It was difficult to see him on the sidelines after he had done so much for the team throughout the year, Mrs Widdop told the Mercury.

With the Dragons now out of the running for the premiership, the Wollongong WAG said there was still the Dally M Awards to look forward to.

This week Widdop met with celebrity stylist and former Edmond Rice student Donny Galella who was organising the perfect red carpet outfit for her along with a number of other wives and girlfriends.

The awards are NRL’s night of nights where many people are more interested in red carpet attire rather than who has been voted player of the year.

“I have to think about all different body sizes – I’ve got women from a size six to up to a size 12,” Galella said.

“I’ve been cultivating [the gowns] over last of four to five weeks, and I’ve approached different designers … grabbed things that come off the runways.

“It can sometimes be a bit of a war between me and the [AFL] Brownlow Medal stylists.”

Key trends this year include lots of embellishment – beading, sequins and detail on sleeves.

Widdop doesn’t go for particular themes though likes to keep her look classy, fresh and fun but will go with something a bit “edgy” this year.

“It can be quit crushing if you’re not on the [media’s] ‘hot list’ but I’ve sort of put that to the back of my mind these days,” she said.

Meantime, regular facials are a must leading up to the awards night so a WAG can ensure her face is fresh and clean.

The pressure to look good is real, she said, because before you get to your seat everybody has critiqued the outfit online.

As for the bitchiness you see portrayed on fictional TV WAGs? Not at all, said Widdop.

“The girls are quite nice and down to earth, and most of them have young children now so our priorities have changed,” she said.

“We don’t necessarily always go to the football each week. We might have to sit on the couch with a glass of wine and let the kids run around while we watch our husbands on TV.

“It’s not all glitz and glamour like people think, not all the time anyway.”

Illawarra Mercury