In the capital for the women's State of Origin showdown on Friday night at Canberra Stadium, Hilder has emerged as an attractive option to lead the Raiders' NRLW team when they enter the competition alongside three other newly-added teams next season.

An assistant since 2020 with the Sydney Roosters' NRLW side, Hilder said while her focus was currently on NSW and the Tricolours, she would consider club coaching opportunities elsewhere in 2023.

"If any doors open up, I'm willing to sit down and chat, and would never close any door until then," Hilder said.

"With four new teams these questions get asked a lot. I would love to be an NRLW coach.

"It's a little different to being an Origin coach - it's a week-in, week-out competition. But I've been loving my role as the assistant with the Roosters, and I'll be doing that role again in the next NRLW season.

"Once that one's finished, then I can sit back and look if there's any offers or options for me to move forward, then I'll definitely be sitting down and having those chats."

Hilder would bring a wealth of experience to the role, especially as a former Roosters player during the first NRLW season in 2018, before becoming a coach in 2020.

The ex-Jillaroos hooker knows how important setting up a foundation for success would be for a new NRLW team like Canberra.

"I was part of the first year with the Roosters - you want to attract quality players. If you can set up a really good culture and team environment for players to come in, they're not going to want to leave after your first year," she said.

"So it is really important in the first year to make sure you set that up properly."

Sky Blues captain Kezie Apps supported the possibility of Hilder taking an NRLW head coach role.

"She's got the background in playing footy and knows what that's like and on the flipside she's been around coaching a long time as well," Apps said.

"So she's definitely got everything to be a wonderful coach. I absolutely love how she coaches and the bonds she has created.

"Origin is that next level up and pretty stressful as it is. If she gets an opportunity [with the Raiders], I'm not sure if she'll take it, but I'm sure she'll be a fantastic coach wherever she goes."

Hilder has been impressed by the calibre of players in Canberra and the surrounding regions.

She believes there is still plenty of untapped talent yet to be discovered and that intimate knowledge of the region's grassroots system would certainly be valuable as coach of the Raiders.

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"Absolutely there is [untapped talent] and it's why I'm excited that Canberra has a team now," she said.

"I'm out and about seeing these girls in these country regions and now they're going to have an opportunity to play for an NRLW club without having to pack up and turn their lives around.

"They've got it in their own backyard now so that's exciting for these girls.

"I see that quality. They're building a really good base here for women's rugby league.

"They're doing their work at grassroots level, which is what you need to do to make sure that we continue to grow the game, and teams can grow it within their own regions."

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