Starting the season on the sidelines can never be easy, for any player, however, a key member of Wakefield Trinity Ladies’ spine, Becky Grady, has found it more difficult than most.

After being identified at a young age, Grady has worked her way through the ranks at the Be Well Support Stadium, stating herself as a key figure in Trinity’s pack over the last couple of seasons.

At the young age of just 22, and still studying at university, the young halfback has come on leaps and bounds over the past couple of years, making her mark at the elite level of Women’s Rugby League, for both club and country.

However, an injury setback in December meant that Grady was forced to watch Trinity’s opening rounds against Hull KR, Salford and Castleford in the press box, something she has found very difficult to comprehend.

“With the depth of squad that we have, it has definitely motivated me to work harder in order to earn a spot in the team,” she said.

“Especially missing the first few games, including the pre-season friendlies where the whole team performed really well. So, I knew it would be tough to earn my place.”

Going through injuries is part and parcel of professional sport, an inevitability, as you will. After displaying a strong end to 2021, Grady was eager to kick on and continue her development throughout the forthcoming year.

Damage to her toe ligament delayed that, however, and after months of rehab, she has finally been able to get back out on the field, expressing that her teammates, going through similar episodes, has always kept her on the right track.

“It’s been frustrating more than anything,” she followed.

“Watching the team perform so well and not being part of it or being able to contribute.

“There have been a few girls with injuries, so I think supporting each other has really helped keep each other positive as well as supporting the team on the field in any way we can.”

A new era for Trinity Ladies has started bright, with a first competitive victory over Castleford in the bag two weeks ago.

We are back on home soil this weekend, though, and with a whole host of new faces, this will be the first time that some of the players will be stepping out onto the Be Well Support stadium pitch for the first time, something Becky is excited about experiencing again.

“I can’t wait, especially with it being a home game. It will be great to play at the stadium and, hopefully, get my first win in a Trinity shirt with the girls.

“Every game we are building on what we did well and working on things that haven’t gone so well,”

“The girls have made a great start to the season, but I think that we still have more to show, so I’m looking forward to a great team performance on Sunday.”

You can watch Becky in action later today as we host Featherstone Rovers in the Betfred Challenge Cup.