Gutsy Fressard earns her degree in middle management

When Teagan Berry made her Origin debut in Game One in Newcastle many didn’t notice that the player she replaced – two-time premiership winner Jayme Fressard – stayed on the field. 

“Yes indeed, going from wing to middle is a very different combination,” Fressard told NRL.com as the Westpac NSW Blues prepare for Game Three at Cbus Stadium.

"Honestly, I don’t think anyone has done it before. I even played prop out there. 
Obviously I take some courage out of yardage and I’m not afraid to get in front of the big bodies. 

“With a bit of footwork and speed I try to run amok in the middle and have some fun getting my hands on the ball more often.” 

Fressard played centre in the Broncos' 2020 premiership win, and then on the wing for the Roosters in their 2024 triumph. 

“I’ve played a little in the middle last year with the Roosters playing one or two games in there but it was never a plan in the six-week prep before we came into Origin camp,” she said. 

“But Strangey (coach John Strange) and the way his mind works thought, ‘Why don’t we try it here?’ and chucked me in there. 

“I’m not afraid to put my body on the line and have a go. 

“I’m not the biggest body but the last couple of years I’ve really developed my strength in the gym in the off-season and then use that on the field.” 

Fressard is yet to score a try in the middle – her four in five games since makingher debut in Game One 2025 have been out on the wing. 

Her fiery nature means it might not be long before she crashed over near the posts. 

“I’ve always been passionate and competitive when it comes to sport, maybe a little aggression too, but I try to channel that in the right ways," she said.

Fressard has also been using her football knowledge to guide the Roosters Lisa Fiaola Cup (Under 17s) team for the past two seasons – they made both the 2025 and 2026 grand finals but are yet to hoist the trophy. 

From that experience she finds coaching has helped her own game awareness. 

“Understanding different roles is good for my coaching so that’s why playing wing and then in the middle helps me learn about positions,” she said. 

“I’m not just an outside back when I coach. I’ve got to work with the middles, the halves, the back-rowers. 

“So when I question my players about why they are doing something, they know I’ve been there and done that myself. 

“I think playing has made be a better coach and coaching makes me a better player. It’s a little of both.”