A BLISTERING turn of speed, the ability to exploit the smallest of gaps and inspiration from a Bathurst 'legend' - Kiara White used all three to spearhead a NSW Country triumph on Wednesday.
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The former Little Athletics star turned fullback scored a hat-trick at Carrington Park as she helped Country to a dominant 30-6 win over City in their NSW Police Rugby League origin match.
It continued Country's dominance of the annual clash - it's now won all three editions - just as it continued White's rise in the sport.
"I love footy, I'm new to the game, that's literally my ninth game. I only started last year and that was it," she said.
"My Dad's in the police and his mates were the trainers for Country, and they were like 'Let her play, let her have one game'. So I played last year and loved it.
"I did play Harvey Norman [NSW Women's Premiership] for the Tigers, but that was 20 minutes round one and did my shoulder and haven't played since.
"Three tries was good, but to win with the girls was great, it's all team work. I just use my speed to get off the back of them, it's all about the girls."
Those girls included Parkes officer Maggie Townsend, Bathurst's Marita Shoulders and Orange's Sarah Archer.
All three worked hard as part of Country's forward pack, while Shoulders and Townsend were later named in the NSW side.
However, White reserved special praise for prop Shoulders.
"They are all hard runners and I love them and Marita, she's like the head of Country. She's so good, she's always there for us, she supports us all the time and inspires us," she said.
"I look up to her, she's always there to help with my nerves. She's just an absolute bloody legend."
It was Shoulders who took the opening carry of the match, making good yards and proving hard to drag down in what was to be a trademark of her performance.
Seven minutes later White who provided the first highlight as she sliced through City's left edge defence and ran some 40 meters to score.
However, following that try Country failed to complete its next two sets.
That, coupled with a pair of penalties, gifted City good field position and lock Kristie Bridge took advantage. She muscled her way over and with Nerida Gregory's conversion, City hit the lead at 6-4.
Archer was injected into the match with just under 10 minutes of the half remaining. She quickly took her first hit up and backed that up with two consecutive tackles the following set.
Fellow second rower Townsend worked hard on the left edge, taking some good carries out of defence and hitting hard when she tackled.
It was after Shoulders' fourth carry of the match that Country regained the lead. Off the next play Country five-eighth Gabrielle Suckling found a gap in City's line then found White in support.
White streaked away for her second and Suckling - who was later declared player of the match - added the extras.
It gave Country the lead back just before half-time at 10-6 and from there it went on with the job.
White made it a hat-trick seven minutes after play resumed, opting to run the ball on the last play and catching the markers out with her speed.
Townsend, who'd made a big surge to help set up that try, bagged one of her own with 14 left when she barged over from dummy half.
In the final 10 minutes Country scored twice more to make it 30-6, while Archer produced the biggest shot of the match, crunching a rival with an up and under tackle.
Townsend enjoyed watching that shot.
"I've never seen a hit that big ever in women's footy," she said.
"I'll never call Bathurst home, but it was really good to play here and yeah, scoring a try was pretty good too."
- NSW COUNTRY 30 (Kiara White 3, Maggie Townsend, Brooke Walker, Jess O'Brien tries; Jess O'Brien 2, Gabrielle Suckling tries) defeated NSW CITY 6 (Kristie Bridge try; Nerida Gregory goal)
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