rugby and rugby league now and there's much footy sports because they grew up watching me.

[00:09:07] And coming off the field and getting to see them on the sidelines supporting me is just a different type of experience. It's just unreal. There's a lot of that when you come to the NRLW, particularly standalone games afterwards. And I've said quite a lot, like sometimes the results, it's almost secondary. I know it's not to you guys and to the club. Fans want to win. I've seen your team lose. But then afterwards, I walk out of the stadium almost feel good because you're signing autographs, you're hugging kids, your family and friends are there.

[00:09:36] Sometimes it's just more than that result, right? Yeah, rugby league is more than just a game. It's a huge community and the fans are a huge part of it. So I think they come down and they want to make this game happen. So the most we can do as players is give back in that manner. And it's always great to come off the field after a loss and then you see a little girl or a little boy like holding a sign, wanting you to come sign an autograph. Like it's just exciting and just feels some warmth inside of you, especially after those losses.

[00:10:04] When you speak to most NRLW players, they'll tell you exactly that. Like it's a gratitude thing. There's just so much to be grateful for. I mean, I've been lost in being upset about injuries or whatever it might be or a result on the field or how you play. And you look over and you see someone who wants to be you and that's just such a pinch me moment. And I think we can get, you know, rugby league players in general can get lost in, you know, it becoming a job and stuff like that.

[00:10:29] But I think when the women at the moment, they're still working full time or they're still, you know, working late hours at training and stuff like that. So I think there's still this huge sense of gratitude. And that's why you'll see even after a poor performance on the field or whatever, most of the girls will stick around and sign stuff. And I mean, I think personally I've got this little feeling of I would hate to have travelled six hours to a game or something from Tamworth to Sydney and get there. And my favourite player wouldn't come around and get a photo with me just because of how they played.

[00:10:56] So I feel like, yeah, I think Mads is right and I think it's such a good feeling. But I think there's just so much gratitude around the space at the moment. So Jada, you work for the Cronulla Sutherland Sharks, the greatest club in the world. That's your full-time job. You also play NRLW. How does that impact your life? Like you've got to have a pretty full list of scheduling and like you have no free time basically. Pretty much. I mean, I'm also doing a degree very, very slowly of Bachelor of Primary Ed,

[00:11:24] which is good. I've been told that NRL stands for not real long, so make sure you have a job after it. But no, I think I, like I said, I'm just, I'm such a grateful person. I can be a little bit cheeky at times, but just have so much gratitude that I've got a dual role with the club. I get to work in community, which is, you know, I think I was sort of born to do that. Some sort of work with kids or in the community where I get to see smiles on faces. And that's what a brand like the Canola Sharks can do.

[00:11:55] You go out and you have a jumper on that says that. And kids don't have any idea who you are, but they want to know who you are because they see the sharks and they resonate with it. So, yeah, I feel really grateful that I've got the job with Deadly Choices and the Cronulla Sharks. And to try and make an impact on Indigenous youth lives, telling them to make those healthy choices, I think it keeps me a little bit accountable as well. But then I get to turn up to training and do what I love here as well. So, very, very lucky.

[00:12:21] To put a negative spin on that positivity, you're one of the lucky ones because you're working a job that you really love. I'm sure out of the hundreds of women who are playing NRLW, there's some that have a job they don't like. They're just doing it to make ends meet. And they also have NRLW commitments. So, hopefully we get to that point, as one of you said before, where it's a full-time job. Maddie, what do you do away from footy at the moment? Well, I just transitioned from a full-time program into this. So, I'm kind of enjoying my time.

[00:12:51] The only thing that I'm doing currently right now is studying Bachelor of Health Science. And that's my go-to. I've picked up a couple more classes in there. And being a good dog mum. That's just me right now. What sort of dog have you got? I've got a pocket bully. He's my pride and joy. Freshly a dog mummy too. Very proud of it. Let's go. What have you got? So, Tale Holmes, one of our teammates, she bred some golden retrievers. So, yeah, I've got a golden retriever. He's eight months old maybe now. Okay.

[00:13:21] And, yeah, his name's Sunny. So, I tell everyone too. I'm a mummy. And speaking of that, Tale, other members of this team and squad had babies, having babies. That's another task that you, as a group of women, you go through that as well. I don't think the men have to put up with all this stuff is my point. No, I don't think also in that aspect there's ever a good timing to have a baby. It's more of a life choice. And it's exciting.

