Sea Eagles women's team become their own pioneers

Author: Wayne Cousins
Timestamp: Fri 3 Feb 2023, 09:28 AM

Just like our pioneers of 1947, the first Manly Warringah Sea Eagles women’s team will write their own special chapter in the rich history of this wonderful club.

For it was on April 12, 1947, the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles played their inaugural first grade premiership match, going down 15-13 to Western Suburbs at Brookvale Oval.

It is why this Saturday’s date of February 4, 2023, will become another historic date in Manly’s calender when the Sea Eagles play their first ever women’s premiership match in the Tarsha Gale Cup (U19s).

Ironically, just like 1947, it’s Manly’s old traditional rivals, Wests, who will be the opponent when the two sides clash at Campbelltown Sports Stadium from 1pm.

The significance of this historic Tarsha Gale Cup is the first major step for the club in the creation of a complete Sea Eagles female pathway, with the goal of gaining an NRLW licence.

It is why there is so much excitement around the creation of the Sea Eagles women’s team, a project that has taken an enormous amount of time, planning and energy to get it up and running.

The hard working and dedicated players, coaching staff, officials and parents should all feel a real sense of enormous pride when the women pull on their Sea Eagles jersey.

They deserve to have plenty of Sea Eagles supporters there, too, to witness this once in a lifetime moment for many Manly fans.

In 1947, Coach Harold Johnston gave Max Whitehead the honour of becoming the first Manly premiership captain.

Manly's inaugural 1947 first grade team Back row (l-r) C 'Kelly' McMahon, Merv Gillmer, Keith Kirkwood, Harry Grew, Johnny Bliss Middle row (l-r) Jim Hall, A 'Bert' Collins, Max Whitehead (captain), Mackie Campbell, Jim Walsh Front row (l-r) Ern Cannon, Gary Maddrell, Pat Hines

Some of his team-mates that day such as Johnny Bliss, Merv Gillmer, and Mackie Campbell later became household names for Manly.

Who is to say Chelsea Smyth, Sophia Addington, Taleenza Nelson, to Wanita Leatherby and their team-mates can’t write their own names into Sea Eagles’ folklore?

First seasons are always very tough. Like all new beginnings, there will some highs and lows, some tears of joy and sorrow.

But win, lose or draw, the Tarsha Gale Cup team of 2023 are laying the foundations for women’s rugby league at Manly.

And for that, they too, can now rightly be called pioneers.