Despite successfully completing all her firefighting training, one flame Lauren Brown could not put out was the one in her belly pushing her to play Origin again.
After taking time off from the game to focus on her off-field career, Brown has been recalled to the Queensland side and is set to play a key role from the bench, with coach Tahnee Norris citing her contribution in turning the Titans from wooden-spooners in 2022 to grand finalists last year.
“It's great to see her back after she spent a year with the firies last year, so to see her back in the mix is a really good opportunity for her to show what she did with the NRLW last year and she’s back in the mix this year,” Norris said.
“She has so many different skillsets and you saw that with the Titans last year, she played a number of different roles for them; she is the ultimate utility. She can play in so many different positions, whether it’s 13, 9, 7, outside back-rower; she can jump in anywhere, she’s such a good athlete.
“Whatever the situation presents, I think she’ll be there for us.”
Now almost 12 months out of the academy with Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, Brown has been able to juggle her work and her football and always had the goal of pulling on a Maroons jersey again firmly in her sights.
“It's been a whirlwind, and I can't believe it's been a year," Brown said.
“I graduated from the academy last June, so I've nearly been a year on shift and honestly, it's the best career ever, I'm so happy.
“I think I have a really good work-life-sport balance, which I think has helped me being able to manage everything.
“I sat on the sidelines while watching Origin as a fan last year and it just built that fire in my belly again watching it. I was so proud of the girls and how they all went.
“I felt it lit that fire to try and earn my way back into the squad because I knew it was going to be really, really hard.
“That was a big motivation throughout all my training, just trying to get back into that squad because it's so competitive. But both sides – footy and also the firies – are super flexible and understanding.
“For me, to pick firies in the first place was a big weigh up of me going ‘okay, I can do firies, that's a career until I'm 65 years old’. I'm at a point where I need to think about life after footy and I can't play footy until I'm 65 years old.
“So, it was a short-term pain for a long-term gain, essentially.
“It was really hard because Origin. Queensland's my favourite jersey to wear, so it was really hard withdrawing from the BMD Premiership and from selection last year. But now, I've got a career after footy and during footy that that I absolutely love and I wouldn't change my decision looking back.”
The fact that the opening game of this year’s historic three-game series was being played at Suncorp Stadium, the site for many memorable Origin moments in the men’s game was another major motivation, with Brown’s admiration for Queensland legend Darren Lockyer no secret.
“To play an Origin at Suncorp is mind blowing, same field as Lockyer,” Brown said with a laugh.
“How many iconic series Queensland have won at Suncorp? It's cool to be a part of that history.
“Not that the girls need any extra motivation, but the fact that it's at Suncorp, the first game of the series, the night before Magic Round; footy fever’s in the air – I'm frothing. Everyone would just be frothing to play.
“I know it will be a good crowd there at Suncorp with a bunch of Queensland legends ready to cheer us on.”
Match: Maroons v Sky Blues
Game 1 -
home Team
Maroons
away Team
Sky Blues
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
