Opportunity knocks: Inside the push to develop female coaches

Gold Coast Titans coach Karyn Murphy has declared coaching pathways must continue to develop to ensure more women have the chance to take charge of NRLW teams.

The NRL Hall of Fame member is currently the only woman coaching an NRLW side, with former Warriors leader Luisa Avaiki the only other to have acted as a head coach. 

A growing number of women are assistant coaches, including Alicia-Kate Hawke at the Knights, Kate Mullaly at the Eels and Mel Sperro at the Roosters. 

Murphy has seen opportunities evolve considerably since her playing days and is confident more women will join her as head coaches in the future.

"We've been good as a game in recent years in supporting coaches coming through," Murphy told NRL.com ahead of Women in League Round. "I'm really thankful for the support I've had from past and current NRL coaches and having those people available to bounce things off has been massive. 

"Women's rugby league has only been around for a short period of time compared to the men so these things will take time. If you look at where the playing group was 10 years ago and where the players are now, you can see how far they've come. 

"It's the same with coaching. We're building in that area and you'll see that natural progression with continued support around us."

The rise of coaching opportunities for women somewhat resembles the growth of women's rugby league as a whole, with pathways steadily evolving and solidifying. 

Hawke first dipped her toe in the coaching waters through the Tarsha Gale Cup in 2017 before joining the Dragons staff to act as an assistant under Daniel Lacey in the inaugural NRLW season in 2018.

Since then, she has worked with the Cowboys and Knights and is currently in camp with the Westpac NSW Blues as an assistant coach alongside NSW and Jillaroos legend Ruan Sims ahead of Thursday's Game Two at Allianz Stadium. 

While she'd like to see more women working as coaches across the NRLW, Hawke is confident the foundations have been laid for the number to grow.

"There's still a long way to go but it's getting better," Hawke told NRL.com. "If you look at [Jillaroos coach] Jess Skinner, she's done phenomenal things in her coaching career once she was given an opportunity. 

"Women coaching looks different but that doesn't mean they're not as strong or as dominant, it's just a different style. There's definitely been a big shift but there's still a big shift to go. Like everything in the women's game, we're seeing it evolve and hopefully people continue to receive opportunities.

"I'm keen to see some clubs have the bravery to [appoint a female head coach]. We've seen some consideration but there's still the hesitation around letting more women coach.

"It will be great when more clubs have to courage to back some of the female coaches. It may look slightly different but different isn't always wrong."

Many astute judges in women's rugby league have noted the next generation of head coaches is currently running around in the NRLW. 

The crop of players who first emerged with the formation of the competition in 2018 are starting to approach the end of their playing careers and have turned their focus to life after football. 

For many, that involves picking up a clipboard and a whistle. 

While the junior representative Tarsha Gale Cup and Lisa Fiaola Cup competitions have become a breeding ground for aspiring players, they have also provided a launch pad for emerging coaches. 

NSW and Jillaroos star Keeley Davis led the Roosters Tarsha Gale Cup team to this year's grand final, with teammate Corban Baxter her assistant coach. 

Fellow Blues Jayme Fressard, Jocelyn Kelleher and Isabelle Kelly also steered the Roosters' Lisa Fiaola Cup side to the decider. 

Davis' goal is to eventually become an NRLW head coach and she said the junior competitions have provided the perfect foundation for aspiring coaches. 

"It's great to have that pathway," Davis said. "The Roosters have done a really good job at giving players who have an interest in coaching an opportunity. 

"There's definitely a pathway there, as there is for players. It's direct and streamlined and I would love to see one day that there's a lot of female coaches excelling."

While there has been plenty of progress for aspiring female coaches, it's widely agreed more still needs to be done to support women pursuing a coaching career. 

Three NRLW head coaching jobs were up for grabs for the 2025 season, with all three going to men. 

Some clubs have preferred to play it safe by hiring experienced men, rather than take a risk with a woman. 

Mullaly was among the women to throw her hat in the ring for a head coaching role, only to fall short.

A former NSW Under 19s coach, she's currently working as the Eels assistant coach and female recruitment manager. She's also an assistant coach of the Jillaroos. 

Opportunities as a head coach remain limited but Mullaly is not discouraged in her quest to take charge of an NRLW side. 

"I've put my hand up for opportunities and it hasn't been my time but I'm not deterred by that," Mullaly said. "A lot of people want these roles, it's unreal that so many people want to be involved with the NRLW. 

"There's one in twelve [female coaches], I don't like that stat. There's a lot of females that, if not now, are soon going to be ideal candidates to take those roles. 

"I personally want to do whatever I can to help other female coaches. I'm keen to help the next generation so they have access to more opportunities than we've had."

Hawke shares Mullaly's desire to one day become a head coach. It's a goal born in a determination to provide players with the best opportunity to taste success on the field. 

The experienced coach has been around long enough to know different players respond to different voices. Similarly, coaches with differing points of view can offer a fresh perspective and identify small tweaks that can lead to big improvements.

It's why a bit of internal tension within a coaching staff can often lead to success as teams navigate their way through the choppy waters of a season.

That, for Hawke, is reason enough for clubs to hire women as coaches. 

"Female coaches have an understanding of the different communication strategies that work with female athletes," Hawke said. "They also have an understanding of where the women's game has come from and where it needs to go to. 

"On top of that, in any space you want to have diversity in your staff. That means seeing females being included not just in coaching but on boards, medical staff and other managerial roles. Males and females bring different skillsets so you want to have diverse staff to bring all those skillsets together."

While only one out of 12 teams currently has a female head coach, Murphy is confident that will soon change. 

Challenges persist, but the Titans leader has simple advice for aspiring coaches looking to break into the NRLW. 

"At the end of the day, you've got to understand who you are," Murphy said. "You've got to know your strengths and weaknesses and make sure you're being authentic to yourself. As you develop, hopefully the opportunities will follow."

Be there for Game Two of the Women's State of Origin at Allianz Stadium on May 15. Get your tickets now.