The NSW Blues will have a self-described cowgirl in their ranks when they try to rope in Queensland at Suncorp Stadium on Thursday night.
Ellie Johnston, from the tiny bush town of Coomba Park near Foster, has been riding horses all her life and competes in events such as rodeos and showjumping in the off season.
“I’m a bush girl – a cowgirl – and love my horses almost as much as I love my footy,” the Cronulla Sharks prop told Wide World of Sports.
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Ellie Johnston campdrafting. Supplied
“We live on a farm so my parents look after my horses when I’m not around, which is lucky for me.”
The 24-year-old forward has had a long and frustrating wait for her Blues debut at Suncorp.
She was named on the extended bench four times in 2023 and 2024 before being cut before the game, so is desperate to run out onto the field with her teammates.
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Blues debutant Ellie Johnston in action during a rodeo. Supplied
“I’ve had to be patient and I’m a little nervous – it will be the biggest game I have ever played,” she said.
“But I have been in two grand finals in the NRLW so I kind of know what to expect.
“Being in the middle is a real tussle – I like to call it the washing machine.”
Ellie Johnston poses during a NSW Blues women’s State of Origin media opportunity. Getty
The strongly-built 109kg prop has a part-time job as a support worker and combines that with her football at the Sharks.
Johnston is cagey about what her role will be in the big game.
“(Coach) John Strange has picked me for a reason,” she said.
“Obviously I have to make the hard yards and do my tackles first of all but after that, you never know what to expect.”
