Kandy Kennedy to play for Women's Indigenous All Star side on Friday

Kennedy will be eager to carry her red hot 2016 form into a new year when she runs out at Newcastle on Friday against the Women’s All Stars side.

The Bathurst player said it was an amazing feeling to find herself back in the match again.

“There were a lot of things [going through my head],” Kennedy said about hearing she had made the cut.

“I’ve been training really hard for this. I had a break but I thought I’d get stuck back into it again. I really focused on trying to get into this team.

“I didn’t play for two years. It was quite hard at first because I had to get my fitness back, but my dad has been helping me out a lot … and I’ve been doing work at CrossFit as well.”

Now Kennedy is back better than ever and has enjoyed a great lead up to the All Stars match.

Her Redfern All Blacks side claimed the women’s crown at the annual Koori Knockout, with a 24-4 win over the Red Belly Blacks in the finals, and they also made the semi-finals of the Sydney Metropolitan Women’s Rugby League Division 1 competition.

Thanks to her performances Kennedy was then selected in the NSW Koori side, who took on Queensland Murri in November in a trial for the All Stars spot.

“They had the Koori Knockout, and after watching the games they selected a New South Wales squad and a Queensland team, to play each other, and then they picked the training squad from that,” she said.

“I thought I did pretty well [in that match]. It was a really tough game and there was a lot of talent on both teams, but I was lucky enough to make the squad.”

The Bathurst talent will be playing a different role compared to her previous All Stars match.

In the 2014 game Kennedy was on the wing but now will be doing the hard yards in the second row.

“It’s still a bit of a new thing for me, playing in that position, but I’m really enjoying it,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy is eager to keep her representative career going strong beyond Thursday’s match.

“Hopefully I can get a call up to the Australian squad and even play in the World Cup,” she said.