Millie Boyle is on the verge of becoming a dual international and household name.
That’s the view of Australian Jillaroos coach Brad Donald who believes she has the talent and character to become a mainstay in the nation’s engine room.
The gifted Bond University Sport Management student made her NRLW debut for the Brisbane Broncos earlier this month.
It comes after a breakout performance in the women’s State of Origin match where Boyle starred on debut for NSW.
She represented the Australian Wallaroos as vice-captain against Japan and New Zealand in August this year.
The 21-year-old could soon add an Australian Jillaroos jersey to a burgeoning kitbag complete with NSW Origin, Wallaroos, ACT Brumbies, Queensland Reds and Bond University jumpers.
“She carried the ball really strong in that Origin game,” said coach Brad Donald.
“Millie made the merit side after the Women’s Origin – so if the Jillaroos team had of been picked out of that game, she’d be in the team.
“You could see she is still green and has a lot to learn, but it was an excellent outcome for NSW because they took a big risk.
“There was a lot of pressure on her because there were some very experienced forwards in Ruan Sims and Eliana Morton who didn’t get picked for that game.
“She didn’t look out of place at all.
“She’s a very raw talent, and I can only imagine how good she’ll be. A lot of the Jillaroos forwards are at an older stage of their careers, so to have someone like that coming through at her age is really exciting.”
The prop forward has starred since starting with the Burleigh Bears in the Gold Coast competition.
Rugby League runs in the family.
Her dad David played 117 games for the Raiders and 56 for the Bradford Bulls in Super League. Her brother Morgan plays for Manly, while her uncle is Raiders legend Jason Croker.
But the most impressive thing about Boyle is her attitude and commitment off the field.
“She ticks all the boxes, one as an athlete, but her character is sensational,” said Donald.
“We actually offered her a contract. To her credit, she said she had already started training with the Wallaroos and they had a campaign coming up and she had committed to that even though there was no money involved.
“She said I don’t want to ruin my chances, but I’m committed to the Wallaroos and I said that is an even bigger tick, because you don’t want to let down the people you are training with.
“It shows her character. She has a massive future. She’ll have to make some decisions in the future, but we aren’t about to try to force her to make a decision. I was really happy with how she went about it all.”
The NRLW season will run alongside the NRL Finals, with the Jillaroos set to take on New Zealand in Wollongong in October.
Boyle travelled to PNG with the Broncos to take on the Papua New Guinea Orchids in Port Moresby earlier in September.
The Broncos held out the PNG Orchids for a 14-0 victory.