Roosters winger Brydie Parker’s decision to switch codes pays off
BRYDIE Parker always wanted to play rugby league but only got her chance when the NRLW was announced. Now she’s lining up for the Roosters in the inaugural grand final.
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THE Parkers from Muswellbrook play rugby league.
Dad does. His two sons do. But his daughter didn’t. She would have if she could, but there was nowhere for a young girl to play.
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So Brydie Parker took up rugby union, a strange move in such a passionate rugby league household, but a good decision in the end.
She succeeded. She won gold with the Australian girls team at the Youth Commonwealth Games last year (alongside St George Illawarra player Hannah Southwell) and she featured in last year’s Aon Uni 7s competition with Bond University.
But when NRLW was announced, Parker wanted in.
“I’ve come from rugby sevens, done the length with that,” Parker said.
“I thought I’d give rugby league a crack because I’ve grown up with rugby league in my family with my brothers and father both playing, so it was nothing unfamiliar.
“It was very random of me to go into rugby union but it was more an opportunity that was there and rugby league wasn’t, living in my home town of Muswellbrook.
“Then this opportunity arose and I thought, ‘I’ve got to jump straight onto that’.”
Parker wasn’t in the rugby league pathways and so she had to take the harder road to an NRLW contract by attending the talent ID days at the start of June.
Not a known name in rugby league circles meant she had to put everything into the combine to catch the eye of club recruitment managers.
A couple of days in which participants were put through their paces on skills, drills and fitness, Parker impressed in spades.
By the end the Roosters had decided to offer her a contract. She also had approaches from Brisbane and the Dragons.
It was a tough choice, but she saw the team the Roosters were building and trusted her instinct.
Now she is preparing to take her place on the wing for the Tri-Colours in this Sunday’s decider.
“When I was getting approached by different clubs, my heart said Roosters because of the amount of talent that I had around me,” Parker said.
“I didn’t expect to get a run. I was happy to be a part of the squad and learn so much; I knew I was with the enormous amount of talent around me.
“Just to get a game and be able to play with them is a bonus within itself.”
Parker made her first appearance during the Roosters’ big 26-0 win over the Dragons last Saturday.
It was a crunch match. They needed the win to progress to the final but were also starting to feel the pressure of underperforming in the first two rounds.
Sharon McGrady dislocated her shoulder in their round two loss to the Broncos, giving Parker her chance and she didn’t disappoint, crossing for a try midway through the second half.
But it will be her defence that will be most important on Sunday up against Julia Robinson — another sevens convert — who has been one of the form players of the competition and leads the league with 19 tackle-breaks.
Win, lose or draw, however, she’s happy with her decision to switch to the family passion of rugby league.
“That’s such a good feeling. Everyone is going to be there (Sunday) so it’s going to be even more unreal.”
“I think the opportunities that I’ve been given with rugby league at the moment, I’m really enjoying what I’ve been offered.
“The Roosters, there’s this family there looking after us so well. I want to take every opportunity that is given to me with rugby league.”
The Parkers will all be there on Sunday cheering her on and quite possibly for many years to come.