Isabel McMenemy: The young Tiger making her mark in rugby league

Reaching the finals in the Lisa Fiaola Cup and Tarsha Gale Cup competitions over the past two seasons, the Wests Tigers have some incredibly talented and gifted female players coming through their pathways system.

One of these players is Lisa Fiaola Cup winger Isabel McMenemy, who helped the team get within one win of making the Grand Final this year before losing to the Central Coast Roosters in the Preliminary Final.

A member of last year's 2024 Lisa Fiaola Cup Grand Final side, the young speedster is a second-generation rugby league footballer and is hoping to follow in the footsteps of her father.

Her father, Shayne McMenemy, is a ten-time Irish international who played 31 matches for the Western Suburbs Magpies between 1997-99 before taking his talents overseas to Oldham, Halifax and Hull FC.

Speaking exclusively to Zero Tackle, the young female up-and-coming prospect opened up about her rugby league journey, which only saw her join the sport two years ago and aspirations for the future.

"I was a dancer since little and then rugby league became a bigger thing so I just started playing club footy and it progressed to this," McMenemy told Zero Tackle.

"It's really good wearing the Tigers jersey throughout the whole season.

"My dad used to play and he was kind of the one that got me into it. When I step on the field, I play for him."

Set to progress through to the Tarsh Gale Cup next season, McMenemy has set her sights on the goal of wanting to play in the NRLW competition once she gets older.

"It would mean a lot," she added.

"I feel like I'd be representing everyone like family and friends and it'd be really good.

Continuing to speak about her family, she said, "They're the ones that get me to every game and to every training session."