HITTING LEAGUE WITH A THUD
RUGBY league debutant Chloe Saddler will take considerable pedigree into Tweed’s maiden match in the South East Queensland division one competition tomorrow night.
The 19-year-old’s late grandfather Ron Saddler was a top level player in the 1960s and early 70s, lining up in the centres for Eastern Suburbs and becoming the first indigenous player to captain NSW.
He was also selected for an Australian tour.
Fast forward to now and Chloe is set to make the footy debut she has long dreamt of.
Her sporting background revolves around hockey and touch football but she has forever had an eye on the 13-aside code, having watched her father play each Sunday for the Murwillumbah Mustangs and keenly followed the Jillaroos.
“I’ve always wanted to play ever since I was little,” she said. “I would be harassing Mum, ‘I want to play league’, but I just never got the chance and then I heard about this and I thought it was a great opportunity.”
That chance revolved around Tweed launching a women’s program led by Kiwi Ferns coach Kelvin Wright.
“It’s good. Being new, coming under Kelvin he has obviously had a lot of experience and just to get that guidance, just to show you everything like how to tackle properly so you don’t get hurt,” Saddler said.
“It was challenging at first. The fitness was definitely challenging but as the weeks went on it just got so much easier.
“Learning all of the new stuff, you just pick up on it so quickly because it is so similar (to touch) but yet it is so different.”
Her Round 1 teammates for the away clash with Easts will include CJ Sims and ex-Burleigh stalwart Josina Singapu.
Saddler has been selected to display her touch footy ball skills at five-eighth, with Tarryn Aiken winning the halfback jersey after impressing in pre-season trials.
Perhaps the two most nervous people at Langlands Park though will be her parents in the crowd: “They just don’t want to see me get hurt,” she laughed.
Saddler added her grandfather’s decorated league career was regularly celebrated during her upbringing.
“Just growing up and seeing pop, like we knew of his achievements and were really proud of what he has done,” she said.