Bulldogs great Rod Silva’s relationship with the NRLW is one many fans can relate to, but it is also one that Ruan Sims admits has helped changed the perception of the game.
Since the first season in 2018, the league has expanded from four to 12 teams, seen a pool of talent transition from rival codes and the inclusion of a Magic Round to the draw.
Each year the interest in the league continues to grow, with the 2024 season reaching over eight million viewers and participation rates growing 14 per cent, according to the NRL.
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But support for the game has not always been as obvious as it is now.
Silva’s daughter Marlee, a sideline commentator for the NRLW on Nine, revealed her father was among the many who was “a little bit resistant” to the league’s establishment. To the point both Marlee and her sister weren’t allowed to play rugby league as kids.
Yet the premiership-winning fullback is now a passionate fan of the women’s game.
“In the lead up to this one, I have been very public about the fact that dad wasn’t always a big fan of the NRLW,” Marlee revealed on Wide World of Sports’ NRLW Weekly.
Rod Silva in action for the Bulldogs during a NRL Final Series in 1998. Getty
“He was a little bit resistant to it. My sister and I weren’t allowed to play footy growing up for that reason. But he has just completely turned a new leaf and loves it.
“He honestly watches it more than the men’s game when the season is on because he loves the style of footy.”
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Sims, a former Jillaroos captain, admitted Silva’s story is not an uncommon tale that she has heard throughout her career and the development of the women’s game.
“I think you’ll find that is not an unusual story,” she said.
“And I’m OK with that because they then start judging the game on its own merit.
“The opinions are then turned around because of the merit, the passion that the girls play with and the skill. I think it draws in and captures an audience that were previously quite resistant to it. That is the beauty of our game, that it has that ability to do that.”
Reflecting on her own experiences watching the NRLW, Marlee admitted that like league stars Tayla Preston and Holli Wheeler she too “wanted to be a Bulldog” growing up.
Now her childhood aspirations have become a promising reality for the next generation.
“It was a very emotional (game) for me,” Marlee said of her work on the sidelines at the Bulldogs inaugural NRLW match against the Knights last Friday.
“You’re finally seeing that as an avenue to young girls who aspire to be (a Bulldog). I can imagine why that is so emotional,” Sims interjected.
Marlee added: “It was so special. The whole environment was so joyous.
“Forget the fact they were brilliant with the ball, the inspiration that they now provide for those young girls growing up loving the Dogs. They now know they can do that.”
The Bulldogs celebrate a try to Moana Courtenay. Getty
The investment of companies into the women’s game was praised by Sims, who recognised their impact has also assisted in helping lift exposure for the game.
“There hasn’t been a lot of investment in women’s sport over the years but the reason that we are seeing it spike so quickly is because the talent has always been there but now the business sense has kicked in,” Sims continued.
“There is money coming in, there are companies investing that never previously had an avenue to invest in these kinds of sports.
“That’s why we are seeing it grow so quickly which is so exciting to see.”
Marlee concluded; “What we see out on the field with the growth of the game, the talent and the like has really had a positive impact on the mindset of the average footy fan and what they believe are the capabilities of women”.
