Raiders prodigy pushing Dragons engine room to new heights

She’s earned the nickname ‘Smiley’ at St George Illawarra this season because all she does is just that but when Tara McGrath-West gets on the field, she leaves no stone unturned.  

Dragons coach Jamie Soward has struck gold with McGrath-West in his second campaign in charge of the Red V with the former Raiders Tarsha Gale Cup product impressing in five matches this year.

The 21-year-old from Harden, near Canberra, started playing the game four years ago before moving to Sydney last year for better opportunities in the game.

She ran an impressive 230 metres off the bench in just 40 minutes in round four, a figure that is now an NRLW record for an interchange player.

Prior to her landing a contract with the Dragons, McGrath-West was relatively unknown in the women’s game.

She’s now vital to the side’s semi-final chances on Sunday as the Dragons search for a better showing in the engine room against the Knights.

“Playing in the NRLW is something I knew I really wanted to do goal-wise and when I came into it I just thought go for it and that’s how I’ve approached my time here,” McGrath-West told NRL.com.

“I’m loving the physicality of it and how fast-paced it is and pick up on needing to do those small effort areas that you might skip at another level.

“I’m finding if you do them it makes it a lot easier with your own game. Kezie [Apps] is really good at that and just the leadership and communication.

“She’s got a big worth ethic and brings the best out in her players which helps me.”

McGrath-West was promoted to the starting side for Apps last week but is likely to provide firepower from the bench at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday.

“I don’t mind coming off the bench, it helps you understand how the game is going and when our first prop comes off I ask them what it’s like out there and what we need,” she said.

“That helps with the mindset of what to pick up on once players come off.”

The Raiders are expected to announce their inaugural NRLW coach for 2023 soon with McGrath-West among those likely to be targeted by the new club after previously

While her focus is on the Dragons, her grassroots belong in the nation’s capital.

“I was in Canberra studying for two years and then kept travelling up for footy when I started to play for Wentworthville and then North Sydney,” she said.

“I’m working at the NRL as a game development officer and have still got a couple of years left on my degree in exercise physiology.

“My family are travelling around to watch me play. They’re really enjoying doing that, my friends came from to Melbourne [in round four] and drove eight hours. It means a lot.”