A PROP lining up at halfback at representative level - it's certainly not common place seeing someone do that in rugby league but then again, Marita Shoulders likes a challenge.
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Shoulders is a player who has a knack of impressing when others have written her off.
Last year the Bathurst-based sergeant defied the odds when, despite being told she was too old, she was named the women's player of the carnival at the NSW Police Cup as a 40-year-old.
She picked up that accolade as a Country South Steelers representative and went on to play for the NSW Country, NSW and Australian police teams.
This year Shoulders has started out on the same representative path. She played for the Country South Steelers at the NSW Police Cup at Tamworth and on the back of her efforts in that tournament, earned NSW Country selection.
The difference is this time is that Shoulders wasn't playing in the front row for the Steelers. She was operating at halfback.
"So we were desperate for some halves that were going to pass the ball and give some direction and apparently I'm good at yelling at people and directing them," Shoulders said.
"It was fun, but it was hard. Because I like impact, I was trying to find the contact a lot instead of just giving early and trusting the people outside me.
"I set up quite a few tries though, so that was good.
"It was a theme for Country Steelers because our Country prop as well for the men, Brayden Sharrock, he also went into halfback for half the tournament.
"I think they were inspired by me, like 'If she can do it, well so can he'," she added with a laugh.
While Shoulders had previously played exclusively at prop in league, she does have some back line experience from rugby union.
She was named Mudgee's best back in their first year and she lined up at inside centre for Sydney University.
Though it wasn't her natural position, Shoulders still did enough to impress NSW Country selectors. They picked her at prop for the City-Country police clash.
That selection comes with a bonus as well. The City-Country match will be played in Bathurst at Carrington Park next Wednesday.
It will mark the third time Shoulders gets to run out for NSW Country, having played at Mudgee's Glen Willow Sporting Complex in 2021 and at Leichhardt Oval last year.
"It's always an honour to be selected, I don't take anything for granted, I obviously know how old I am," Shoulders said.
"So it's nice to see people still giving me a go and having faith in me. They treat us very well, they treat us like professionals, so it's great to be a part of.
"It's pretty cool it's here in Bathurst because no-one from out here really gets to watch any of the police footy stuff.
"People from work are excited to come down and watch, so yeah, it's pretty good to have it here."
Since the inception of the women's NSW Police Rugby League City-Country match, Country has gone undefeated.
It's a streak that Shoulders, who will play alongside fellow Bathurst officer Sarah Archer in the maroon and yellow, hopes to extend on Wednesday.
"We're undefeated so far, so it would be nice to win again and keep the trophy in our possession and then looking forward for New South Wales," Shoulders said.
"There are some good opportunities there for the New South Wales side, it will be played at Burleigh Heads this year and be a tri-state series between New South Wales, Queensland and a Combined States side."
With bragging rights as well as spots in the NSW team up for grabs - in both the men's and women's games - Shoulders says the Bathurst games are certainly worth watching.
"It's aggressive, it's no holds barred, we don't leave anything out there, everyone just goes hard," she said.
"It's something that we really enjoy doing, many of us don't get the opportunity too much, so we definitely step up.
"Everyone goes 110 percent, so it's a high intensity game and it will be pretty high quality too."
Kick-off in Wednesday's women's City versus Country NSW Police Rugby League match will be at 10am at Carrington Park. The men's clash will follow from 11.30am.
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