Not a chance in the world.
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That's how Ryan Powell would've described to prospect of coaching NRLW footy had you put it to him two years ago.
Two years later, it's a burning ambition after being appointed head coach of the Wests Tigers for next year's NSW Women's Premiership.
For Powell, it's been a dramatic shift in perspective after he had to be talked into coaching Helensburgh in the Illawarra Women's League two seasons ago.
The Burgh claimed the Illawarra League title in 2020 and finished top four in this year's NSW Women's Premiership - its first season in the state's elite competition.
The latter sowed the seeds of his eventual shift to a different Tigers emblem ahead of a pivotal season for club and coach as they push for an NRLW license for 2023.
"That's my goal," Powell said. "It's a great organisation that puts their women's program very high on its agenda.
"They've got great ambitions to be in the NRLW by 2023 so they're putting everything in place, including recruitment and training programs, player pathways to improve juniors all the way through to NRLW level.
"Wests Tigers have got a great system in place, good people running it and they're as passionate about the women's game as much as the men's."
The Burgh entered this year's women's competition off its own bat without NRL club affiliation or backing, reaching what was ultimately an aborted finals series due to COVID-19 lockdown.
With no immediate plans from either side of the St George Illawarra joint-venture to enter a team or afflitate in the state competition, Powell found the Wests Tigers long-term vision too enticing to pass up.
"Coaching what was apparently the feeder club for the Illawarra, I was never spoken to [by the Dragons] about players, never asked about training players. I just didn't see an avenue there," Powell said.
"That helped drive my decision from one end and obviously the Wests Tigers being the ideal set-up drove it from the other.
"It wasn't an easy call but, at the end of the day, the call's been made to better myself and to now go and better that group of girls at the Wests Tigers that have some goals and ambitions they're chasing."
He'll leave Helensburgh as a two-time premiership-winning coach having led the club to a breakthrough first grade men's crown in 2015 after two decades without a title.
"It's definitely tough leaving Helensburgh," Powell said.
"We created a great culture there last year, we probably over-achieved in terms of results. I had a couple of girls that had never played before.
"For them to finish fourth in their first season and get the result they did, you can't not sit back and be proud of the effort they put in.
"I had a really committed bunch of girls who I would've loved to see play through the finals and see where we ended up."
Powell's already made an impact in recruiting Jillaroos stars Kezie Apps and Jess Sergis.
Sergis spent the last two seasons with the Illawarra powerhouse, but Rex Jackson Oval is the only home Apps has ever known since famously making the 10-hour return journey from her hometown in Bega every weekend in her first season with the club in 2014.
She'll always remain synonymous with Helensburgh, but the 30-year-old NSW skipper felt continuing her development under Powell at club level was the best move at this point of her storied career.
"It was on of the toughest decisions I've made. I never thought I'd leave Helensburgh, I'd been there eight years, ever since I started playing footy," Apps said.
"It was obviously exciting for Powelly to get that opportunity with Wests Tigers having that vision to get an NRLW team in 2023 so I understood why he was leaving.
"He said 'if you want to come I'd love to have you'. I thought about it and I think he was more shocked than anything when I said yes because I've been Helensburgh through and through and will be forever grateful to the club.
"He's obviously got some goals and aspirations and I've really enjoyed the last two years being coached by him. I still want to keep learning as a player and I love his coaching style.
"I've been in a new position at lock and he's been really challenging me in the way approach things on the field. That's been really good for me personally because I haven't really had someone challenge me that way."
Certainty in that regard was a big factor for Apps ahead of an unprecedented year that will see two NRLW premierships and an end-of-year World Cup in a packed schedule.
"I've never moved clubs before so that will challenge me and get me out of my comfort zone," she said.
"It's not starting from scratch but it's somewhere different. Being challenged motivates me and I just want to play good footy coming into NRLW [2022] and obviously the World Cup at the end of the year.
"I need to be playing good footy and having a good coach and a good team there in clubland will help me do that so I go into NRLW at my peak and when we go into World Cup I get selected and I'm at my best.
"Powelly's definitely got the best out of the girls at Helensburgh and I know he's going to do a fantastic job at Wests Tigers as well."
In what's music to the ears of the red v faithful, Apps remains fully committed to her one and off-field roles with St George Illawarra and will skipper the Dragons in the postponed 2021 NRLW season in February.
"We obviously wanted to play this year but unfortunately that wasn't the case," she said.
"Our playing group's still in contact and we're training and preparing as best we can. We get together as a group in January which we're really excited about and I just can't wait to play for the Dragons and play NRLW again.
"I don't think our whole squad's even been announced yet but it's a really strong one and we're all eager and keen to rip in and play some good footy. It's going to be a massive year."
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