After clinching the match-winning goal for the Newcastle Knights, Jesse Southwell has admitted that her time with the NSW Sky Blues has helped her become a better player, but she still has a long way to go to become an elite-level player.
Only 17 years old when she helped the Knights clinch their inaugural NRLW title last year as a main playmaker, the teenager believes playing with the likes of Isabelle Kelly, Emma Tonegato and Jess Sergis in the NSW Sky Blues line-up has helped shape and improve her game.
Aiming for more consistency as the season reaches the backend, Southwell is hoping the Knights can dispatch the Sharks this weekend, while also improving her own game week in, week out.
"I learned a lot about myself as a player and person through that whole Origin time," Southwell told NRL.com.
"Playing with different players and top-tier girls I think there's a big gap in between. I'm certainly not part of that top group, I have a long way to go and things to work on.
"I'm learning on the run and I'm still building my combination with Georgia Roche. The more game time we get together the better."
Reminiscing on 'that kick', Southwell revealed that it was a change in goal-kicking style that helped her get the ball over the post. Implementing the style during the week at training, she believes it gave her the added confidence she needed in front of a sold-out stadium.
"I don't remember what was going through my head but I just thought if I miss it that's alright as we'll just have to go back to golden point.," Southwell told the publication on the goal-winning kick last round.
"I've been missing them from those close tram lines all season. I did a bit of kicking earlier in the week and changed my style a little bit so I wasn't hooking it as much. I wasn't getting a lot of purchase on it early on.
"When I kicked it I was pretty pumped. Our trainer was telling me to calm down but then we both saw the time had run out.
"The crowd kind of helped me out. It was something I've never experienced, just doing the Newcastle chant and I thought 'calm down Jesse'… I was getting tingles.
"It was pretty crazy but as a team we shouldn't have been there in the first place."
Currently sitting in second place on the NRLW ladder behind the Sydney Roosters, Southwell and the Knights will take on the Cronulla Sharks on Sunday, August 27 at 1:45 AEST.