THE Canberra Raiders has announced their junior representative rugby league squads for 2024 with five Snowy Mountains locals making the cut for the Raiders Tarsha Gale Cup team.

After making the pre-Christmas cut, the Snowy Mountains based playing contingent continued to push forward with Cooma’s India Dyball given the honour of captaining the Raiders Tarsha Gale cup team.

"It's an amazing honour and I'm so grateful for the opportunity and the faith that the staff and players have put it me," Dyball said.

"I'm very excited to see where our season goes as we have so much young talent, particularly the other Monaro based players because I've played with them since I was quite young. To see them coming up through the same pathway as I am and growing as players, it's amazing.

"Despite a close 10-16 loss to Newcastle on the weekend I was proud of the girls, Newcastle is well known as a strong side, they have a lot of talent but our girls really stepped up and gave it everything."

Dyball said growing up representing the Cooma Colts, she did dream of playing at the professional level. Her brother James who is two years older played Harold Mathews under the same coach as she is now.

"Growing up there was plenty of footy in the back yard and some healthy competition with my brother," Dyball said.

Dyball said the Canberra Raiders Tarsha Gale Cup team has what it takes to push for a premiership in 2024.

"We are such a close knit group this year, we are all working for each other especially through a physically demanding pre-season," Dyball said.

Bridie Hampshire from Bombala has been selected alongside Bombala teammate Heidi Brownlie. Dyball was selected alongside Cooma's Paige Jardine, and Grace Maxwell made the team who plays her football in Jindabyne.

Maxwell who has up until now played both Rugby League and Rugby Union may have had her decision made for her on the back of a strong Raiders pathways program.

Maxwell said to be selected in the 2024 squad is very rewarding.

“Going through the last few months of training, trialling and travelling to earn that spot was hard but worth it, I’m ready to make mark this season and it’s onwards and upwards from here," Maxwell said.

Competition competition commenced over the weekend with the Raiders Tarsha Gale Cup team taking on the Newcastle Knights at home in Belconnen.

Captain Dyball started at lock, Heidi Brownlie started in the centres, Grace Maxwell made the run-on side in the back row, and Paige Jardine was named as an interchange player out of the squad of 28 players.

This weekend, the Monaro based talents take on the Steelers again at home in Belconnen from 12pm.