Star Titan Evania Isa’ako has shared more on her journey to return to play after having her baby and her surprise positional change, saying it was even harder than preparing to win an Olympic gold medal.
Missing all of last season to welcome baby Letti into her family, Isa’ako (nee Pelite) made her return to the field in Round 1 this year on the wing, but it wasn’t until her unexpected shift to the backrow in Round 2 that she has been able to find her feet after previously excelling at fullback.
After scaling the heights of the sporting world in rugby sevens and then being one of the first to make a successful transition to rugby league, Isa’ako shared how post-partum, it was “very tough” to feel comfortable getting back on the field.
With the changes in her body, a shift in playing weight and things taking more time to feel ready for the physical challenge, the 2016 Rio Olympics gold medal winner said it took time, understanding and some extra help from the team’s high performance staff to regain her confidence.
“Postpartum was hard, it was very, very hard,” Isa’ako said.
“I openly spoke to the team and I said I didn't think I'd be standing here at the start of pre-season with them playing.
“This felt harder (than preparing for the Olympics).
“It was just things you hadn't thought about before and I remember talking to a friend and saying ‘I don't understand why this feels so hard?’ and she sat me down and she said, ‘look when you've had so many injuries and when you're coming back from an injury you're focused on one thing’.
“She goes, ‘you're rehabbing your whole body, everything's changed, you're rehabbing your mind, rehabbing your body. You didn't just go and roll an ankle that you're rehabbing, it's not isolated, it's everything’.
“And the same with breastfeeding … you're trying to return to train while also navigating all these changes in your body as well, so it was really tough.
“There were some very dark days and days where I didn't think that I could return and I would be here.”
However, being able to have Letti with her every step of the way as she returned to has not only helped Isa’ako but the team as well, with coach Karyn Murphy saying it had been a special experience for the squad.
“Just with having little Letti around, it's something that I certainly haven't experienced and I didn't know how that would go to be fair,” Murphy said.
“During the year you're on the road a lot, but to watch the group and we've loved having Letti in our crew, we really have.
“We've got like 30 aunties to her now and we love her and love having her around us.”
As the team prepare to take down the Broncos for a place in the grand final, Isa’ako will be a key figure, with her versatility and big game experience.
Having been part of the Gold Coast’s run to the grand final against the Knights in 2023 where they ultimately came undone thanks to some Tamika Upton brilliance, Isa’ako said she had a special feeling about what her side could achieve this year.
“I can't really quite explain it, but I think the group of girls that we've had has been really special, and especially these young girls,” Isa’ako said.
“When I first came into it – I'd taken a year away and there's girls that were here last year that were new to the squad that I hadn't had much to do with – but being able to come into this environment … I watched their journey last year in NRLW.
“To now see how much they've grown and developed their game … there's just a really great feeling around the group of just bringing everyone along with you and everyone's playing their part this year and everyone's doing their job and it's a really special feeling.”
Match: Titans v Broncos
Finals Week 2 -
home Team
Titans
2nd Position
away Team
Broncos
3rd Position
Venue: Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL
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