NRLW debut for Dragons young gun Keele Brown in Sydney rain, photos

This teenager got into rugby league by accident and with an anxious mother worried about her. Now she’s on the road to success in the NRLW after a wet and wild debut. GREAT PICS.

St George Illawarra Dragons young gun Keele Browne used to be scared of the big hits in rugby league.

Now she doesn’t bat an eye lid, sporting multiple black eyes to prove she no longer has fear of contact in the game.

Browne, who has only been playing the game for a few years, has toughened up enough to crack her first NRLW squad and her first appearance in the delayed competition against the Parramatta Eels in wet and wild conditions on Sunday.
“It was surreal but so good,’’ she said.

“It couldn’ have been any better except for the rain.

Tiana Penitani of the Eels is tackled in pouring rain during the round two NRLW match between the St George Illawarra Dragons and the Parramatta Eels at WIN Stadium. Pic: Getty.

“I never played rugby league when I was young. I played netball, touch footy and league tag,’’ said Browne, who helped the Dragons to their second win this NRLW season.

“I only started playing when a coach was looking for numbers and I asked mum if I could do it too.

“She wasn’t too keen at first but he rang mum and convinced her to let me play when I was 16.

“When I was 17 I was old enough to trial for the Steelers and I’ve played with them in the Tasha Gale for three years.“

Olympic rugby gold medallist Emma Tonegato of the Dragons is tackled by Tiana Penitani of the Eels in the slippery conditions.

While she loved rugby league from the start, Brown admits its physicality and contact was daunting at first.

“I was very nervous at the start, so nervous because I was really little,“ she said.

“Versing these girls so much bigger than me, it just scared me. I learned not to run straight at them pretty quickly.

Dragons young gun Keele Browne is a rising star of the game. Pic: Dragons.

Tallish Fuimaono of the Dragons is tackled during the NRLW game played in driving rain.

“Then the nerves went from scared to getting hurt to scared of not playing good.

“I’m not scared any more. I learned the techniques and how to do it all properly.

“I still had a couple of black eyes this season though.’’

St George prevailed in the appalling conditions on Sunday in Wollongong.

Now 19, Browne is an inaugural member of the St George Dragons Female Academy and now a fully fledged Dragons in the NRLW after her debut in St Georg’s 10-0 win in appalling conditions on Sunday.

The Milton-Ulladulla talent was part of the Steelers team which made the last Tarsha Gale semi-finals and was also a member of the NSW country under 19s women’s team.

Tallish Fuimaono of the Dragons tackles Maddie Studdon of the Eels during the round two NRLW match.

The young centre is now surrounded by teammates from the Illawarra Steelers 2021 minor

premiership winning team in back rower Chantel Tugaga and Teagan Berry.

The reinvigorated NRLW competition has farewelled the New Zealand Warriors and welcomed in three new teams in the Newcastle Knights, Parramatta Eels and Gold Coast Titans.

The Dragons are a foundation club with the Brisbane Broncos and Sydney Roosters.

Originally published as NRLW debut for Dragons young gun Keele Brown in Sydney rain, photos