Dragons secure Albert – The National

**Papua New Guinea Orchids captain and Souths Logan Magpies prop Elsie Albert taking on the West Brisbane Panthers defence in round three of the Holcim Cup at Pizzey Park in Queensland.**

WATCHING Steph Hancock lead the Jillaroos (Australia’s national women’s rugby league team) to glory at the 2017 World Cup helped inspire Papua New Guinea Orchids captain Elsie Albert and now the pair are set to embark on a 1,000km road trip together to join St George Illawarra for the upcoming National Rugby League Women’s (NRLW) season.
Albert, Hancock and Jillaroos teammate Isabelle Kelly, tri-international Mahalia Murphy and fellow Wallaroos and rugby sevens representative Georgia Page are among the new faces in the Dragons squad, while inaugural captain Sam Bremner returns after taking last year off to give birth to her son, Reef.
The 22-man squad will assemble for the first time on Monday ahead of next weekend’s opening round, with Albert and Hancock driving from Brisbane on Sunday because of a ban on Telstra Women’s Premiership players catching commercial flights under the NRL’s bio-security rules.
Albert is the first player from the PNG domestic competition to be signed by an NRLW club and she moved to Brisbane this year with the aim of earning a contract after last season captaining the Orchids to an historic Test defeat of England in Port Moresby.

**From left: PNG and Souths Logan Magpies quartet Elsie Albert, Therese Aiton, Amelia Kuk and Shae De La Cruz. – Picture supplied**

After joining Souths Logan Magpies due to the presence of Australian-based Orchids stars Amelia Kuk, Therese Aiton and Shae De La Cruz, Albert got the opportunity to play alongside Hancock and she turned down other NRLW approaches to continue their front-row partnership in Wollongong.
“I did have a few decisions to make but I chose the Dragons because Steph also wanted to go there,” Albert told NRL.com.
“She is a role model. To me, she is one of the best props in the game and I look up to her.
“I’m just trying to imitate everything she does – her hard runs and tackles.
“The protocol is that we can’t fly so we are going by road on Sunday and we will be there by Monday.
“I am looking forward to meeting all the women. The Dragons have a good team there and I just want to be a part of that.
“It has been a goal of mine to get into the NRLW so it means a lot to me after coming all this way and leaving my family back home to get this opportunity.
“It is a dream come true for me.”
The 24-year-old only begun playing league in 2018 after watching the Orchids make their debut at the 2017 World Cup, in which Hancock, Ruan Sims and Renae Kunst co-captained Australia.
She had been forced to give away boxing due to a lack of heavyweight female opponents in PNG. “The World Cup was the first time I had realised that there was a women’s team in PNG,” Albert said.
“I never knew that girls played. I just loved the physicality – that is what drew me to the game.
“I started playing in 2018 when I attended university.
“To then be given the privilege of captaining the team was such an honour for me.”
Albert said she had watched St George Illawarra’s 2019 NRWL campaign, in which they made the grand final, and enjoyed the style the team played with the likes of Jess Sergis, Shakaih Tungai, Tiana Penitani, Maddie Studdon and Keeley Davis in the backline and Kezie Apps leading the forwards.
“I just hope I can bring some mongrel in defence,” she said.
“I just need to be me on the field and I think I should be able to provide a good platform for the backs to move freely.”
Dragons coach Daniel Lacey said Albert was an “out-and-out trailblazer for women’s sport in PNG”.
Meanwhile, Orchids chairman Ruth Waram said: “This is exciting news and all credit to Elsie for her determination and perseverance in getting this far, creating history and setting a precedent for women’s rugby league in PNG.
“Elsie started playing rugby league in 2018 when she was selected to represent the New Guinea Islands Confederate while playing for the University of Natural Resources and Environment team in the Kokopo Rugby league competition.”

Souths Logan Magpies prop and Papua New Guinea Orchids captain Elsie Albert taking on the Easts Tigers defence in round two of the Holcim Cup at Pathion Park in Brisbane. Albert scored a try in their 44-4 win. – QRLpics

Albert made her debut for PNG as Orchid No.30 against Fiji in Sydney last June. She was named captain for the two-Test series against visitors England last November. The Orchids lost the first Test in Goroka on Nov 9 but created history by winning the second in Port Moresby on Nov 16.
“Elsie is an exceptional leader and plays with passion,” Waram said.
“She is breaking new ground all the time, not only doing very well for herself but setting bench marks for women’s rugby league in PNG.
“We wish her all the best in her first WNRL season.’
PNG Rugby Football League chairman Sandis Tsaka said Albert’s signing was a testament to the growth of the women’s code in the country.
“This is encouraging and opens up avenues for our women and girls to play rugby league at this level,” he said.
“On behalf of PNGRFL and our people, I thank St George Illawarra for giving Albert this opportunity.”
Dragons: Elsie Albert, Kezie Apps, Shaylee Bent, Teagan Berry, Sam Bremner, Jaime Chapman, Keeley Davis, Jade Etherden, Aaliyah Fasavalu-Fa’amausili, Steph Hancock, Talei Holmes, Rikeya Horne, Ellie Johnston, Isabelle Kelly, Mahalia Murphy, Georgia Page, Christine Pauli, Tiana Penitani, Jessica Sergis, Maddie Studdon, Shakiah Tungai, Maddison Weatherall.