Touch to tackle: Law sisters set for special All Stars

Indigenous All Stars centre Bobbi Law reckons her sister Andi might just have her for speed but when it comes to out-and-out contact, the proud Worimi woman has her younger sibling covered.

It will be a moment to savour for the Law family on Saturday with Andi to play for the mixed Indigenous touch football team before Bobbi represents the women's tackle side for a second time. 

Backyard sporting rivalries looked a little different for the Newcastle-based family with four women in the household, although middle child Charli much preferred the surf than to hold a footy.

That left Bobbi, who is named after her uncle, and Andi, to follow in the footsteps of their mother Janine when it came to putting the boots on.

"I started playing touch footy around 10 years of age but mum has played most of her life," Law told NRL.com.

"I was so scared at first when it came to transitioning to tackle and I think mum was more scared than me.

"I wanted to play league in school but she wouldn't let me in case I got hurt. But now she's one of the biggest supporters and can't wait to watch me play.

"Dad (Simon) calls me before every game to remind me of where I got my talent from...which I then remind him it wasn't from him!

"I think Mum and dad secretly pushed for boys I think so they just gave us all boys names.

"My family and loved ones mean the most to me. There is a busload coming down from Newcastle."

Bobbi is among a growing list of women who started their journeys in the touch football ranks before transitioning to rugby league.

Her Indigenous All Stars teammates Tamika Upton, Tahulah Tillett and Kirra Dibb also played touch football in their younger years.

Among the others in the lead-up to the NRL Telstra Women's Premiership include Broncos pair Tarryn Aiken and Hayley Maddick, along with Titans playmaker Grace Griffin.

"You definitely see a lot of fundamental skills – the catch, pass and running – in a player," Law said.

"You can tell in the men's and women's game who has a touch football background, the basic skills tend to be a level above.

"A lot more girls are coming across too when they watch others go first, so it's a great pathway."

Law's return to the Indigenous All Stars side is 12 months in the making after an ACL injury suffered at training on the eve of the 2020 NRLW season shattered any momentum she had begun to create in her career.

The Knights recruit spent most of the 2021 season on the sidelines with the postponement of the NRLW allowing her body more time to get back to its best.

"When I got injured, missing the All Stars was the biggest thing I was devastated about," she said.

"It's so much more than a game to me. You're representing your culture and people.

"I can't wait, it's been so long since I've played but definitely think it was a blessing in disguise to get myself better and my head straight to get where I want to be physically."

Away from the paddock, Law continues to make strides in her work as a gambling officer in Indigenous communities, bringing light to the harms and risks associated with gambling.

"I'm really passionate about caring for others and promoting the community to be the best people they can be," Law said.

"You always hear about drinking and drugs but gambling is such a silent addiction that not many people talk about.

"It's concerning how normalised it is, it's on the television everywhere. There are so many links to new audiences and how much children are at risk. Our main goal is to get people talking about it."