It was a sleeper hit at last year's World Cup, but Emma Tonegato's Jillaroos utility role will be part of a best-laid plan heading into the first of two Test showdowns with the Kiwi Ferns on Saturday.
It will see the reprisal of the role the 28-year-old played in the Jillaroos Cup triumph, but one that neither she or coach Brad Donald had anticipated given the 28-year-old was initially left off the plane to the UK.
A Dally M Medalist in her first NRLW season at fullback with the Dragons, Tonegato was also wore the NSW No. 1 in the Blues Origin triumph over Queensland.
It seemingly gave her the inside running for the jumper at Test level, but she was ultimately overlooked for the squad in favour of co-skipper Sammy Bremner and Knights star Tamika Upton.
It only the latter's withdrawal that saw Tonegato called up but, by tournament's end, the Bulli flyer had made herself indispensable as a running lock and bench utility, bagging a try in the final and earning Team of the Tournament honours.
It makes the No. 14 jumper far more familiar is she prepares for Saturday's Pacific Championships opener, though she's still expecting the unexpected.
"We definitely have a plan but I think I will be that person that, if anything happens or goes wrong, I'll be there to solve it in that utility position," Tonegato said.
"I kind of expected to be on the bench and, after talking with Brad, we talked about how I'll be playing a similar role to World Cup.
"I don't want to give too much away, but it's nice to know that I've been there and have played that role successfully in the past and just trying to get my head around what I've got to do."
It was unexpected but, having previously coveted a move into the frontline, doing so at a World Cup proved affirming as she contemplated a positional switch in clubland.
It's one she made with aplomb this season, switching from the No. 1 jumper at the Dragons to the No. 6 at the Sharks as a marquee acquisition for the club's inaugural NRLW campaign.
The Sharks fell short of finals, but it hasn't dented Tonegato's belief that the shift to the halves was the right one to make.
"I really loved the transition," she said.
"I think [the World Cup] gave me more confidence defending in the front line, but I'd already made up my mind that I wanted to be around the ball a little bit more. It really just emphasised that decision [was the right one].
"I sat down with my coach (Tony Herman) at the end of the season and we reflected on whether it was the right decision and we both agreed that it was.
"I think it was what the team needed to have, a threat around the ball constantly throughout the set. I think I've still got so, so much more to learn and some skills to improve on, especially with the kicking and things like that, but I've really loved the transition.
"I'm looking forward to getting more time there to really sink my teeth into it a little bit more, but I think it's really developed my game a lot."
The Jillaroos will start heavy favourites in two matches against the Kiwi Ferns a fortnight apart having got past their arch-rivals by a convincing 54-4 in the World Cup final last November, though many forget the traditional foes played out a much closer 10-8 grind, won by the Aussies, earlier in the tournament.
With the bulk of Ferns squad - including Dragons duo Raecene McGregor and Tyla Nathan-Wong - fresh off an NRLW season this time around, Tonegato is expecting a much tougher task.
"I think, we're all expecting them to be a different side to the World Cup last year," Tonegato said.
"Everyone's coming off a fresh off NRLW season and I think they're going to be really strong and they'll be strong right across the park. We'll be focusing on ourselves, but we're very wary of the threats that they have on the field."
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Mitch Jennings
Sports writer. Sport is my passion, rugby league my first love.
Sports writer. Sport is my passion, rugby league my first love.
