Renewed calls for standalone Mackay QRLW side

Another women’s rugby league stakeholder has suggested Mackay could go it alone as early as next year in the statewide comp

Tina Hancock, Casey Manzelmann, Cutters Women's Academy coach Marco Peters, Jessica Doring and Maggie Brosnan at BB Print Stadium.

CUTTERS Women’s Academy director Sam Bliss believes Mackay is primed to field a standalone QRLW side as early as “next year”.

Speaking at BB Print Stadium on Thursday after the club announced it would field teams in the new Harvey Norman Women’s Under-19s and Women’s Under-17s statewide competitions, Bliss said the quality of players in Mackay would soon become apparent.

“From my time playing footy, certainly the way the women play these days is unbelievable,” Bliss said.

“Their skills have certainly improved.

“That comes from … the quality of coaching they’re receiving at the moment (which) is second-to-none.

“It’s exactly what the boys are getting and they’re certainly showing what they can do.”

The Cutters Women’s Academy currently acts as a feeder to the North Queensland Gold Stars – a combined Mackay, Townsville and Cairns entity that plays in the QRLW, which had its inaugural season cut short this year.

But Bliss believes the quality in Mackay is strong enough that the town can field its own QRLW side sooner rather than later.

“I know we’re teeing up with Townsville and Cairns and combining those players together to participate in the women’s QRL, but I’m absolutely confident that Mackay can go (it alone) the following year if possible,” the former Australian Jillaroo said.

“Because we deadset have the quality here.

“These women are amazing and it would be really good to show our brand in the QRL standing alone next year.”

Mackay Cutters Women's Academy players Zoey Bradford, Pani Rupapere, Lucy Bradford, Emma Manzelmann, Sade Rihari and Women's Academy director Sam Bliss.

Bliss is not the first women’s rugby league stakeholder to suggest Mackay could field a standalone side in the statewide competition.

Women’s Academy coach Marco Peters told the Daily Mercury in January that Mackay should expect to field its own QRLW side “in the next two or three years”.

“There’s no doubt about that. Especially with the very strong junior academies coming through, there’s no reason why in the next two or three years we shouldn’t have a QRLW Mackay Cutters team,” Peters said.

“That’s the game. That’s what we’re trying to achieve here.”

Mackay contributed 13 players to the Gold Stars’ inaugural squad of 30 for the 2020 season.

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