Steph Fulwood spent most of the 2023 season sitting on the sidelines with (metaphorically) itchy feet.
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The 26-year-old would have liked to have been a part of the Kootingal-Moonbi Roosters' first league tag grand final bid since 2018, but was instead busy preparing for the arrival of her first son, Parker, in June.
So in 2024, with her newest and most ardent fan in tow, Fulwood made her return to the Roosters' ranks as soon as she could.
"I'm loving it. It was hard to watch, very hard," she said.
The Tamworth product's first hit-out since giving birth took place at the Oztag Nationals in November, during which she said she "wasn't fit enough".
She then participated in the State Cup early this year, and found life much easier as her fitness had vastly improved by then. But once she donned the Kootingal-Moonbi colours again, Fulwood felt the rust of over a year on the sidelines.
"I had a difficult time trying to slip into doing the ball playing and everything," she said.
"It's slowly coming back. For some things, my mind's there and knows what to do, but my body doesn't."
It has taken her the better part of the first five rounds to shake off her lethargy.
And, in the course of the Roosters' 44-0 win over the Moree Boars earlier today (to which she contributed a try), Fulwood felt that she had finally rediscovered some of her best form.
"It feels like a lot of weight lifted off my shoulders. It wasn't easy, but it just flowed," the Roosters' Players Player said.
Stand-in captain Madi Roach said Fulwood was comfortably the standout in what was a scrappy win for the hosts at Kootingal.
The match was delayed by thunderstorms, and though Roach said she and the side were confident, they made life hard for themselves.
"It was cold when we went back out," she said.
"Obviously there was wet weather, so we had to be safe with the ball and we tried a lot of pressure passes, which let us down. A lot of knock-ons, but we came away with the win, luckily."
Nonetheless, it was an important win to boost Kootingal-Moonbi's confidence going into a tough next three rounds.
"We're all pretty confident heading into the next three games," Roach said.
"They're going to be tough, but I think we've got it. We've got Dungowan, then Norths, then Gunnedah - the three top sides."
Watching from the sidelines was Parker, whose mother said he is "hopefully" a future Rooster.
"He already throws the ball around, the house is covered in them," Fulwood said.
