A Jillaroos debut is the last item on Tamika Upton's to-do list following one of the most impressive individual NRLW seasons to date.
But Upton's dual premiership-winning Newcastle teammate Hannah Southwell is pessimistic about her own chances of being included in the squad for the Pacific Test series to be named on Tuesday.
Fullback Upton capped a career-best year with two tries in the final 10 minutes of Sunday's grand final, pulling the Knights across the line against Gold Coast.
Upton won the Karyn Murphy Medal as player of the match, as she did in the Knights' premiership victory last year.
She was crowned Dally M Medallist as player of the year, the first female Knight to win the honour, and represented Queensland in both State of Origin games before the NRLW season began.
Just about the only honour to elude Upton thus far is an Australian jersey.
The 26-year-old was originally selected in the squad for last year's World Cup, which marked the resumption of international football following a COVID-enforced hiatus.
But Upton later withdrew with the calf strain that had plagued her towards the end of last season.
She was replaced by Emma Tonegato, who shared fullback duties with first-choice custodian Sam Bremner.
Now that Bremner has retired, it opens the race for the No.1 jersey for the Pacific Test series that begins on October 14.
Tonegato and newly-minted Rugby League Players Champion Teagan Berry loom as Upton's sternest competition at coach Brad Donald's selection table.
Upton is raring to finish her stellar season on the international stage.
"It's a long-term goal," she said.
"I've always said, I go day-by-day. I'll party and celebrate (the premiership win) and then go from there.
"I'm fit and healthy. That was probably the biggest thing for me this season. I was able to get through a whole season."
Southwell became a dual-premiership winning halfback at age 18 on Sunday but is not confident of her own chance of earning an international debut.
Ali Brigginshaw and Tarryn Aiken were Australia's first-choice playmakers at the World Cup, though Lauren Brown and Taliah Fuimaono spent time in the halves as well.
Southwell said she had not received contact from Donald ahead of the squad announcement.
"I doubt I'll see my name in there," she said.
"I just think there's a lot of good halfbacks.
"It's not a driving force for me at the moment. I just loving playing alongside my Newcastle girls."
Knights second-rower Yasmin Clydsdale may miss the first match of the Test series against New Zealand after being cited for grade-two dangerous contact in the grand final.
The NRLW judiciary has proposed a one-match ban for a hip drop-style tackle on Titans fullback Evania Pelite that went unpenalised in the opening minutes.
Clydsdale, a member of the World Cup-winning squad, can apply to serve her ban in the Test series.
