Sometimes to achieve what you want, you have to take a chance.
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And so in early January, Erika Maslen left behind her family and everything that was familiar to her and moved eight hours away to chase her Super W dream.
The punt paid off, with the Pirates front rower this week confirmed in the Brumbies squad for their 2023 campaign.
Selected as one of the their three hookers, the news that she had made the final squad brought relief and joy.
It made uprooting her life, and all the hard work and sacrifice to even have the opportunity to trial for a spot, feel worth it.
The final squad was announced on the Saturday night following their trial game against the Melbourne Rebels in Wagga Wagga.
While Maslen felt like she couldn't have done any more, knowing that they had to cut the squad down from 50 to 34 she said it was "terrifying" waiting to find out.
Naturally, after learning that she was in the first thing she did was tell her family - or sort of.
Cheekily, she originally put in the group chat that she hadn't made it.
"I thought it would be funny but they were not impressed with that," she said.
When she eventually put them out of their misery with a "just joking" - it was probably only "about a minute or so" - they were understandably all overjoyed.
Her parents Jeremy and Leanne had made the long trek from Tamworth down to Wagga for the trial, and she said telling them was pretty special.
"It was honestly the first thing that I wanted to do, was tell my parents that the move had been worth it," she said.
Admitting that she would have been disappointed had she not made it, the 19-year-old is now excited "to properly get into it".
"It's full on, obviously, but it's an exciting opportunity," she said.
But she knows in many ways the hard work is really just starting.
When she spoke with the Leader she had a big few days of fitness testing, media and training ahead.
As they continue their build-up to the season they have another trial against the Rebels next Saturday in Albury and then the following week against the Waratahs.
They then kick off their campaign against defending champions Fijiana Drua on March 25 in Fiji.
