A star is born. Emma Lawrence’s NRL debut match call on Triple M has been hailed an enormous success and will lead to further opportunities behind the microphone. Lawrence became the first female play-by-play commentator to call an NRL game when she described the Sharks-Dolphins clash on Saturday night alongside former Bulldogs five-eighth Josh Reynolds.
After being the subject of some criticism and labelled a “diversity hire” by ill-informed trolls, Lawrence delivered a near word-perfect call to win over the audience. She combined knowledge, excitement, humour and colour to nail her assignment despite the nerves and heavy expectation.
Emma Lawrence’s (R) historic NRL call of the Dolphins’ victory over the Sharks for Triple M radio has been hailed around the league world. Pic: Getty/Triple M
Former NRL players Reynolds, Aaron Woods, Justin Horo and Mark Geyer were among those to shower praise on the mother-of-one, showing their love via Lawrence’s Instagram page. Olympians Alicia Quirk, Chloe Dalton and Giaan Rooney added their support, while fellow broadcasters Allana Ferguson, Ben Fordham, Kelli Underwood, Yvonne Sampson and Sam Squiers all offered their congratulations.
Triple M was delighted with the response to Lawrence’s debut and confirmed she would be heard on a regular basis throughout the 2026 season. The station’s Head of Sport Content, Ewan Giles, told Yahoo Sport Australia: “Emma thoroughly impressed in Saturday night’s call.
“She nailed the big moments and we look forward to getting her back in the caller’s chair for Triple M throughout the season. Emma stepping into the play-by-play call team is a no-brainer. Emma is one of the sharpest broadcasters in rugby league and is prepared, instinctive, and respected across the industry, and this opportunity reflects how highly regarded she is at Triple M.”
Emma Lawrence thrilled after special slice of NRL history
Lawrence, the sister of former Wests Tigers forward Chris Lawrence, put in hours of preparation ahead of her first call, working under – and taking guidance from – Triple M’s chief caller, Dan Ginnane. A regular on Channel 9’s NRL coverage for several years and part of the Triple M team since 2017, Lawrence revealed the amount of work that has gone into her new role.
Channel Nine star Emma Lawrence is seen here with NRL legend Andrew Johns during the TV network’s rugby league coverage. Pic: Getty
(Matt Blyth via Getty Images)
“I’m excited. I started seriously thinking about it five-years ago and how cool it would be one day to do this,” she told The Daily Telegraph.
“I knew it would take a lot of practice, but I was working seven days a week and if I was to do this, I needed to work hard on my voice and so that’s what I’ve been doing. I back my knowledge and my understanding of the game, but I have invested significant time into voice training and now I believe I’m ready for this next step.”