[00:13:50] Like, I knew Tale when I was 17, 16, 18, all those years. And coming back into this space and she's a full mother now and how much she's grown and matured as a person. And getting to see her in that light is just unreal. So, I think motherhood isn't something athletes should postpone. I just think she's a good example of, like, she's coming back and nearly ready to perform. And that's the same as CJ. CJ's back playing in our team. Her performance on the weekend was just unreal. So, it is possible for girls to do that. So, it's an exciting space.

[00:14:20] And, yes, men don't have to do that. But it's not a part of their genes. It's a part of ours, which makes women even more exciting. Absolutely. That's what we're here to talk about, the women behind the NRLW. I mean, I was lucky enough to be at the season launch down at Somersault. That was a lot of fun. It showed how tight you are as a group. And I got a sneak peek of what everyone else can now see.

[00:14:44] And that is a website and animations and figurines of your team. What's that like? What's that feel like? You know, there's this big notion around the NRLW of you can't be what you can't see. And I think it's really awesome for... And like Maddie said before, she said not only little girls, but little boys to be able to, you know, idolise some of these players. And I think especially in the women's game at the moment, you know, we're probably not as household names as some of the men's players.

[00:15:13] So, yeah, really appreciate what the team are doing, the marketing team at the moment to try and get our names out and to get more fans at games and all those sorts of things. To back that, my little nephew, he collects the NRL cards like nothing else. He has books of it. Yeah, my sister's going every weekend to go get them. So, I think it's unreal that we have like a physical product that kids can be involved with. And then that's how they're going to know all the athletes. And like my nephew's always like, I've got an Uncle Kyle card. When are we going to get an Aunty Mimi card?

[00:15:42] Like, I just think, like Jada said, the marketing team's doing extraordinary things. And I can't wait for that to like grow within that space. So, Maddie, as a kid, you had all this enormous potential and people were saying you were going to be this and that. How did that affect you as a kid? Did you realize that people were sort of looking at you as being a future Australian rugby rep or a future Cronulla Shark? Did you realize what was going on at the time? It's just outside noise.

[00:16:10] My dad has always been great at like being in the moment and just, I don't know, keeps me humbled. I knew that there was all that noise going on, but it didn't really affect me as a person because I just loved playing footy. So, that was the exciting thing for me. Like, I played any sport I could get my hands on, which was touch, AUSTAC, Rugby League, Rugby Sevens. I did MMA for a while. Like, my parents put me in everything.

[00:16:36] So, I got to enjoy that aspect of sports and that's where I made some of my closest friends till this day. And it's just, I don't know, like I said before, some of your fondest moments are in your childhood playing sports. So, I created so many memories from there. And yeah, there were adults and media articles that were coming out about all this stuff. But I don't know, I felt I knew on myself that I was going to make a name because I just loved it so much.

[00:17:03] I think I was 15 when I played in the under-17s New South Wales rugby team. And I remember when I, like, when it first got posted and there was a couple of names on the list who were, would have been top age at the time. Like, under-17s, I think it was. And I remember seeing Maddie's name and I was like, oh my gosh, I did not want to play against her. So, I remember being like, yeah, 15. I would have been freshly 15 thinking, oh my God, like you were already a name then.

[00:17:31] Like, how old were you when you came into the Aussie 7 system? I came into the system when I was about 15. So, I played Australian Development Youth for three years. So, it would have been 15. And when I was 16, I started going in and out of the program, how you do development. You go on for a day and help out where you can. And then when I was 17, that development kind of became full-time but development. Just always going in and help. And then from there, I signed full-time.

[00:17:58] So, I was always in and around older athletes. So, that kind of probably helped me advance in my performances in a way when I would come back to youth because I would learn so much and soak so much in from them all. So, definitely at that age, it was so exciting. But it was a lot mentally and physically because I'm still a kid. And then I'm doing an adult thing. And then mentally, it was like the expectation of like I could make or break it here.

[00:18:26] So, going from a professional program back down to junior reps, it's like there was kind of a standard you have to uphold there. But like at the end of the day, I loved playing footy. And that's my main core reason of why I enjoy it so much and why I enjoy it to this day. So, I think I had so many benefits when I was younger. But like it still happens later on in life for a lot of girls. Like you said, some of them didn't start footy until maybe they're in their 20s or 15s and they're still getting those amazing opportunities.

