Newcastle NRLW gun repays faith of St George Illawarra Dragons coach
Holli Wheeler is as loyal as the day is long but it was a special person who prompted the rugby league gun to stay with the St George Illawarra Dragons for the upcoming NRLW.
The Newcastle News
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When St George Illawarra coach Daniel Lacey reached out to Holli Wheeler and offered her a spot in the inaugural Holden women’s premiership last season he triggered a sequence of events which changed her life.
In the space of just a few months the Newcastle CRL star was selected to tour PNG, made her debut with the Jillaroos and was named St George Illawarra Dragons NRLW Player of the Year.
Now a year on Wheeler has repaid the faith Lacey showed by re-signing with the club for season two of the NRLW.
And while hooking up with rival club the Sydney Roosters would have severely cut down in her travel time between Newcastle, Sydney and Wollongong, staying put has kept one very special person in her life extremely happy.
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“My grandmother (Shirley Wheeler) is a massive St George Illawarra fan, massive,” Wheeler said.
“Loyalty is massive things for me. But also grandmother is a passionate St George supporter and this allows me to spend more time with her, see her a lot more.
“She lives in Camden, around 40 minutes away from Dragons training, and I get to stay with her the nights I train as much as I can.
“My dad grew up supporting the Bulldogs so I’m not sure where her passion for the Dragons came from.
“But she’s always followed them and she’s pretty proud when I rock up in my Dragons kit.”
Wheeler was part of the foundation Dragons women’s team in 2018 which finished third in the four team competition played alongside the men’s NRL series.
Season two of the NRLW will again be aligned with the men’s finals series and kicks off in September.
The competition will again boast just four teams — the Dragon, the Sydney Roosters, the New Zealand Warriors and the Brisbane Broncos.
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