Every now and then you get a stark reminder that Jesse Southwell is still just 17.
Like when she's talking about Andrew Johns, for example. The legendary Knights half-back has acted as a mentor for Southwell as Newcastle worked their way toward NRLW glory, a journey which ended with their 32-12 win over Parramatta on Sunday.
"Joey's been helping me through the whole competition. He's been giving me heaps of tips on what to do and how to deal with certain situations. I can't credit him enough," Southwell said.
"It's pretty cool, My dad watched Joey when he was young so to see someone like that come talk to me us as the team, as girls that's very cool."
Her dad watched Johns, but Southwell didn't. She was only three when the Newcastle Immortal retired back in 2006. She only knows him through highlights.
It's one of those uncomfortable moments that makes fans of a certain age feel every one of their years as well as highlighting just how special a prodigy the Knights have on their hands.
Southwell's age has been the focus of her remarkable rookie campaign, which has ended with a grand final victory, a possible Jillaroos berth and a fair claim to being the best half-back in women's rugby league.
Full-back Tamika Upton might have won the Karyn Murphy Medal as player of the match but Southwell is a vision of the sport's future and there's a clear reason, beside her prodigious talent, she has looked so comfortable at the game's highest level.
She is part of the NRLW's second generation, a group who have played rugby league their entire lives. In days past, girls had to stop playing once they reached their early teens. With the progress the game has made in recent years, that's a thing of the past.
Southwell was raised with a football in her hands – she's been playing since she was five years old — and it shows.
The way she passes, kicks and takes the ball to the line have an effortless, natural quality that can only be attained through years and years of practice as a youth.
The Knights half-back is a footballer, not an athlete, and there's a difference.
That difference shone through with her smart long ball that created the space for Emmanita Paki's try and again when she put Romy Teitzel over just before half-time with a short pass that was sharp enough to skin a crocodile.
Her match-sealing try in the final stages was like something out of a half-back's textbook. Ball in two hands, playing straight and direct, challenging defenders with footwork and speed – every little detail was perfect, just like they teach you do it, just like Johns would have shown her.
It's a cliché to say a player was just having fun out there but that's how it felt for Southwell.
She wrote "chocolate thunder" on her wrist strapping as a reminder of how she wants to approach the game.
"It's from The Cat and The Hat movie, my best friend from sevens and I like to watch that movie," Southwell said.
"I thought I'd write it on my wrist to remember those fun times."
It was difficult to escape the feeling that this is only the beginning. Most half-backs grow into their game and become more adept at controlling play and taking their team around the park as they gain more experience.
Southwell's command of matches is already close to unmatched in the women's game – it might be enough to get her into the Jillaroos World Cup squad — and that aspect of her play will only improve. There are no limits to what she can achieve in this sport.
There were other heroes for the Knights. Upton was class at the back with her speed and skill making her a terror for the Parramatta defenders. Yasmin Clydesdale put in a serious shift on the left edge and as the Eels mounted a valiant fightback in the second half Newcastle made sure their hand was steady.
Parramatta were brave throughout and things were looking up when they narrowed the gap to 18-12 with a little over 15 minutes to go — but looks aren't everything.
At some point, you are what your record says you are and while Dean Widders side did so well to upset the Roosters we are only two weeks removed from them notching their first win of the season.
For all of Simaima Taufa's power running and Gayle Broughton's skill, which were both on display throughout, the Eels lacked just a little of the poise and attacking class of their rivals.
If they can keep their squad together, they could well be back here next season. It took time for them to settle into their best squad and with a regular season just five matches long, time can be in short supply for the NRLW.
And fast turnarounds are possible. The Knights themselves were winless in their maiden NRLW campaign earlier this year. Their rapid rise to this glory is a credit to the entire club.
The Knights had to change things, so they did
They bet big on Upton and Millie Boyle, who both joined the club amid much fanfare and justified the hype every step of the way.
They also had a change in the coaches box, where the appointment of the impressive Ronald Griffiths as coach has paid off handsomely.
But most importantly, they found Southwell, who has become the jewel in the club's crown, a shining vision of what's possible when girls are given the opportunity to play the game they love without interruption.