[00:18:54] What's it like competing at the Olympics? What's it like competing at the Commonwealth Games and World Cups? Like I play a bit of music. I get up in front of 50 people and sing a song. I think that's like amazing. You go out and what does that feel like? What does it feel like though? Because you're like, well, if we win this game, we get gold medals or whatever. Like does that dawn on you or is it just another game? How do you mentally get ready for that? I think Jada could probably agree with me here.

[00:19:21] When you're in a tight-knit bubble and you're training and you're doing the same things that you've always done before, nothing needs to change. But you're just training harder for one goal. When you get into that space and you know that you've done everything to prepare yourself, like all that external pressure of like we need a gold medal. We're at the Commonwealth Games. Just go away once you step on that field. So I think there was never an external pressure outside, like inside our bubble.

[00:19:48] It was always outside with media and the headlines about all of it. But when you're so tight with your teammates and you know you've done the work to prepare, at the end of the day, it's a result. And us knowing that we did everything possible that we could do, like it didn't really matter at the end of the day, but we were fortunate enough to come away with the gold medals there. So the only one that I was really bummed out about though was the Olympics. We came fifth there and it was my first experience there and it was COVID at the time.

[00:20:17] So everything was very isolated. And like two, three months before that, we transitioned up to Townsville. We played a tournament up there and then straight from that tournament, we went straight into an Olympic camp. We weren't allowed to go home and see family because of the COVID bubble. And then from there, we went straight to the Olympics. So there we were in that bubble for so long when we got over there and we didn't get the outcome that we wanted. It was like mentally draining coming home and you felt like you let everyone else down

[00:20:45] because of the time you sacrificed away. So that was the only one that I struggled with for a bit. But my family got me through those toughest moments. You say for a bit, how long was a bit? Like how long did it take you? You always think back to a moment where you're like, I could have maybe done this better. I wish we did this better. But as soon as I got home, my mum and dad, it was like a week. They're like, get over it. Like at the end of the day, you went to the Olympics. Not many people get to experience that. And you got to put on that Australian jersey and represent so many Australians.

[00:21:15] Like you should be proud because fifth place is actually a really good place to come. People can come like 27th, 28th, but we came fifth. Even though it wasn't the gold or the silver or the bronze, it was still up there. So I'm still proud of that. Jada, how do you deal with losses? I think I saw it last week. Cut the cameras. No, I'm learning. I think I'm definitely learning. I don't like losing. I think no one likes losing.

[00:21:43] And people say, oh, like it's just a game. And I'm reminded that I have to tell myself that it's just a game sometimes because I feel like emotionally I can get lost in it and be like the same. I look back and I'll be like, oh, dissect every part of the game. Oh, I wish I did this better. I wish I did that better. Or I wish I caught the ball and didn't drop it over the line. Those little moments. But I feel like, yeah, at the end of the day, I feel like I'm trying to work on separating who I am as Jada, the person, and then Jada that plays football.

[00:22:12] And I think you have to be able to do that at times. I do think it's a work on for me personally. But, yeah, just separating who those people are but knowing when to turn it on and when to turn it off is really important. And like Maddie said, who you put yourself around. You know, if you play a really, really good game, you know, you might know that you played a really good game. If I call my family, I'm getting the same response every time. Like there's always – you can always be better.

[00:22:37] Or my dad and brother are pretty good at keeping me humble if I play well and then pretty good at picking me up if I don't have my best game. I don't want to get too dark here, guys, but let's go to injuries because you've both had some beauties. Jada, you've had a bunch that have been pretty well documented. And thankfully, you're back to 100%. And Maddie, you had a very infamous one before a very big event, which I imagined changed your life for a while. Why don't we start with you, Maddie? Tell us about that so everyone knows what I'm talking about.

[00:23:07] Eight weeks before the 2024 Paris Olympics, I traumatically did my ACL and pretty much everything else in my leg. It was at a tournament. It was in Singapore. And it was my first time ever captaining the team. So I did it in like the last four minutes of the grand final. And at first, I was kind of in shock. I knew I did it, but I didn't believe that I did it. So as soon as I got home, got all the results, I still was in shock.

[00:23:36] I was like, no, I'll be fine. I'll be fine in eight weeks. It'll be sweet to play. And then I had surgery. And then I felt it. That type of pain, I never want to feel again. I do not wish that injury on my biggest enemy ever. Physically and mentally? Physically and mentally. Mentally, I think I struggled a lot more than physically because it was eight weeks out from the Olympics. We were in our bubble and like at the end of the day, I got injured.

