BY KEVIN TEME
PNG Oil Search Orchids Captain Elsie Albert has set history to be a first Papua New Guinea local woman to crack into the top Women’s rugby league competition in Australia.
Apart from Albert, overseas based Amelia Kuk made the lime light playing for the Brisbane Broncos and later played for the Aussie Roos (the Australian Women’s national rugby league team).
For the Pangia lass, her dream of playing overseas came through straight after leading the Orchids 20-16 over English (England) women in November last year and was signed up by the Souths Logan Magpies in the Holcim Cup in Brisbane.
Albert is among four PNG women including Therese Aiton, Amelia Kuk and Yvonne Dela Cruze all current Orchids players signed by Magpies in the season 2020 Holcim Cup.
The other notable PNG Orchid player is Gemma Schnaubelt playing for last year’s champion team, the West Brisbane Panthers.
In an exclusive interview in Brisbane today, Albert confirmed that they were three Australian women’s National Rugby League teams contacting her including New Zealand Warriors, Brisbane Broncos and St George Illawarra Dragons.
Despite the COVID-19 which nearly shattered Albert’s dream, she was able to extend her visa to complete her season with the Magpies.
Holcim Cup competition being one of the avenue for top NRL scouts, Albert’s performance week in and week out proved a handful and this has paved her way to be scouted by various NRL clubs.
It is certain that the Pangia lass from Southern Highlands will sign up with the St George Illawarra Dragons.
Although it’s not official as yet, sources within her team members confirmed that she has signed with one of the NRL clubs.
This is certainly a dream come true for her given her short One year stint With the Magpies.
Albert when contacted today said she was shocked when she received the phone calls but didn’t want to break the news as it wasn’t yet official.
She said her visa was another obstacle and could not say much when this paper asked to confirm her signing with the Dragons.
However just today (yesterday), Albert received a call from the Foreign Affairs and Immigration department that her bridging visa was approved.
“ I just want to thank the good Lord almighty for listening to my prayers. I was worried that I will not be given a visa after I over stayed my visa due to Covid-19,” Albert said.
Despite battling to get her visa sorted out, Albert stood out in every game for the Magpies scoring tries in every game she played.
Her devastating form as well as a blistering form from her PNG play mates including Aiton, Kuk and Cruze made it also possible for the Magpies to go into the grand final this Saturday (tomorrow). Bears has won two of the three outing against the Magpies and will be out in full force to keep their dominance over the Magpies who proved all critics wrong to make the grand final this year.
For Albert, it’s a icing on the cake for her career given the fact she had never played a normal rugby league competition back in PNG.
Her call up to the Dragons is a boost also for her as she prepares to lead the Magpies into the grand final tomorrow.
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