'She was hurting': Why Dibb's Origin omission has only spurred her on

Cowboys coach Ben Jeffries had a glimpse of the granite inside his playmaker Kirra Dibb, when the pair came together for the 2022 Harvey Norman Indigenous All Stars team.

It’s that same resolute belief in her abilities that he’s seen in Dibb after she was overlooked for the NSW Sky Blues team in Game One of the Ampol State of Origin series this year, after being named in the initial 24-player squad.

“I know she was hurting from the NSW non-selection,” Jeffries told NRL.com.

“The thing is the players can’t control that. What they can control is how they train and how they play after any disappointments.

“We’re just so thankful she’s a Cowboy for the next couple of years.”

Jeffries was particularly grateful after Dibb helped orchestrate the upset 31-20 North Queensland win over her former club – reigning NRLW premiers the Newcastle Knights – at Belmore Sports Ground.

She had two try assists, a line break, a try assist, four tackle busts, an offload, kicked two conversions, a field goal, a 40/30 and 10 kicks for 294 metres.

Dibb seemed to have a hand in most of the action, bamboozling defenders with her array of attacking plays.

Jeffries says Dibb isn’t necessarily trying to prove a point after missing NSW selection, she just knows how to rise above it.

“I had a good campaign with her in the All Stars, when she copped a lot of flak around her selection regarding her Indigenous heritage,” he said.

“That actually bonded us together quite well as I tried to help her through that week.

“Kirra handled that week extremely well with all that she went through on social media and stuff.”

It’s one of the key reasons Jeffries wanted her as co-captain with Tallisha Harden for the Cowboys inaugural year in the NRLW.

“How she carries herself and how she portrays herself around training and the club, she lives and breathes the traits of a professional footballer," he added.

“She’s been that for a while and she offers direction on and off the field.

“It was the next evolution of her basically to take leadership of a team.”

As for Dibb’s input against the Knights, Jeffries expected no less even if there is the odd missed tackle or handling error from the recently turned 26-year-old in the future. 

“The best players want to touch the ball all the time, whether she makes a mistake or has a positive influence, she’s always in there having a crack,” he said.

“She never dies wondering and she’s willing to learn, be better.

“I love having her around because she’s going to really lead this young group around, even though she’s not that old herself."