The NSW Rugby League Board has approved the appointment of two highly-credentialled True Blues to join Westpac NSW Sky Blues Head Coach Kylie Hilder as Assistant Coaches for the 2024 Ampol Women's State of Origin series.
NRLW Assistant Coach and Harvey Norman NSW Women’s Premiership Head Coach at Cronulla-Sutherland, Ruan Sims OAM, returns as one of Hilder’s assistants for a third consecutive year.
Hilder has also brought in True Blue and former Jillaroos co-captain, Sam Bremner, as her other Assistant Coach and blue-shirt trainer.
Bremner retired in January 2023 after a stellar playing career from 2011-22, where she also juggled competing in three World Cups with starting a family.
She has completed her NRL Coaching Certificate and will be on the sideline for Game One at Suncorp Stadium on Thursday 16 May.
“I wanted Sammy in my coaching team as she only recently left the game, and she reached such great heights in her time with Rugby League,” Hilder said.
“She was known for her football intelligence just as much as for her skills and acceleration.”
Hilder has also brought in former Sydney Roosters, Wests Tigers, and Fiji Bati High Performance chief, Tom Watkins, as Head Trainer and conditioner and former Wallaroos rugby union team’s Head Physiotherapist, Kylie Baldwin.
“It’s a three-game series for the first time for the women and we will be making sure the Westpac NSW Sky Blues squad are in peak fitness for that longer campaign,” Hilder said.
Game Two will be at Newcastle’s McDonald Jones Stadium on Thursday 6 June, with Game Three at Townsville’s Queensland Country Bank Stadium on Thursday 27 June.
A 35-member squad has been training twice a week for the past two months at the NSWRL Centre of Excellence – some players making the trek back to Sydney from their BMD Premiership teams in the QRL’s current women’s competition in Brisbane. The NSWRL’s Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership has been moved to coincide with the NRLW starting in July.
“Some of our squad is playing up in Queensland and others are doing training at their NRLW clubs, but all of them have been given training programs and KPIs by the NSW Origin staff that they have to meet,” Hilder said.
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