Jayda Cohen, a prop forward for the New South Wales Combined Independent Schools (NSWCIS) rugby league team, is set to participate in the Australian Secondary Schools Rugby League (ASSRL) National Championships as a relatively unknown player. Despite limited recognition to date, Cohen has garnered attention for her impressive performances throughout the year, including a title-winning campaign with the Northern Tigers in the Regional Lisa Fiaola Cup and a strong showing for the NSW Country under-17s team.

Cohen, who attends Armidale School, has been described by NSWCIS coach Aaron McDonald as a powerful presence in the middle of the field with an “X-factor” that could be instrumental in the upcoming competition. McDonald highlighted Cohen’s hard work on both attack and defense and noted her achievement of breaking into the NSW Country team as a significant milestone given her regional background.

“The best thing for us is that Jayda is a bit of an unknown,” McDonald said, referring to the limited data available on Cohen due to her coming from a smaller area. He expressed optimism about her potential and anticipated a strong impact in the national championships.

The NSWCIS team features a core group heavily influenced by Central Coast Sports College, with 14 players representing the school, including the entire spine of the squad. This concentration is expected to enhance team cohesion, a factor that coach McDonald believes will be key as the team seeks to advance deep into the tournament.

Several members of the NSWCIS squad were part of the side that reached the under-16 ASSRL grand final in Townsville the previous year, an experience McDonald suggests has helped build confidence within the team. Despite last year’s success, he emphasized that the current squad is focused on delivering their best performance rather than being burdened by expectations to replicate past results.

“The goal is always to be there at the end of the week,” McDonald said. “That’s certainly the aim of everyone, from the players and coaching staff involved. Expectations wise, we’re not placing pressure on the girls to perform as they did last year. The expectation is that we go out there and put our best foot out there. If we do that, we should be towards the right place at the end of the week.”

The ASSRL National Championships will provide Cohen and the NSWCIS team an opportunity to showcase their talent on a larger stage, with the wider rugby league community now poised to take notice of Cohen’s emerging potential.