A Lewis family convoy hit the Pacific Highway this week to watch rising star and Brisbane’s Marsden State High School student Lilianah Lewis make her Queensland Under 19s Origin debut.
Four cars full of family friends, plus a plane flight bringing her father and two sisters, brought 20 supporters with the ‘Lewis’ surname printed on the backs of their shirts.
Seventeen-year-old Lewis wiped tears from her eyes as she spoke of what her family’s support means to her.
Lilianah Lewis Try
“It means everything to me to have them all come down – my mum, my Nonna, my siblings – they all drove down yesterday. My dad flew in this morning,” she said.
“Just knowing they are in my corner and they’ve been with me from the start.”
Lewis’ considerable ball-playing skills and instincts helped Queensland snatch the win over NSW in the final six minutes, 22-18, after trailing all match. It was Lewis who scored the match-winning try and picked up the Player of the Match medal.
“She’s just a baby. She’s the youngest you can be in this age group so she’ll have another year ahead of her,” coach and former Kiwis Ferns lock Maia Tua-Davidson said.
“She was outstanding and has a level of play beyond her years.”
Lewis started in Under 6s at Logan Brothers following in the footsteps of her siblings and father Aaron Lewis.
“I started off with backyard footy and just went from there,” Lewis said, who is in the Gold Coast Titans system and next year moves into the top-24.
“I want to make it to the big stage as soon as possible,” said Lewis, who has already had many conversations with Titans coach Karyn Murphy.
“She actually spoke to me before the game to wish my luck and give me some last-minute tips. I want to call her tonight and tomorrow and speak about things,” Lewis said.
Lewis shows her skill
Lewis’ desire to learn and constant queries of her coaches is one of her enduring talents.
Tua-Davidson said she was fortunate to mentor a squad this year full of that kind of ability.
“I knew they could do it and we talked a lot about playing to the last minute. Our experienced players, especially the ones who were here last year, gave us that composure and maturity in the last 10 minutes,” Tua-Davidson said of prop Harlem Walker and back rowers Keira Rangi, Deleni Paitai and Amanii Misa – Walker and Paitai were also among the Maroons try scorers.
Rising star: Gabriella Savage
NSW coach Courtney Crawford impressed upon her charges to not let the opportunity to learn from the loss pass them by.
“At the end of the day someone wins and someone learns,” she told NRL.com.
“We’re the team learning tonight but there is a lot of talent in this group so they’ll take the lessons and this experience forward.
“It’s one step in their journey and you’ll see the benefits of this match when they pop up in the NRLW and beyond.”
