Pearson completes full circle in nostalgic return to the Riverina

The Parramatta and NSW representative halfback was the special guest at Riverina School Sports Association annual blues awards at Wagga RSL Club on Friday.

Pearson recalled how she herself attended the awards ceremony some 18 years ago and was thrilled to complete the full circle by returning to share her story to the next generation of Riverina athletes.

Pearson completed her first season of a three-year deal at Parramatta in September, a move that allowed her to become a full-time rugby league player for the first time in her career.

The 30-year-old is proud of how far women's sport has come to the point where she can enjoy being a full-time rugby league player.

"It's so refreshing," Pearson said.

"When they bought in that you could sign for multiple years, contracts, I was just like, wow, I need to get myself a manager, I need to jump at the chance to get the best out of the remaining years that I'm playing.

"When I got the opportunity to go three years at Parramatta, it was just knowing your job security is there in a way.

"Finishing my trade was very important and it just so happened that I could early complete in May and focus on footy.

"Obviously the body reacts better, you have more time to rest, sleep, recover, do all the right things and treat yourself like an athlete."

Pearson is somewhat of a late bloomer in rugby league.

She pursued a number of sports as a youngster and was even a member of the Young Matildas soccer squad alongside Sam Kerr at one point.

It was only once she was back in Hay enjoying success in leaguetag in 2018 that she decided to pursue rugby league.

She's glad she got the opportunity to pursue sport at a professional level.

"I moved (to Wollongong) January 2019. I think back then it was only the second year of NRLW," she recalled.

"It formed in 2018. So there was four NRLW teams and they literally played over a month. They would play each other one time and play a grand final.

"It's crazy to think back then, and it's not even that long ago, but we're now up to 10 teams and they're wanting to introduce more in the future because the pathways are there.

"I think there's more and more girls that can sign for bigger contracts and just go I'm a footy player, which is really cool."

Pearson jumped at the opportunity to return to the Riverina and loved the chance to check out the up-and-coming athletes of the future.

"It's nice. I always love coming back, obviously back home to Hay or back in the Riverina. The fresh country air, you can't beat it," she said.

"When I got the opportunity back in August I think they contacted me to come and be guest speaker, I jumped at the chance, I was happy."

Pearson is enjoying the off-season but also eagerly awaiting more details on the next NRLW season.

"They're still trying to work out what the season looks like. From now until May," she said.

"I think May is when we kick off with our NRLW season but we obviously want to play footy before then, considering the first rep games are in May. We need to play footy before then."