Sacrifices pay off as Economos swaps hockey for rugby league

From snow in Goulburn to a week in Fiji with the Prime Minister's XIII team in less than a month, it's been a rapid rise for Samantha Economos.

"This is a very big change," Economos said of the changes in climate and situation she now finds herself in.

The humidity in Suva ranges from 75-90 per cent on most days in Fiji, a far cry from the winter temperature regularly dipping below zero at her home, some 90km from Canberra.

Due to her previous sporting endeavours, different conditions are nothing new for Economos.

Economos, with the help from parents Kim and Tim, has travelled across Australia, South Africa and Europe for most of her sporting career as a hockey player.

She still plays, but only last season discovered rugby league. 

"Growing up, financially, I didn't work that much so mum and dad footed the bill for a lot of my hockey trips," Economos tells NRL.com.

"I can't even explain how much they've sacrificed to allow me to play different types of sport.

"I have two older brothers who played [league] and I was always dragged around to their games so have always wanted to play.

"Dad wasn't too keen on me playing at first but I joined up in the local Canberra competition last year but after that I wanted to get into a more professional outfit."

Economos caught the eye of Elite Female Pathways manager Jamie Feeney and he encouraged her to join Canterbury in the NSW Harvey Norman Women's Premiership in 2019. 

The catch was to commit to between three to four trips of up to six hours in the car to Sydney each week for training and games.

"It was a big commitment but I learned so much playing with and against girls of a higher calibre," Economos said.

"There's so much support around in the women's game which is really good."

It's safe to say Economos' commitment is paying off. 

Her inclusion in the PM's XIII team for their maiden clash against Fiji Bulikula will be her first representative jersey. 

She also got a first-look experience at some high schools near Suva as part of the NRL Community's key message throughout the PM's XIII trip around violence against women and children. 

"I can relate to hardships with the students – obviously different circumstances but it was amazing to learn a bit about their culture and how they learn," Economos said. 

"This week means so much to me, pretty much everything. I've put in a lot of training and work to be here. My parents are also coming over for the game. 

"As a team, we've bonded really well and it's a great pathway to see where a lot of the girls can go from here."