NRLW 2024: Historic Titans, Manly reserve grade partnership to give Gold Coast an edge over rivals

The Gold Coast Titans suffered with no NRLW reserve grade last season, but they won’t let it happen again, after announcing a historic partnership with the Manly Sea Eagles.

Titans coach Karyn Murphy says lessons from last season pushed the club to find a solution that will give the NRLW grand finalists an edge in 2024.

On Tuesday a historic partnership between the Gold Coast and Manly was announced, linking the NRLW team to a NSW feeder club as a workaround to a legitimate reserve grade in Queensland.

Players in the Titans’ top 24 not playing NRLW on any given weekend will be flown to take part in captain’s run and game day with the Sea Eagles in the Harvey Norman women’s premiership.

The NSW competition has been moved this season to run concurrently with the NRLW as a reserve grade, which leaves a shortfall for Queensland teams with the BMD women’s competition already finished.

Murphy, knowing how much injuries affected the season last year, jumped at the opportunity to keep her players playing so they’re ready if needed.

Titans NRLW coach Karyn Murphy ready for the finals. Picture Glenn Hampson

“It came on the back of last year, we quickly realised that BMD would start and finish by the time we play, and NSW has a competition that’s essentially reserve grade,” she said.

“What happen last year for us, a couple of things stand out. Taliah Fuimaono, she was injured in round one, touch and go coming into the finals but she couldn’t test it because she had nowhere to play so we had to do our best at training.

“Mid-year we had girls in BMD who had off-season surgeries, so didn’t get to play at all, or limited games, and although they might not play the first few rounds we might need them come finals and they haven’t played a game of rugby league in a whole year.

“In both of those scenarios you’ve got to have an opportunity in a good quality competition to play. Looking at it, Sydney clubs have already got their feeder clubs, but with us a club that’s not currently in the NRLW like Manly, it’s the best fit for both clubs.”

Titans star Taliah Fuimaono suffered an injury in Round 1 last year and missed most of the season. Picture: NRL Imagery

It will come in handy this season with injuries already piling up.

Rilee Jorgensen (ankle) will be pushing it to play round one, Sienna Lofipo (PCL) is a chance to play this season, while Chantay Kiria-Ratu (ACL), Ivana Lolesio (knee), Destiny Mino-Sinapati (knee) have suffered season-ending injuries.

The club is going through a process to have development players added to their top 24 with salary cap dispensation from the NRL for season-ending injuries.

The QRL’s long term plan is to align the women’s competition to the NRLW too, but those conversations are ongoing.

There’s a belief within the QRL that the NRLW season should be moved from its current spot in the calendar, which starts after State of Origin and meets with the men’s grand final in October.

“All I know is they’re having meetings to work it out,” Murphy said.

“There’s a lot of people with a lot of opinions and this is where the women’s game is at the moment, and there’s a lot of ways to do it, whether it suits Origin where it sits at the moment or NRLW, but while the girls are still balancing competitions and jobs, it’s working out what’s the best thing for the game and the girls.”