Sunshine Coast Falcons head coach Danny Gray previews 2025 BMD Premiership season

The Sunshine Coast Falcons will field a new-look BMD side in 2025 with head coach Danny Gray labelling his team full of future NRLW stars. See the full season preview.

Sunshine Coast Falcons women's coach, Danny Gray. Picture: Patrick Woods.

The Sunshine Coast Falcons will begin their 2025 BMD Premiership campaign this weekend with a new look squad and a restructured competition.

The 2024 season was the Falcons inaugural invitation into Queensland’s top flight female competition and in 2025 it will run simultaneously to the NRLW.

The Falcons will be aligned with the Brisbane Broncos after signing a partnership deal for the 2025 season.

In his second straight season at the helm, head coach Danny Gray will be joined by Becky Jones and Denny Lambert as assistant coaches.

“It’s a slightly different focus and expectation this season as it’s a real development opportunity across the board,” Gray said.

Sunshine Coast Falcons have signed affiliation deal with Brisbane Broncos NRLW program.

“The competition is expected to be young and inexperienced in parts.

“We’ve got a great group of under-17s and under-19s that finished their junior representative season for the Falcons and have been promoted into our squad.

“It’s really exciting for them but also for our senior players who are still only in their early 20s as well.”

The team will be captained by former Jillaroo, Queensland representative, two-time NRLW premiership winner and Karyn Murphy medallist, Annette Brander.

Roughly 10 players have returned to the side while two local standouts have gone onto NRLW in the off-season with Maarire Puketapu joining the New Zealand Warriors and Takoda Thompson signing for the Gold Coast Titans.

Gray said he expected a host of Falcons players to make a push for NRLW contracts throughout the season.

Sunshine Coast Falcons BMD talents Jordy Jackson, Remi Hinckesman and Emmogen Taumafai. Pictures: Patrick Woods and Nicola Anne Photography.

“Our job is to get them into the NRLW and onto higher honours so I’ll be pushing a few clubs to keep a close eye on a few players this season,” Gray said.

“Jordy Jackson is a younger player on the rise that had her first taste of BMD last season.

“She’s really exciting as is Remi Hinckesman and I don’t expect to see those girls in Falcons jerseys much longer once NRLW clubs see them play and come knocking.

“Emmogen Taumafai is another one, I’ve always been impressed with her as a person and as a player.

“She’s a low maintenance middle forward that gets on with the job and has a great knowledge of the game.”

The squad will also feature Queensland under-19 State of Origin players Lila Parr and Takoda Thompson.

Thompson and Parr pictured in action during their Falcons under-19s duties earlier this year. Pictures: Nicola Anne Photography and Phil Bradeley Sports Photography.

“Lila is one that will be interesting to watch as we follow her progression at a more senior level,” he said.

“We’ll be able to see a little bit of Takoda, the Titans have agreed to send her back to the Falcons when she’s not required for NRLW rather than back to the Gold Coast based BMD clubs.

“Obviously we want to see her at the elite level but she’ll be welcomed into our side whenever possible.”

The expanded 12-team competition will welcome in the Northern pride and the Ipswich Jets for 2025 after the Falcons and the Western Clydesdales successfully debuted last season.

With the competition start point just days away Gray said he was extremely eager to see what his side could produce.

“They’re a really good group that’s closely connected and have fun together,” he said.

“They have a good energy about them which transitions pretty easily to the field as we want to play an expansive brand of footy.

“We’re not a big side but I’m excited to see us play some footy as we’ll move the ball around and hopefully challenge the defensive line with our speed and skill.”

The Falcons will travel to play Norths Devils in round one before hosting Wynnum Manly (June 21) and Western Clydesdales (June 29) alongside the Falcons men’s team.