Jamie Soward’s NRLW squad was dealt a huge boost during the week with standout fullback Teagan Berry agreeing to a contract extension that will see her remain at the club until at least the end of the 2025 season.
A switch to fullback has sparked a breakout year for the 21-year-old who currently leads the premiership in tries scored (10), runs (171), and run metres (1,787) whilst also sitting top three in tackle breaks and line breaks.
Having made the move from South West Rocks to Shellharbour as a teenager to link up with the Dragons pathways, Berry is thrilled to know that her Red V legacy will continue to be crafted in the coming years.
“It’s obviously exciting,” Berry said.
“It’s good to have that junior pathway and to stay at the club for another two years means a lot to me… I’m just having a lot of fun playing footy.”
'To stay for another two years, I'm really excited': Berry thrilled to extend Red V stay
Berry has faith in the direction that the club is heading thanks in large part to Soward’s stewardship, and the waves of young talent being produced by the pathways system.
“When Sowie re-signed, I definitely wanted to re-sign as well. He’s been a big impact for me, and he’s brought me into the fullback role. It means a lot to me,” she said.
“I feel like we’ve got heaps of juniors coming through Tarsha Gale and even Lisa Fiaola, so it’s going to be good for the next generation.”
The shift from the wing to fullback has worked wonders for Berry, who has been rewarded with nod in the Prime Minister’s XIII, despite a level of initial self-doubt.
“I’ve always wanted to play fullback and I wasn’t sure if I could actually do it, but obviously Sowie’s had a lot of faith in me, so that has also been awesome,”
“I feel like I’m still learning a lot, especially in defence, but, my attack, I’m happy with that.”
She has also enjoyed the experience of playing alongside a halves pairing consisting of offseason recruits Raecene McGregor and Tyla Nathan-Wong.
“They bring great leadership; they’re captain and vice-captain for a reason,” she said.
“I’ve learnt a lot from them already this season and, hopefully, we can keep on building in the next couple of years.”
Soward said that he was “very happy” that the Dragons were able to fend off external interest and keep Berry at the club.
“She’s been such an important member of our squad the first couple of years that I’ve been here,” Soward said.
“To see her transformation going from wing to fullback this year, I couldn’t be any prouder of her and her call-up to the Prime Minister’s XIII as well is a huge wrap for her and the season that she’s had… I’ve loved working with her and the fact that she turned away a couple of other big clubs to stay here because she believes in what we’re doing here is a huge coup for the club.”