[00:24:01] So I got transitioned out of that bubble into a rehab and everyone else got to focus on it and go away and get to do it. And I was training for that for the last four years. So for it to all come to a stop, especially when I felt like I was hitting a peak leading into it, it hit me pretty hard. So I struggled with that for a while. And then because I had to continue my rehab, they sent me down to AIS down in Canberra to be more of my partner at the time.

[00:24:28] So being with my team 24-7 every day to then Canberra, training an injury and everyone celebrating the Olympics because they have so many of those athletes that train there every day. So that's all they talk about. Hit me hard, but I was lucky I had my partner through that and my family. So they got me through that tough moment. And then coming back physically, it took me 18 months to return because I did so much to my knee.

[00:24:55] I was in a brace eight weeks after surgery because my MCL fracture, my kneecap tore the top of my calf and the bottom of my hamstring. So I did a lot in there. So I was in it for eight weeks after that. So bending and straightening was probably my hardest tribulation I had to go past. So it took me a while to walk. What about coming back?

[00:25:18] Like, I feel like it's one of those, and I can say this, it's one of those injuries where people will give you so much like different information about it. Some people are like, oh, yeah, it's not too bad. Other people are like, worst thing anyone could ever go through. But like coming back mentally on the field, like, did you feel like you had any like anything sort of holding you back or did it take a while to regain the confidence? It definitely took me a while to regain the confidence, especially in contact, because that's where I did it.

[00:25:46] Took me a while to like get back into actually exploding through contact. So, yeah, that was challenging for me. And also like mentally, probably the last three months where it's like the most crucial because you're doing the running, you're doing the testing to see if you can get back on the field. And like that's all you want to do. And then when you get back out there, but you're not playing the way you used to play, that was probably the hardest thing for me. And so last year was my first season back.

[00:26:14] And I had to gradually work my way throughout the year to finally get into a position where I felt comfortable within myself. So I think coming back from injury, everyone says you're going to be fitter, faster, better. But in reality, it could turn out that way or it could turn out the opposite where you're like retraining your body to get used to it all again. So I still get patella tendon issues on my knee because I had a patella graft put in. So I get front load pain in there. And I like to strap my knees because they're sensitive to the ground.

[00:26:43] I always rip and tear at them. And then my other side is just preventing a bursal pulp. So I wear a little fat cheesy pad in there. I just will probably do that forever now. It just also gives security that my knees are protected. And Jada, you coming back from long-term injury, I think I was here when you came back from one of the comebacks. And we're all holding our breath in the first hit up and everything. How long does it take you mentally to get over that? Is it once that game's done, you're back? Or is it a few games, a few months? What's the vibe there for you?

[00:27:12] I've been very unlucky with injuries. And I mean, I think I had my first shoulder reconstruction when I was 15, 16. So three of those. And then the knee, the knee is like, it's just a different thing. And like Maddie said, you wouldn't wish it on anyone because it's, yeah, it is mentally draining. I remember like not being able to walk and then you're trying to jump again for the first time. And like your head just like will not allow you to do it. Like your brain just feels so disconnected. And like learning to do little skills again feels like you do feel like a baby trying to walk.

[00:27:42] But yeah, I think I've been lucky in the way that I haven't had to second guess my body too much. And sort of when I regained, you know, my clumsiness went away a little bit. I feel like I got a little bit. But yeah, I feel like it's getting better each and every time. I feel like I was swelling and stuff after games last year and I'm not this year. So a little one percenters that are definitely helping the body recover better. But I feel like I'm slowly feeling myself again, which is nice. And yeah, I prefer my left leg anyway.

[00:28:11] As fans, we do forget what you athletes go through. I have to just put that out there. Like I would say I'm one of the more calmer. I'm going to get in trouble for saying this, smarter fans. A background in media and I get to see you guys. And I still sit up here in the stand and forget that maybe Jada's done her knee and her shoulder after the first hit up or whatever. I'm like, oh, just get back into it. You'll be fine. So as a fan, I have to let you both know that we probably take you for granted.

[00:28:40] I'm grateful for that comment. I was like, that warms my heart. That's just how I see it. And I'm sure a lot of fans would admit to that as well, whether they realize it or not. The amount of stress you guys put your bodies through just for our little club is... I can't wait to put my wedding dress on and have scars everywhere. Oh God. So you're getting married? No chance. Exclusive? No time soon. Exclusively not. Now, after such heavy subjects like injuries and Jada getting married soon, we have to go to the Quest Apartment Hotel.

