Sam Bremner made a shock NRLW comeback without any pre-season training and has already announced her next trailblazing move, but before returning to retirement she aims to win a premiership with Sydney Roosters.
Bremner, who hadn’t played since leading the Jillaroos to World Cup glory in 2022, answered an SOS from Roosters coach John Strange after Corban Baxter suffered a season ending ACL injury just a week before the NRLW kicked off.
The 32-year-old mother of three spent last year commentating and will transition into the newly created Female Football Manager’s role at the Dragons after the 2024 season ends but for now her focus is beating the Knights on Sunday.
“It’s very hard to get the adrenaline rush outside of football, so I just make sure I enjoy it all and live it up.” Bremner said ahead of the semi-final at Allianz Stadium.
“This season has been super different, to be honest. There was no pre-season training for me whatsoever.
“Having a year off with no intensions to play football gives you a great perspective I think of life outside of footy and you just come back with a different energy to just enjoy your football.
“I love being around my friends which is probably the main reason why I came back.
"I just like playing football and I like being with my mates and you just don’t know when it is going to be your last game, so I just sort of am enjoying every moment.”
The star fullback showed in last weekend’s defeat of the Eels that she is still more than capable of playing at the highest level as she scored two tries and led the Roosters in the absence of injured captain Isabelle Kelly.
Bremner is in rare form
Team-mates, such as 23-year-old second-rower Olivia Kernick, are in awe of Bremner and view her as a role model.
“She didn’t even get one week of pre-season in, so you know she just came straight into the games, but she is just outstanding,” Kernick told NRL.com.
“She is an athlete, and for someone who can have three kids, not do any footy last year, and not even do a pre-season and just look like she hasn’t even skipped a beat, I think it is absolutely unreal.
“She is such a great leader, and she is so good to have out there on the field, especially when Issy went down she really stepped up and really just owned her position at fullback and just played with a lot of confidence.”
Bremner has been a pioneer of the game, turning down approaches to play Rugby 7s before the formation of the NRLW in 2018, taking time off for the birth of three children and returning as good as ever.
Bremner: I’ll make my own rules
Her on-field accomplishments, which include nine Tests for Australia, including three successful World Cup campaigns, and seven Origin appearances for NSW, are similarly remarkable.
Honoured as Dragons player No.1 in 2018, Bremner is now set to become the first NRLW player to step into an off-field management role and will start work with the club as soon as her commitments with the Roosters finish.
“I want to keep moving this game forward. I love it a lot,” Bremner said.
“It’s not so much I don’t want to be on the football field as a player, but my life has changed outside of football so I don’t see myself playing again, but I definitely see myself wanting to still be involved and do what I can for this game.
“That is the best thing about football and that is why I love it so much because we get to all be involved in it, but we also get to be a part of the evolution of it.
“I play with so much pride and it’s not because of what I am physically doing on the field; it’s because I’ve just seen where the game has come from in such a short amount of time.
“I am super proud of the females that have played before me and I’m super proud of the young talent coming through that are going to get such an amazing opportunity to play the best game of rugby league in such a format and hopefully one day getting paid full time.
“I’m just so proud to be a part of that. I won’t be here when it is a fulltime profession, but ill absolutely be in the stands cheering with so much pride.”
