Phillip's Sydney Roosters will kick-off their NRLW campaign against the Dragons on Saturday

While she admired their talent and enjoyed the competitiveness of Group 10 football, one feeling stood tall above the rest ... "I want to tackle like that".

Phillips was always a fan of the contact.

She always wanted to take a charge off the kick-off or bury her shoulders into an opposition ball carrier, which is probably why the 21-year-old second-rower took so kindly to the contact code when she made the switch in 2019.

Phillips has gone from Group 10 to Western to NSW Country then exploded on the scene with Mounties in the Harvey Norman NSW Women's Premiership - virtually in the space of 18 months - and on Saturday she'll make another giant step when she debuts with the Sydney Roosters on the biggest stage of them all, the NRLW.

How's she feeling?

"I'm so nervous but I'm super excited as well," Phillips said.

"It's definitely the highest level I've played at so I'm in for a bit of a shock but I'll be OK."

At the start of the year, Phillips played some footy at Queensland in the Wholesome Cup, adding to the list of competitions she's featured in over the last three years.

And that's been the theme of her career since it began - find footy whenever and wherever it's on offer.

"At the start, I played in Group 10's short, six-week competition and when it finished, I wasn't OK with the fact there were no more games," she said.

"I loved it from the first minute. As soon as it finished, I was looking for other places to play."

She won't be the biggest girl on the paddock on Saturday when the Roosters line up against the St George Illawarra Dragons but Phillip's physically has found her starting in the second row alongside fellow Orange alumni Vanessa Foliaki.

"I like playing in the forwards ... I wouldn't want to be anywhere else," she said.

Athletes don't traditionally pay attention to betting lines but the Roosters are sizeable outsiders coming into this year's competition, something Phillips understands but is determined to prove wrong.

"We're out to win it this year," she said.

"Dragons and Broncos are rightfully being tagged as favourites but that's not going to stop us from believing we can do it."

Phillip's career has been meteoric so far but she's always looking for areas to improve and on Saturday at Canberra's GIO Stadium - both of the opening round NRLW games are being played in the nation's capital as curtain-raisers to the Raiders and Cronulla elimination final - hopes her ball-playing can feature prominently.

"I want to be throwing a pass here and there," she said.

Phillips is the first player to play in the WWRL to go on and play in the NRLW, having lined up for the Vipers. Phillips will debut from 11.30am.