It was a hit Grace Kukutai will never forget: a crunching, 'Welcome to NRLW' tackle by Sydney Roosters prop Millie Elliott.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
But the talented New Zealand sportswoman, who played elite level netball, rugby sevens and Super W before joining the Knights for her first taste of rugby league, relished a 16-minute baptism of fire in Newcastle's 12-10 season-opening win over the Roosters at McDonald Jones Stadium on Thursday night.
The athletic second-rower was deployed off the bench after just six minutes with five-eighth Georgia Roche sent for a head injury assessment.
Moments later, and with her first carry of the game, Kukutai was driven backwards and into the ground by Elliott.
"The coach said, 'Just get a feel of the game, a feel of the speed from the sideline and we'll look to put you on towards the end of the second half'," Kukutai told the Newcastle Herald post-match.
"I said, 'I'll stay ready just in case', but wasn't expecting that early.
"It was good. But it was a bit of baptism by fire. My first carry and Millie Elliott smoked me. As soon as she had me, I was like, 'Here we go'.
"The lines are different [to rugby]. If I saw a big prop in front of me in rugby, usually you don't run straight into them. But a lot of the time that's your job here in league, you just run it up."
The Auckland 27-year-old, whose only rugby league exposure before Thursday night was three trial matches, was busy and effective on debut, producing some gritty tackles of her own with a 100 per cent tackle efficiency.
Laishon Albert-Jones shifted to the halves as Kukutai slotted into the second row until Roche was given the all clear to return.
"It was fast. That was the biggest thing," Kukutai said.
"You can train hard and be fit but match fitness is a different beast, so definitely keen to get a few more minutes under my belt.
"It's probably as fast as netball but you don't have the contact aspect. Rugby is different. Rugby can be fast. It's probably a bit more like sevens.
"It's always good to get the win and it was nice to run out there and get a feel for it. I'm a very competitive person, so I'll always pick my game apart. But it was fun."
"Unfortunately, we used our 10 interchanges and she didn't get back on," Jeffries said.
"She was planned to come on around the 50-minute mark. In the end we had to use too many middles in interchanges.
"But she showed some good signs. Going forward she's certainly going to get some more minutes at some point."
Kukutai, who is studying criminology and Maori development and owns a lawn-mowing company in Auckland with her partner, played elite-level netball before discovering rugby sevens.
She played sevens in Japan and the United States before Super W with the Chiefs.
Now, the powerful forward is determined to succeed in her new chosen sport.
"My aim was to come over in peak physical condition so that I could put all my energy into learning the game," Kukutai said.
"It's a steeping learning curve for the knowledge of the game. For me, that's been the hardest bit, wanting it now, wanting it all to click right away but just having to be patient and realise that it takes time.
"Probably just working in a bit more minutes and sharpening up on the basics [will be the goals]. But, honestly, I'm just really enjoying the ride. Always want to play more minutes but I'm just really enjoying it."
Knights winger Abigail Roache, who played sevens with Kukutai in Auckland, made a successful transition from Super W to NRLW last season.