Jamie Soward has declared veteran Steph Hancock just isn’t coming to St George Illawarra merely to be a babysitter, after signing the 42-year-old to a one-season NRLW deal.
Some 21 years after her Take a look at debut for Australia, Hancock has agreed to phrases to affix a younger Dragons pack after opting to maneuver south from Gold Coast.
A grand finalist with the Titans final yr, Hancock will doubtless play an analogous function to that which she carried out off the bench in 2023.
After being squeezed out of Gold Coast and their rising pack, Hancock emerged as an possibility for Dragons coach Soward after prop Tara McGrath-West was dominated out for the season with a sternum damage.
Steph Hancock of Australia offloads through the 2017 Girls’s League World Cup. (Picture by Jason McCawley/Getty Photos)
And regardless of being greater than twenty years into her profession, Hancock nonetheless had a career-high yr for deal with busts on the Titans final season..
“We’re a younger and up-and-coming squad with plenty of actually good expertise that would use somebody of her expertise.” Soward stated.
“She’s not coming right down to babysit the ladies. She’s coming right down to play and compete.”
“Steph’s first query was. ‘Do you suppose I can nonetheless play?’.
“And I stated, ‘I’m not that type of particular person, I’m not going to waste your time’.
“She’s a legend of our sport. She has finished all of it. However the one factor she desires to do remains to be compete at this stage. She felt like she had one thing to provide.”
Hancock is one among two signings for the Dragons for subsequent yr, with 31-year-old outdoors again Kim Hunt to additionally be part of, from Parramatta.
Hancock beforehand performed for the Dragons in 2020 earlier than Soward took over because the membership’s coach, in her final season earlier than a quick retirement.
However the 16-time Queensland consultant got here out of retirement in 2022, describing a 2021 with out soccer as one of many worst years of her life.
The front-rower admitted within the lead-up to final yr’s grand ultimate she had determined she was going to retire not less than seven different instances, however had by no means gone by with it.
And so far as Soward is worried, that’s for good cause given what Hancock nonetheless has to supply as one of many sport’s most dependable props.
“Age is only a quantity,” Soward stated.
“We’re going to see an increasing number of girls enjoying into their 30s. Getting her expertise across the group, plus the best way she performs the sport (is massive).
“I’ve hated prepping towards her for years, as a result of she all the time scores a attempt towards us. Make no mistake, she is coming right down to play.”
The Titans additionally paid tribute to Hancock this week, with former teammate and coach Karyn Murphy describing her as a trailblazer for the sport.
“I commend her for her need to proceed enjoying the sport in any case she has achieved not solely at a NRLW stage, however for Queensland and the Jillaroos as nicely,” Murphy stated.
© AAP