[00:29:09] Question of the week. And Carly wrote in to us. And if you want to do this on future episodes, please do so. And you can ask your favorite player a question. Carly would like to know, if you were a vegetable, what vegetable would you be? Maddie just said before, okay? I'll be honest. We've had a little tea up here. But Maddie just told me before that I'd be corn because I'm annoying. I said that she's sweet as well. You did say that. So I'll take it. I'll be corn.

[00:29:38] I like the corn song. Where are you, Maddie? I know. Hi, Seb Broccoli. Generics of food. People have it every day in a way. It's good for you. Question of the week. And if you want to get involved, look out for the Sharks' social media and you can reply via there. And you can get a voucher. Now, you mentioned the partner. The partner's a superstar fullback. Who is he for people who don't know? That's not about him. Yes. Kyle Weeks. He's the number one for Camber Raiders. Yep. Hell of a player.

[00:30:08] I did read a bit about you guys on the internet. The internet. And you met when you were very young. Yes, actually. Funny enough, we met when I played Tasha Gale. Right. Yes. So that year was even more special. He was playing SG for Manly at the time. So, yeah. We met through there kind of after grand final night. Hey. Yeah. Bumpy. And then we've been together ever since. It's been eight years now. So, and he is my fiance. Fiance. Congratulations.

[00:30:38] There is a huge rock on this hand, by the way. There is, yeah. Yeah. Thank you. Now, it must be kind of fun having a partner who does the same thing as you and goes through the same trials and tribulations for him as well. I imagine that must be a nice little kind of connection aside from everything else you connect on. Sport has just always been a part of our lives. But I think the fortunate thing for both of us is we understand the spaces we are in and we don't overstep. And we don't always want it to be about footy, footy, footy. That's what people probably think our relationship is about.

[00:31:07] But it's a lot more than that. And he knows when to talk to me and when not to talk to me about it and vice versa. So, I think we have a great dynamic there. And same thing. We grew up together and we've been together for a long time. So, I'm very fortunate to have him. I'm curious. Like, both of you obviously being professional athletes. Do you guys give each other tips or anything? Because I think there would be nothing that frustrates me more than if I come off the field and someone was like, oh, I think you should just work.

[00:31:36] I would be so annoyed. I think I'm probably more guilty of doing it to him. I think I get so into it. And I'm more excited about the spaces I can. Like I said before, when I told him I was coming across the rugby league, he was like, oh, you're playing my game now. And we were teeing it up. And I was like, no. Yeah, it's probably me. He's pretty good about being more in the supportive space than the critical space. And then if I ask for it, he will definitely give me advice. He's cool, calm, collected.

[00:32:05] Let me ask you both about social media and the impact it has on your lives, if any at all. We know that it can be used for a really powerful tool. We also know the negativity attached to it, mostly from people who don't have the brains and write silly things about you guys and girls who play sport. Maddie, what's your thoughts on socials? Is it a great thing when it works and horrific when it doesn't? Is there an in-between? It's a great thing. Social media is just booming. So the marketing-wise and getting ourselves out there and promoting ourselves because it

[00:32:35] is a career and it also is part-time. A lot of girls earn a lot of things through it. So I think it is great. But the downside of it is probably the comments and the nasty things that are said on it. Like at the end of the day, we're still human. And we do have feelings. So I think that is probably the downside of social media. But I don't read comments unless it's about my partner. I probably get more heated about those than I do about myself. I couldn't care what anyone has to say about me at the end of the day. It can be nasty out there.

[00:33:04] Also, the upside of it is I sometimes get the most loveliest DMs from like parents, from players, from teenagers asking for advice. And I think that is such a beautiful thing about social media, about young fans are able to reach out. And we get to see those messages. Or if we don't, I'm sorry if we don't. Just knowing that there's that accessibility there for them. And it also shows that we can show them who we are as humans and hopefully influence in good ways, not bad ways.

[00:33:35] Like a right path and the right path to choose. So for me, I think there's the ups and downs of it. I don't think it's ever going to be perfect, but that comes along with the gig, I guess. What about you, JT? No, I agree. I think Mads, you nailed it. I really love the aspect of our members, our fans, all those sorts of people. And especially young kids out there. There's a lot of things you can see on social media or the internet in general that are bad. Lots of bad things happen in the world.

