Renouf: Why Brisbane's NRLW side is something to celebrate

In honour of Women In League round this week and with the NRLW season coming up, I wanted to pay tribute to the wonderful job Brisbane's women's team have done in just a few short years.

Like any rugby league player, there were plenty of women who had a big influence on my career. Probably the first was my older sister Debbie.

I was taken to by my sister to my first game of rugby league when I was a kid. I've got a pretty big family and my mum wasn't really into footy so Debbie took me.

I was nine years old playing in the under 10s and I really wanted to play rugby league. It was a little bit late to start playing footy, especially growing up in Murgon.

It was a very significant moment in my life, I went up there and thought 'I like this game', I got a couple of tries and never looked look back.

That's always been a poignant moment in my career and it's something we still talk about that to this day.

I was lucky enough to have a lot of great times with the Broncos and while the men's team is having a few struggles at the moment, the NRLW side has gone from strength to strength.

What they've done winning three titles in a row is a special achievement.

They've got their mainstays like All Brigginshaw but they've recruited really well along the way. Tamika Upton and Tallisha Harden have come in and they're local girls as well and they all play for Queensland together.

They've been coached well by Kelvin Wright and the players who are new in that arena, it's like they've been sucking up all this information and sticking to it to make a really good team.

They've got a good mix there and they all play for each other as well.

They're well structured and can stick to their tasks. That discipline is what needs to happen in a good team.

They can play off-the-cuff footy as well but when you've got something to fall back on and do it at the right times you become an elite outfit.

There has definitely been good cut-through with the community in Brisbane as well, with their success and the fact they play a good brand of footy.

I look forward to watching the girls play and knowing they're a good chance every time they run out.

It's a good thing the NRLW is expanding this year. Going from four teams to six will be a real positive for the game, but it's also been nice to see Brisbane keep a lot of their mainstays together to keep building around.

With the spreading around of talent in different teams, they really want the competition to survive which is a big commitment with a lot of the girls who had to move to other clubs.

They're recruited a few new players and I think with their structures and Ali still being there to direct them around, they will still will be the team to beat on grand final day again.

The views in this article do not necessarily express the opinions of the NRL, ARL Commission, NRL clubs or state associations.