SIMONE Smith has had a year to remember.
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From selection in the East Coast Dolphins side to winning the grand final with an undefeated Port City Breakers side in Group 3, she has done it all.
And to top it all off, she was recently named as the Group 3 representative player of the year across both male and female competitions.
She admitted to being speechless at first.
“It was a massive achievement and to be honoured within the whole group and over the boys is such a big accolade for me,” she said.
“I'm truly honoured and just love that women's rugby league is getting more exposure because it's growing bigger and bigger each week.”
Group 3 president Barrie Smith said it was the first time a female had ever won the award.
“It is normally awarded to a player that goes the furthest in the selection criteria,” he said.
Smith played an integral role in the Dolphins success at the country championships earlier this year.
She scored two tries in their 28-0 win over Canberra, before she scored another brace of tries in an 18-10 win over competition favourites Southern Stars.
Smith then came up with the play that secured a heart-stopping 8-7 win over Central Coast in the final.
With the team trailing by one point with 45 seconds left on the clock, Smith forced a penalty after regathering a short kick-off.
It allowed teammate Rhiannon Fuller to kick the winning penalty goal.
“She was on the end of a rugby league tackle which meant a penalty in front of the posts,” the Group 3 president said.
He labelled her as a phenomenal footballer.
“She’s got that Benji spark about her,” he said.