[00:34:03] So I think to be able to go on there and see what your favorite NRLW player is having for breakfast is something that is probably a good thing. And I feel like in terms of influencing people, I feel like we do it quite well as a collective in the NRLW. And yeah, I think it also who we are as people, like you said, we're able to bring that to the party and then we get more fans engaged through that way. Because obviously the market for the NRLW, we've tried and we still have a lot of the

[00:34:30] people who are fans of the NRL are then fans of the NRLW. Obviously, if you already like football, more football, why wouldn't you like it? But I think we can appeal to a different sort of market through social media and bringing them to games as well. So I definitely think it has a positive impact by that. And yeah, I like when I get nice messages. So if anyone's watching this podcast, send us a nice little message. Do you get nasty ones? Please don't send me any nasty ones.

[00:34:57] But I actually haven't really seen any nasty ones, but I know they're out there. And it would be silly of me to think that they don't. And I think I've seen it more in the men's space, obviously. You know, the Cronulla Sharks Instagram page after a loss on the full time tile is ridiculous. And I'm like, like you said, this is their job. Like no one's going out there to try and stuff up your multi, mate. No one cares about your multi or your super coach. Which, you know, like these are real people and the impact that it can have on some of

[00:35:27] these players is really, really sad. So yeah, think about what you say. I say this to kids all the time when I go into schools. Think about what you say. A digital footprint, like what you say and put out there can always be traced back to you. It doesn't matter if you delete it. All of these sorts of things. And it's genuinely, it's a lot of grown men. And I'm like, what are you doing? Why is your life that boring that this is this sort of, you know, engagement that you want to get and see some of the ones that, I guess, degrade women on there.

[00:35:55] And that sort of upsets me a little bit to think that we're still in a mindset like that, that some people are. And, you know, everyone comes from a woman and, you know, there's lots of women in your life. That's a great point. I hate to tell you, Jada, there's actually those comments on the NRLW update, the posts are the full time as well. Yeah, I know. It's disgusting. Like that stuff sort of, you know, makes me so upset. And to think that those people probably have daughters upsets me even more because I know Mads has been talking about her dad, but my dad is the one who put me in rugby league.

[00:36:25] So I feel like, you know, most men out there are lovely to us as well. And don't worry, there are women who hate the girls playing footy too, but we're here and we're here to stay. And I think can't wait for this to be a full time profession. And, you know, in 20 years or so, this is just going to be so the norm. So we won't even be having this conversation. We'll be talking about trailblazers and women who made sure that the NRLW got up and running. But yeah, one day this won't be a conversation. I can't wait. So I've got to talk to you about music.

[00:36:54] I'm going to start with you, Jada Taylor. I think we've had this discussion before, but I've probably forgotten. So tell me about favorite band, artist, genre, anything you want to say. There's no wrong answer. I'm not going to DM you and go, it's the wrong answer. What are you like? What are you into? I have said this before on SharkCast. I remember I have on game day. I, like, love, like, MC Hemmers, You Can't Touch This. That's right. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:37:16] Um, yeah, my dad, back in the day, back in the day when we used to go away for Oz Tag Nationals or whatever in Coffs Harbour. And my dad played this one time. And instead of saying, you can't touch this, he used to sing, you can't tag this. And like to the beat of the song. Um, so it's sort of become my little hype song. And, um, yeah, I just, that's probably my go-to band and stuff like that. But, I don't know, I would, I love Jason Derulo. I'm stuck up for any old Jason Derulo song.

[00:37:46] On game day, I'll go from game day. Um, I like to listen to worship music before I play. And I think it grounds me. And, um. Describe that for us. Um, worship music, um, Christian songs, Hillsong. It just helps put perspective into my life that there's a greater meaning to what I'm doing right now. And I'm grateful to do everything. So I like to listen to that. And then probably contradicts. So I like to take it off probably like 10 minutes before we're about to like properly get into the talks and warm up. Um, I like to listen to team songs and get around all the girls.

[00:38:16] So. Uh, appreciate you, Maddie, being here. Thank you for having me. Yeah, I did. Excellent. That's what we strive to do. It's scary than I thought. Way less scary. And Jada, did you have fun as the co-host of your show? So much fun. How good. I feel like, um, our special guest today. What a superstar. She's the best. I'm glad she came along. All right. This has been, this is how we play Cronulla Sharks. NRLW podcast. Thanks to Maddie. Thanks to Jada. And we will talk to you all next week. Up, up. Let's go. Up, up.

[00:38:53] This is how we play the Cronulla Sharks. NRLW podcast brought to you by Quest Apartment Hotels.