NRLW 2020: Ellie Johnston’s wild ride to debut, Dragons v Roosters
She’s the barrel-riding country gal who knows more about netball and rugby than league. So how on earth did she get to make her debut for the St George Illawarra Dragons in the NRLW on the weekend?
Mid-North Coast
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She’s a self-described cowgirl with a penchant for rodeos and horse riding hoping to cause a stir in a game she has only been playing for two years.
When teenager Ellie Johnston ran onto the field for the St George Illawarra Dragons in her NRLW debut last weekend it marked another chapter in an extraordinary rise to success for the Taree-born youngster from Coomba Park near Foster.
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Johnston, an Australian under 17s indoor netballer, only started playing rugby league in 2018 with the mid-north coast club Kendall Blues after watching the inaugural women’s State of Origin.
“This is actually my first real season of real rugby league,” said Johnston, who has put her job as a disability worker on hold to play NRLW and is now based as North Ryde for the season to be closer to her Dragons teammates.
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“I played rugby union for two years with Wauchope Thunder at Port Macquarie and then made NSW Country in my first year. But I was in Year 12 so it was all a bit hard.
“I then started playing with the Mid North Coast Bulldogs in country rugby league. I wanted to see where it would take me. I was just giving it a crack.”
I didn’t know anyone but I thought I’d give it a crack and got offered a position
The 19-year-old’s move to league saw her spotted and picked up for NSW Country last season, then find her way into the South Sydney Rabbitohs for the Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership and now the Dragons squad for the third season of women’s NRL.
“I knew I wanted to progress in rugby league so I came to Sydney and went to a trial day at Souths. I didn’t know anyone but I thought I’d give it a crack and got offered a position,” said Johnston, who grew up riding horse, barrel racing and doing rodeos.
“It’s all gone on from there.”
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The young front rower made it onto the field for the Dragons season opener against the Sydney Roosters after being named in the Dragons forward pack with Keeley Davis, Stephanie Hancock, Stephanie Apps, Shaylee Bent and Elsie Albert.
The Dragons fell to the Roosters 18-4.
The Dragons take on the Roosters at 11:30am at GIO Stadium on Saturday.
The match will mark Rugby Sevens star Charlotte Caslick’s first outing in NRLW.
In Dragons news, Sam Bremner will return after a season off with other players to watch including blockbuster centre Isabelle Kelly and PNG lock Elsie Albert.
The second NRLW game will be played at 3pm between the Broncos and Warriors.