SCORING a try with her first touch of the ball - Cheynoah Merchant could hardly have imagined a better way to start her first game as a Bulldog.
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Heading into Saturday's trial match at Pride Park against the Western Women's Rugby League representative side, Merchant was feeling the pressure to perform.
Not only was she getting her first chance to impress in a game situation for Canterbury-Bankstown, but she was doing it in front of many family and friends.
An Orange native, Merchant's large group of family set up in one corner while in the stands were members of the St Pat's league tag side she won a Group 10 premiership with last year.
"My whole family were here, they all had Bulldogs jerseys ... yeah it was Cheynoah corner," she laughed.
It was with around two minutes of the game gone and 10 metres out from Western's line that Merchant got her hands on the ball for the first time.
She only had eyes for the line and charged hard. The smile on her face as she grounded the ball was huge.
"Yes I was only thinking one thing, I was thinking I need to score against these girls. It was amazing, it was so good," Merchant said.
"It felt pretty good, I wanted to throw it [the ball] in the air but I didn't.
"I was very nervous, I felt like I had to come out here and prove something. It felt good though to be surrounded by good players and they were all positive."
A positive attitude is what has helped Merchant get through some brutal training sessions since she was signed up as part of Bulldogs' NSW Women's Premiership.
"We always speak about dark places and we always bring each other out of the dark places, it's probably the most positive team I've ever been in," she said.
"Most definitely there have been some dark places, we've been smashed in conditioning and fitness, absolutely smashed.
"That was the first thing we built on. We've been in very bad, dark places because of that."
But being in dark places - and pulling each other through them - are what Merchant and her team-mates are willing to do.
Season 2023 will mark the Bulldogs' return to the NSW Women's Premiership and the club is also pushing to be included in the 2024 NRLW draw.
"It's so different to anything I've done. One of our main things in Bulldogs has been world class standards, so it's been very high. It's world class," she said.
Just as she played in the second row for the Vipers in the Western Women's Rugby League competition, that's where Merchant lined up on Saturday.
She was on the left edge in the first quarter when scoring the opening try of the trial.
"Second row, left and right, it doesn't really matter," she said.
As well as scoring for her side, Merchant was strong in defence and took a number of strong carries.
She'll take the confidence of that debut match with her when the Bulldogs play a trial against Cronulla this coming weekend.
They play their season opener on February 6 against St George at the NSWRL Centre of Excellence.
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