Mounties rising star Brooke Wilkins looks to lead charge towards Harvey Norman semi finals spot

Brooke Wilkins has enjoyed a meteoric rise in a short time since switching to rugby league, not letting an ACL set her back. Now the prolific winner is a key component to Mounties’ HNWP finals charge.

Brooke Wilkins of the Mounties Harvey Norman Women's Premiership side. Picture: Bryden Sharp - NSWRL

PRIOR to Covid, Brooke Wilkins had barely touched a footy.

Now the 22-year-old is looking to continue her incredible winning run when she lines up for Mounties in a do-or-die clash in the Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership on Saturday.

The young gun’s journey started just three years ago with Narellan in Group 6, where she played fullback in her team’s premiership win.

That led to an opportunity with Mounties, where she starred in the first full NSWRL conference season following Covid, captaining the side to a title.

She’s now graduated full-time to the Harvey Norman roster, mixing it with NRLW veterans and some of the games most progressive talents.

What makes her rise even more impressive is how quickly she’s been able to pick the game up, excelling in a team environment.

“I did athletics from 10 to 18. I competed in events like 400m hurdles, 800m and 1500m,” she said.
“I got a bit lost though. I needed something to do and just needed that change.

“Footy was something I always wanted to play, but my dad was scared of me getting hurt. Eventually I went down to my local club.

“In 2020 I played with the Narellan Jets and with the Great Southern Region in the Country Championships

“Athletics is so individual. Coming into a team sport you get that support from teammates and there’s always someone there to pick you up.”

Wilkins experienced that support first hand when she suffered her first major setback in her football journey, tearing an ACL in 2021 and forced to spend an extended period on the sidelines.

Brooke Wilkins captained Mounties to the NSWRL West Conference premiership last year. Picture: Contributed

At this stage she had the call up to the Harvey Norman squad, and was ready to take the next step.

“It was tough at first because I had only had been playing football for a year when it happened,” she said.
“Being with the Harvey girls, I kept showing up to training and wanted to come back strong.

“During that time injured I learnt so much on how to be a good teammate.”

Coming back midway through the 2022 season, Wilkins leadership was on full display as she captained Mounties take out the NSWRL West Conference in dominant fashion.

“That was a really good season,” she said.

“I came back halfway through the year after the ACL. I was always at training and talking to the girls.

“A few were new to football, and having a little bit of experience I wanted to be able to teach them something. We had a really good team.”

It’s led her to the biggest year of her career so far, locking down a spot in the HNWP and finding herself as a regular on the scoresheet.

A season-defining test awaits them this weekend against Canterbury, with a win by three or more points likely to qualify them for the finals.

“It’s been unreal with Mounties. It’s my third season with the club and I’ve got to play consistently this year,” she said.

“I’ve been working really hard to get here. It’s good to have some really good players on my edge to help us put points on the board.

“There’s a bit of pressure to win (this weekend), but I feel we can pull it out of the bag. Hopefully we can go out there and put a few points on. I’m confident enough we can get the job done.”

Originally published as Mounties rising star Brooke Wilkins looks to lead charge towards Harvey Norman semi finals spot