Laishon Albert-Jones finally gets to play at Mt Smart. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
Laishon Albert-Jones admits she has spent many of her formative years frequenting Mt Smart Stadium - now she finally gets to play there.
Descended from NZ Warriors royalty - namely uncle Stacey Jones, a 261-game club legend - Albert-Jones, 27, is one of the most experienced members of the revived women's programme, which returns to NRLW competition on Sunday, after a four-year hiatus.
In the meantime, she has pursued her own career across the Tasman with Newcastle Knights, helping them to a 2023 championship under new Warriors coach Ron Griffiths.
"This is very exciting," Albert-Jones said. "It's definitely been a dream, since I was very young.
"I've been around this club for a little while, but never thought I'd ever play for them. Now I get to play for them."
Despite her familiarity with the Warriors, she is adamant she intends stamping her own mark on the club and does not feel the weight of expectation that comes with her family name.
"Yeah, Stacey is my uncle and that, but I don't feel no pressure," she said. "I am me and get to play how I want to play, different positions and get to write my own story this time round.
"We've always talked about footy quite a lot. I always say he doesn't help, but he does help, especially with game-specific stuff and general knowledge.
"When I was in Newy, it was kind of hard, but now he's literally a couple of streets away from me."
Ironically, their paths have rarely crossed lately, despite Jones' ongoing role as Warriors men's assistant, under coach Andrew Webster.
"I actually haven't seen him in a little while, that's quite concerning," she said. "They're always away and we're always busy."
Albert-Jones started out in the halves, before moving into the pack. Initially, she benefited from having 'The Little General' at her disposal.
"I remember I was trying to learn how to be a better kicker," Albert-Jones recalled. "He used to tell me, 'Just go kick a tennis ball around off the top of your foot'.
Laishon Albert-Jones won an NRLW premiership with Newcastle Knights. Photo: NRL Photos/www.photosport.nz
"Kinda worked actually - that's one tip I remember he's given me."
Perhaps another inherited skill was her wily ability to bluff her way onto the field. Albert-Jones admits she was initially recruited by Griffiths for the Knights as a lock, where she will pack down against defending NRLW champions Sydney Roosters this week, but became frustrated at her lack of gametime.
"I was getting over sitting on the bench for him, so I told our captain, 'Tell him to put me at [second] row, I can play [second] row'. I've never told him this, but that was the first time I'd played [second] row.
"He called me and said, 'You know what you're doing, eh?' and I was, like, 'Yeah, 100 percent'.
"It worked out and I stayed there, so lucky me, I guess."
Only six others in the Warriors gameday squad have played NRLW before, so her teammates will draw heavily on Albert-Jones' experience at Newcastle, especially as they transition several from the 'other' rugby code, including sevens star Michaela Brake.
"They've actually done an amazing job," she said. "I was a little sceptical about them all coming in, because there are quite a lot of them, but they're all top athletes that love playing sport.
"Just anything competitive, they're good at."
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