By her own admission, Lilly Baker "wasn't interested" in playing for Vipers when she moved back home to Orange.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
But fast forward six months and Baker has been named in the NSW Country team for the second time alongside eight of her Western Rams teammates.
It comes off the back of a dominant Country Women's Championships by Rams, who swept all before them on their way to the title, culminating in a 28-12 victory against North Coast Bulldogs in the grand final.
But when she moved back to Orange from Newcastle in late 2023, Baker initially wasn't keen on playing rugby league again.
It's something she says she would definitely have regretted.
"Moving home was a huge decision for me and was very hard as I left a life I made in Newcastle," she said.
"After moving home I wasn't interested in playing for Vipers. I just wanted to keep quiet but I'm so thankful I did.
"I fell in love with the game all over again!"
'I shed a tear'
With the Country squad named before the final, Baker didn't see her name on the list and just went out determined to play well.
Such was her performance, she was a late addition and 72 hours later found herself packing for the trip to the Gold Coast.
"I had no idea I was in the squad as it was announced before taking the field and I was a late call up," she said.
"I prepared myself like I always do, loud music and dancing in the sheds, I just said to myself before the game go out there and leave nothing in the tank.
"It was after the game and I was talking to mum and dad and the coach called me over and goes 'so are you free next Tuesday' and I didn't think anything of it and said 'I guess I can be yes' and she said 'I'd like you to come into camp for country'.
"I shed a little tear. I never thought I would put the country jersey on again."
Straight into it
Country are in a pool alongside Papua New Guinea, ADF and South Australia at the NRL Women's National Championships which gets underway on March 21.
The former NSW Blues under 19s player isn't looking too far ahead and just wants to enjoy herself.
"I just want to achieve good mental and physical fitness and aim for good minutes on the field," she said.
"I'd like to thank my Rams girls for helping me find my love for footy again and my coach Kev and my manager Cath for believing in me and most importantly my mum and dad who never ever doubted me for a second."
