Steelers gun Kasey Reh drawing on stellar Illawarra league pedigree

One of the most highly regarded junior players in the game, Reh has all the attributes of a future NRLW star, but those in the know will tell you it's her speed between the ears that truly sets her apart.

It's something she attributes to the countless hours playing and talking footy with her father Greg 'Buster' Reh, a bona fide Illawarra League legend who holds the Wests Devils' first grade appearances record - and a reputation as one of the toughest props to ever lace up a boot in Wollongong.

The appearances record he broke at Parrish Park belonged to his father, Kasey's grand father, Klaus Reh. The rich bloodlines don't end there for the newly minted Tarsha Gale Cup captain, whose uncles are Test and NSW Origin reps Brett and Glenn Stewart.

While you could most liken her skill set to her uncle Glen, Reh says her dad has had the biggest impact on her young career.

"I was pretty lucky I didn't pick up his physique, to be honest," Reh joked.

"I probably got my mum's physique a little bit there but, even though he's a front rower, he was really smart in the way he played footy. I definitely learned a lot from him, especially learning to play the game.

"I played a lot of league-tag, but we'd go down the park and kick for two hours nearly every day, pass the footy, whatever it was. He's a really big factor in why I'm here today.

"They've all been really good to me, uncle Brett, uncle Glenn, my uncle Brad (Lisa Fiaola Cup coach Brad Reh), they all just want to help me in whatever way they can. You can tell like when you go down to the park and you speak with them, they're just very smart people.

"I'm very lucky to have those people so close to me because they can tell me what I'm doing wrong or not, and even off the field in how I conduct myself as well. I'm really fortunate."

While the family influence was huge in her formative years, the 2023 Australian Schoolgirls rep has had plenty of powerful mentors in more recent times since inking an NRLW development deal with the Dragons last year.

It saw her training alongside the game's premier No. 7, and Dragons skipper, Raecene McGregor, as well as Tyla King (nee Nathan-Wong). Having only played age-group footy to that point, it was an eye-opener for the Shellharbour Stingrays product.

"Last year when we were training with them, I tried to hang around Raecene and absorb as much information off her as I could," Reh said.

"Raecene' unbelievable. She's obviously a leader, but as soon as she speaks you can tell how smart she is and you can tell how many games she's played. She goes back and reviews things and you can see the way she speaks to the girls, she's just so smart in the way that she plays her footy.

"Her and Tyler, were very, very good to me. They'd watch what I did, picked up what I was doing wrong and they'd speak to me.

"Between me and them, I was pretty much chatting their ear off every training session asking what they'd do in this situation or how they do this and how they do that.

"They're definitely leaders and they're very good people for me to be learning skills off and just the way of playing the game because they're such hard workers as much as anything else."

It's an experience that means an NRLW debut isn't out of the question this season, with Steelers coach Courtney Crawford not hesitating to put the 'c' next to her halfback's name despite the fact Saturday will see the beginning of her first campaign at Tarsha Gale Cup level.

"I definitely don't take it lightly," Reh said.

"With the side we have right now, there's so many leaders in our group. I think I got a bit lucky to get selected as captain because these girls, they're all leaders, they all know what they're doing and you can tell the way the way they get around the paddock.

"It's just about lifting everyone up together and I think that's what makes our side so special."

Despite Reh's modesty, Crawford said luck had nothing to do with it.

"That could have gone to a few girls in the team but, from day one, you could just see how the girls reacted when Kasey spoke," Crawford said.

"She's a leader with her actions. She works harder than anyone I've seen, she's always out doing extras or doing things behind the scenes.

"She earned that pretty easily and nothing really changes for her now. It's just go out there and do the job that you do anyway and the girls respect that and seem to follow."