IN the space of six months Kirra Dibb achieved almost everything rugby league could offer.
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From a State of Origin debut with New South Wales in June to starring with the Jillaroos in October, Dibb was fast becoming the face of women's rugby league.
However, the 22-year-old is still searching for her first NSW State Cup title after her Central Coast Dolphins women's open side again stumbled at the final hurdle.
She never forgets where she came from, playing largely with the same group of players as she did when she first took up touch football at the age of nine.
"All my friends love that I've had that experience (in the NRLW) and they're really proud of me, but coming back it just feels like I never left," she said.
"I'm not treated any differently in my team and I love that."
Dibb admitted while she had been "lucky" to have the success of 2019 it had been the culmination of years of hard work.
You don't get anywhere without making the odd sacrifice or two.
"I've been playing and training my entire life to be as good an athlete as I could be," she said.
"As much as it all looked like it happened in one year in league, I've been training for a really long time in the hope it was going to happen.
"I was really fortunate that all happened."
While Dibb looks like she possesses natural talent playing rugby league, she said her background growing up playing touch football had contributed significantly.
I'm not treated any differently in my team and I love that.
- Kirra Dibb
"Ball skills is a predominant thing I've learned from touch and being able to take it into rugby league," she said.
"The quick hands and the accuracy of everything.
"Speed, agility and quick decision making are all huge in touch football and as a half it translated really well onto the rugby league field."
The Sydney Roosters playmaker said she had set herself a four-year plan to make the Jillaroos team and it came as a surprise to tick almost every box so quickly.
"Everything was broken down into areas and skills that I was able to develop and I was fortunate enough to get the opportunities much earlier than I'd planned for myself," she said.
But she was still looking to continually improve.
"The good thing about the plan I made is that there were specific targets I gave myself and I'm still yet to achieve certain things about my own game that I'd planned on."
Unfortunately, history repeated for the Dolphins when they were again eliminated one game from the grand final.
Dibb will have to wait at least another 12 months to claim her first-ever NSW State Cup trophy.
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