Brisbane Broncos dual-code star Shalom Sauaso leads NRLW next generation of stars to watch in 2025

Hicks will be joined by fellow teenagers Skyla Adams and Shalom Sauaso, with the pair already accomplished rugby union players before arriving at Red Hill.

Adams had been a regular member of the Queensland Reds before her full-time defection to rugby league, while Sauaso has juggled both codes – and was even called into the Wallaroos extended squad last year.

While she has only just turned 18, Sauaso developed a reputation in the Super Rugby Women’s for being one of the more clinical one-on-one defenders in the game, and Broncos coach Scott Prince told this masthead he was happy for her to play for both sports until they begin to intertwine.

“Someone her age being able to play at the highest level is phenomenal in itself,” Prince said, having also named her to make her NRLW debut off the bench on Saturday.

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“Just with her work ethic and ability to adapt to the environment she’s in … she certainly has that capability of fitting into a professional environment.

“From my point of view, she can play anywhere – she can play in the middle, she at a pinch could go up front, but she has the speed and agility to play in the outside backs.

“She’s just got that real hard edge and willingness to work hard, and that’s a really good foundation to forge any career.”

Brigginshaw said such had been the way Sauaso and Adams had blended into the squad, they presented figures who bellied their tender ages.

“I don’t look at them as young players, they’re so mature and they’ve been in the system for a while,” Brigginshaw said.

“With Shalom, she’s been in so many different teams that she knows what she’s doing, and she knows what to do when she gets here … [and] Skyla has come such a long way, she’s leading the team and jumping in where she can.

“She [Sauaso] treats her sport as a professional, so she trains extremely hard. She’s still got a lot to learn, I wouldn’t say she’s the perfect player, and she knows that and knows she’s got a lot to learn, but that’s where the older girls like to help them.”