Roosters fullback Sam Bremner has almost done it all.
She’s won a World Cup with the Jillaroos, a State of Origin series with NSW, and she’s had three children while doing it. But the one thing missing on her resume is an NRLW premiership.
Sam Bremner (left) with teammate Keeley Davis after winning their NRLW semi-final against the Knights.Credit: NRL Images
It’s also the one goal Bremner had accepted would remain beyond her, having retired after three previous seasons in the NRLW in 2018, 2020 and 2022. But then Roosters fullback Corban Baxter went down with an ACL injury – and coach John Strange picked up the phone to the veteran No. 1.
“When ‘Strangey’ called me and asked me if I would come back, it was a no from me,” Bremner says. “I was just so happy doing what I was doing, and happy with how I left my career at the World Cup.
“I said [to Strange], I’ll have a think about it, I’ll call you in the morning. He’s like, ‘Well, we need to know pretty quickly’, and I was like, ‘Yeah, I’ll call you in the morning’. So then my husband [Wayne] comes home, and he puts a real positive spin on everything, and he’s like, ‘I get that you feel like you’ve done everything you possibly can, but have you won a premiership?’
“And he knew the answer to that. I was like, ‘No, I haven’t’. He’s like, ‘Well, you’re at a good chance, and all your best mates are there, and this could be it, this could really make you have done it all’. And so that was sort of like the thing, go back and play with my best mates – and now here I am in grand final week. It’s pretty good.”
With two crucial tries, Bremner was an integral part of the 25-16 victory against Newcastle in the semi-final last Sunday, and will make her first NRLW grand final appearance when the Roosters take on the Sharks for the premiership on Sunday.
“If I’m really honest with you guys, it took me four rounds to really get this hunger in my belly, and that’s just a mindset thing for me,” Bremner said. “In my mindset, I was sort of going in here with, ‘I’m a replacement’.