Werner nails debut NRLW contract with Broncos
Australian women's bobsleigh team member, turned rugby league powerhouse winger Ashleigh Werner is the first Jewish player to earn an NRLW contract.
“It’s crazy – I can’t even sum up the feeling … there are no words to do it justice!” Australian women’s bobsleigh team member, turned rugby league powerhouse winger Ashleigh Werner, told The AJN on Monday.
Two days earlier, she completed her first full NSWRL Women’s Premiership season for the Wests Tigers with flying colours – scoring six tries in her seven matches – and was officially signed by the Brisbane Broncos, for what will be her debut NRLW season, based on that form.
It was a remarkable achievement, given Werner, 30, last played rugby league in 2018 for the North Sydney Bears, and had been representing Australia in bobsleigh each northern hemisphere winter for the past six years.
She is the first Jewish player to earn an NRLW contract.
“I couldn’t quite believe it when Scott Prince [Broncos NRLW head coach, and former NRL star halfback] phoned me a few weeks ago to ask if I was interested in an NRLW contract,” the Sydney native said.
“I had to ask him if this [offer] was real, and then, when Ali Brigginshaw [Broncos NRLW captain and Jillaroo] messaged to say welcome to the Broncos, I was like … wow!
“I’ve always seen the Broncos as a legacy club, so I’m so excited.
“At the same time, I feel very blessed, and grateful for the opportunity the Wests Tigers have given me, how they believed in my ability, and gave me a chance.
“Their coaching staff, and my teammates, have been phenomenal, and so supportive, so who knows, I may play in Tigers colours again.”
Prince described Werner as “big and strong, and she runs hard … the way she plays will fit in really well with what we’re building”.
The Broncos came fifth out of six in the NRLW last year, but are three-time premiership winners, and have recruited well for the expanded 10-team NRLW season that begins on July 22, snapping up two Kiwi Ferns rep players, and Jillaroo Tamzin Gray.
Werner will move to Brisbane in mid-May to begin the NRLW pre-season.
While keeping the door open to a return to bobsleigh, Werner said she is thriving in the team environment of rugby league.
“That’s been huge, and while I’ve had to relearn everything about league, which was a big challenge, I was able to draw a lot from my experience in bobsleigh, which is also very physical.
“And while I love scoring tries, stopping a try is probably the only better feeling, so I’ve been working a lot on tackling, and my improvement since November is like night and day.
“I’ve also been changing my mindset from only goal-focused, to being more process-focused, and in the moment.”
Werner feels she needs “to be realistic” about what to expect in her first NRLW season, and her first priority will be “to put myself in the best position to help the team”.
“I’m going to be surrounded by some of the world’s best rugby league athletes – people who are better than me – and I tend to thrive in environments like that.”
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