How Berry emerged from 'dark place' to secure NSW debut
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NSW debutante Teagan Berry has revealed she considered walking away from rugby league at the end of last year after failing out of love with the sport.
A junior star who burst onto the scene as an 18-year-old in 2020, Berry’s career had started to stall in the past couple of years.
The representative honours she seemed destined to achieve had eluded the fullback’s grasp as she battled away in a struggling Dragons side.
Blues announce squad for Origin 2026
Talking ahead of her State of Origin debut in Thursday’s series opener in Newcastle, the 23-year-old revealed she was in a dark place mentally throughout the final months of last year.
“Towards the end of last season I didn’t enjoy footy that much and I was thinking about walking away from the game,” Berry said. “I wasn’t enjoying it and I didn’t find it fun coming to training.
“It took a lot from my family and my partner to really change that for me.
“My partner got me out of a dark place at the start of the year. He’s been my motivation through this. My family’s my motivation to keep going, to make them proud is all I play football for.”
Match: Blues Women v Maroons
Game 1 -
home Team
Blues Women
away Team
Maroons
Venue: McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
A lightning-quick outside back from Oak Flats, Berry is the latest in a long line of rugby league stars to grow up in the Illawarra.
The fullback burst on to the scene in 2019 when she led the Steelers to a Tarsha Gale Cup premiership.
Berry went viral soon after with a length of the field try for NSW in the Under 18 State of Origin match and instantly became a household name.
Berry goes 100m for the opener
By the end of 2020, the fullback had made her NRLW debut for the Dragons and a successful career seemingly awaited.
“I first saw her playing for the Shellharbour Stingrays,” NSW teammate and fellow Illawarra product Keeley Nizza said. “I’d always go and watch her play Tarsha Gale Cup and she’d carve up.
“I specifically remember her Dragons debut. She was on the wing and she scored a sneaky try from dummy half. It was a barge over where she just backed herself.
“To have the guts to do that at 18 is crazy. I remember thinking from that moment that’s her mindset. She’s competitive but she backs herself, which is so important in the positions she plays.”
It didn’t take long for Berry to pop up on the radar of NSW coaches and she found herself in and around the Blues squad throughout the past few years.
A debut, however, didn’t eventuate and the youngster started to fear she would never represent her state.
Raw conversations with her family and partner inspired Berry to have one last crack at achieving her rugby league dreams and the decision has immediately paid dividends.
All gas no brakes as Berry gets two from long range
The outside back has earned the chance to perform on Australian rugby league’s biggest stage when she runs on to McDonald Jones Stadium on Thursday night.
It marks a far cry from where she was just a few months ago and Berry is determined to make the most of the opportunity.
“I’m still pinching myself,” Berry said. “It’s been a long time coming. I’ve been 20th man, 19th man, I’ve played Under 18s and Under 19s Origin but this jersey means more to me than anything. To get my debut now I’m extremely grateful.
“I wasn’t sure when I was going to get my chance, I’m 24 this year so I was like ‘I’m not sure if I’ll ever play Origin’. Now that I’m getting my opportunity, it is a dream come true.”
Having made the decision to play on, Berry entered the year determined to prove she has what it takes to star on the big stage.
Physically, the fullback has focused on bulking up and building the strength required to handle the rigours of the Origin arena.
Mentally, she has worked closely with Blues coach John Strange to identify what she needed to do to force her way into the team.
Teagan on top
The mindset shift was quickly noticed by Berry’s NSW teammates throughout a six-week training block leading into Thursday’s game, Nizza praising the youngster for her performances in a series of internal trials.
“She’s been pushing to be in the team and then this year she was just outstanding in the last trial,” Nizza said. “She really pushed her way into the team.
“It’s unreal to see her get an opportunity and Origin is a game she’ll thrive in. She loves big moments and is one of those players that gets herself in the position to have big moments.
“It’s great having her on the bench, it’s exciting to know we’ve got a weapon sitting there and the potential ways she could be used.”
Berry could be forgiven for being satisfied to have finally made the NSW team but the fullback nicknamed ‘Flash’ has no plans to slow down.
Teagan Berry Try
Instead, the youngster is determined to use this experience as a platform for a big year.
The short-term focus is on playing her role off the bench for the Blues throughout the series, before the NRLW season kicks off and the year eventually finishes with a World Cup.
“I want to soak it all in this week,” Berry said. “I’m going to keep learning and soak it all in. When I get to the game I’ll be present in the moment and take the opportunity when it comes.”
Tickets to Game One of the Women's State of Origin series are selling fast. Get your tickets now to witness history live at McDonald Jones Stadium.
