NRLW 2022: Jess Sergis opens up on her year of fresh starts after split with Dragons star Zac Lomax

NRLW star Jessica Sergis has made some big changes on and off the field as she prepares for one of the busiest years ever for women’s rugby league.

Former Dally M medallist Jess Sergis admits juggling fulltime work with playing footy is a challenge faced by many NRLW players and it’s one of the reasons why she has embarked on a year of fresh starts.

The former Dragons fullback returned to Sydney’s eastern suburbs where she grew up after spending the past several years in Wollongong, where she was living with St George Illawarra player and former partner Zac Lomax.

The 24-year-old’s move back home opened the door for her to pull on the Tricolours jersey this year after linking with the 2020 grand finalists, the Roosters, last year.

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Sergis and Lomax have called it quits.

The couple at the 2019 Dally Ms.

Sergis and Lomax have moved on.

With the NRLW season set to kick off next month, Sergis has opened up on her year of fresh starts ahead of the busiest women’s rugby league calendar ever.

FRESH START

As with many other players across the NRLW competition, star centre Sergis has had to juggle both fulltime work with her passion for playing footy.

The star NRLW player was working in a “9-to-5” job as a childcare worker in Wollongong, while heading to footy training three times a week on top of that.

Then at the beginning of 2021, she made the decision to change jobs, becoming a teacher’s aide to better suit her lifestyle with an earlier knock off time of 3pm.

“Juggling work and footy has been very difficult,” Sergis said.

“I used to work in a 9am-5pm job, sometimes a 10am-6pm, and it did get a bit tough.

Jess Sergis says juggling footy and fulltime work has been tough.

“You want to try to be a professional athlete but you’ve got to juggle fulltime work as well, where you can’t really leave early to head to training or anything like that.

“A big reason for me to move back to Sydney was to be in a job that I love and work better hours that suit me.

“It’s a bit of a selfish move but if you want to move forward, you’ve got to sacrifice some things.

“It’s obviously going to be a big year with such a busy calendar for us girls, but in saying that, I’ve got a lot of support around me especially in my work life.”

BIG YEAR AHEAD

The delayed 2021 NRLW season, which kicks off on February 27, has created one of the busiest years for women’s rugby league.

The two-month competition will roll straight into the statewide women’s competitions, followed by a State of Origin clash before a second NRLW season to be played later in the year.

The 24-year-old is ready to make her mark with the Roosters.

Despite the condensed year, Sergis said she was looking forward to the amount of exposure it will bring to women’s rugby league.

“It’s going to be a massive year, but it will be good for the game as well,” she said.

“There’s going to be a lot of exposure for the women’s game with a calendar that goes from January through until November.

“We’re going to be talked about, build the exposure and grow the game.

“It’s a massive bonus for us, but in saying that, it’s a big year of football so we have to be pretty smart about how we handle ourselves.

“That’s another thing we have to juggle, how to pace ourselves for a big year, but the staff at the Roosters are pretty smart so we should be right.”

BEATING THE BRONCOS

The NRLW will welcome three new clubs this season, Parramatta, Newcastle and Gold Coast, as part of expansion plans, but all eyes will be on the three-time premiership-winning Broncos team.

Jessica Sergis played three seasons with the Dragons.

“Everyone wants to knock them off following their three-peat,” Sergis said.

“We’ve got the talent to beat them this year.

“The club has been building over the past few years and especially being in the grand final against them in 2020 was a great experience.

“We’re only going to get better and move forward.

“Having those three new teams in will make it even more exciting.

“Every club is pretty evened out, talent-wise, so if it’s not us, it’s definitely going to be someone else who will want to beat the Broncos this year.”

Originally published as NRLW 2022: Jess Sergis opens up on her year of fresh starts after split with Dragons star Zac Lomax