Tahnee Norris tells it like it is.
"It's been tough. I'm not going to shit you," the Queensland Maroons women's State of Origin coach says about her appointment as the first woman in the role.
"I've copped it. I've copped it because I've been seen as a bit of a threat to some of the guys in those positions."
The most capped Jillaroos player of all-time is speaking in A League of Her Own, an ABC Documentary premiering on Monday night, which follows the Maroons' build up to last year's women's Origin game.
And her reflections remain a strong undercurrent throughout the film.
It's an underdog story about the struggle of semi-professionalism in women's sport, about toiling to break stereotypes in a male dominated domain, about juggling career and family responsibilities, and about striving to be the best, without any of the same funding or resources.
It's the story of womankind, wrapped up in a sports documentary.
'Imagine what it could have been'
WildBear Entertainment producer Veronica Fury was drawn to making the film because "it had all the makings of a great yarn".
But even more importantly, she saw the opportunity to kickstart conversations.
"I hope it challenges people to dig deeper into gender bias and gender issues and ask: Why isn't women's sport considered equal?" she tells ABC Sport.
The film begins eight weeks before the one-off women's Origin match on the Sunshine Coast in 2021, and Norris is one of the central figures.
She's the quintessential coach character – former great of the game who's battled through hard times, tough-talking but compassionate, well respected and loved by players, and a pioneering role model.
A major thread in the film focuses on the players' fight for equal pay, and Norris provides a sobering perspective.
"I remember hearing some awful comments when I played," she recalls.
"And it wasn't just the spectators, it was actually in the administration for the ARL back then as well, some of the comments from even family members.
"It was like what are you doing playing rugby league, it's not for women.
"And public perception – a bunch of lesbians on the field, chicks can't play footy, go back to the kitchen.
"Fundraising for Jillaroos as a national side, we're standing outside of Bunnings trying to sell raffle tickets for a wheelbarrow full of alcohol just to pay to get overseas to represent our country."
Times have clearly changed – the Jillaroos have just won the Women's Rugby League World Cup in the biggest tournament yet, the NRLW continues to expand and State of Origin will increase to two games next year.
All signs of progress, but progress that is coming at a slow pace, after significant interruptions.
Long-time Queensland Maroons women's manager Jo Barrett recounts the first ever game of women's rugby league, played in Sydney in September 1921.
"When game day came around, there was something in the vicinity of 20,000 people who went to watch the game and it was such a historical moment," she says.
"But then, within two years, money dried up, support had dried up and women weren't playing once again and the men's game kept building over the next 100 years.
"Imagine what the women's game could have been if they didn't have that stoppage after two years."
Xena: Warrior Princess
Norris is the clear leader of this film, but a lot of its heart comes from veteran Maroons winger Karina Brown.
The 33-year-old has been key to developing women's rugby league in Queensland, and she is the most vocal in campaigning for players' rights.
Brown mentions that her hero growing up was Xena: Warrior Princess.
It's a throwaway line, but it strikes deep.
Xena was the most visible strong, athletic, powerful female role model for Brown, and so many young girls like her.
Norris and her contemporaries weren't being televised, so Brown had to look to this goddess whose "courage will change the world".
"I'm hearing a lot that we're asking for more than what we're putting in. I actually think that we work twice as hard for half as much," Brown says.
"The only real difference that I see is time that the men get to invest in the game versus the time that we get to invest in the game.
"We have to work full time, but their job is full time rugby league, so they're doing their craft 37.5 hours a week, we're working and you're lucky if you get 10 hours in a week."
It's a common story shared by other players including Tallisha Harden, who's a full time speech pathologist who has to take four weeks of unpaid leave when she gets injured, and mum of two Tazmin Gray.
"The transition from being the wife, to the mum, to the footy player, I still struggle with it now because obviously, at some point, something's got to give," Gray says.
"When I play footy, there's massive sacrifices because I'm not at home. So I can't focus on our marriage, or I can't focus on the kids.
"In a game that's male driven, it's easy because the men are going to work, they're providing for their family. But what happens when it's us and we're still only labelled as semi-professional?"
Equal payday
There is a positive pay-off for our heroes at the end of the film.
They win the game, and as a post-script the QRL announces the women will receive equal match payments to the men of $15,000 from 2022.
Norris is also appointed as a full time coach, looking after female pathways in addition to the Maroons.
It's a good start, but just that, a start.
"We need to get to a point where we're full time so that we can get to the three-game series and then we are at that level where the girls are actually getting what they deserve," Norris says.
Producer Veronica Fury hopes the film can play its part in achieving that.
"They are still fighting for what they did 100 years ago. There's never been a greater time to agitate."
A League of Her Own will premiere on ABC TV and ABC iview tonight at 8:40pm.
