How Rising Sydney Roosters Ace Found Her Way to the NRLW

After being banished from playing touch football due to her physicality, rising Sydney Roosters prop Eliza Lopamaua admits that she stumbled into rugby league almost by accident.

As she aims to add impact for the Roosters from the bench in the NRLW grand final against her hometown team, Brisbane, the front-rower continues to assert her innocence regarding her previous dismissal from touch football.

"I was … more of a touch football girl … but I was spending too much of my time on the sideline," Lopamaua recalled, reflecting on her earlier experiences in sports.

"I was really tall and lean when I was younger and when I played against girls my age there was a height and weight difference, and they classed me as too aggressive," she explained.

"I would have to play up an age group, so it got to the point where I was asked to play a footy trial and that's where I fell in love with it," she shared about her transition.

Expressing her enthusiasm for the sport, Lopamaua said, "The contact, having the ball and running it straight at people is so fun. I love coming off the back fence, that's probably my favourite thing."

She attributes her affinity for physicality to her upbringing in Logan, surrounded by five brothers.

Recognizing her potential, the Roosters flew the 20-year-old from Brisbane each weekend to compete on their junior team while she was still attending Woodridge State High School.