They are the front men of our very exciting Harvey Norman Women’s team, who together, are bringing and developing plenty of skill and talent to the Manly Sea Eagles women’s program.
Head Coach Keith Hanley and Assistant Coach/Female Recruitment Manager Nik Wolfgramm are the men overseeing Manly’s inaugural season in the open age Harvey Norman’s NSW Women’s Premiership, one step below the NRLW.
Their combination is working well with the Sea Eagles sitting third after the opening month of the competition.
Hanley has been the Head Coach of the Maori All Stars women’s team for the past three years and took Manly to their first finals appearance in only their second season of the Tarsha Gale Cup (U19s) this year.
Wolfgramm has been an integral member of Manly’s Pathways Football Staff over the last seven years as a coach and manager of the men’s and women’s teams. He was also the Sea Eagles coach for the club’s debut season in the Tarsha Gale Cup team in 2023.
Their combined experience and knowledge of the game is ensuring the Sea Eagles have every opportunity to develop and grow the women’s game on the Northern Beaches.
“I can’t speak highly enough of what I have seen here in my time at Manly,’’ Hanley said.
“I’ve seen the passion of the coaches and the pathways staff, and Nik has been heavily involved in this.
“Our development program from the U13s to 16s features predominately local players from the Northern Beaches, which is a really important thing to do.
“You have to back your juniors and show them that there is a clear pathway for them. To have that now established here is really excellent.”
Wolfgramm said there were now plenty of opportunities for female players to have a rugby league career at the Sea Eagles.
“A lot of local players on the Northern Beaches have rugby league running through their veins. There is now an opportunity for them to wear the maroon and white jersey of Manly,’’ he said.
“The enjoyment I get in my role is being able to offer players an opportunity. Being able to hear of a player’s dream and then to see it come to fruition is the biggest thing for me.
“All of the girls are different. We have so many nationalities and cultures. Just by bringing them together, you can see the change in them as people and players.”
Hanley said he was fortunate to have Wolfgramm as part of his coaching staff.
“Nik is a very genuine person. There is no complication around Nik. What you see is what you get,’’ Hanley offered.
“He is a man who holds standards to a really high level and everyone knows that.
“When you are that type of person, you probably get the perception that he is a really hard, tough man, which in some respects Nik is, but he is a really, really good person.
“He has the ability to draw hard work out of people and gets respect from the players and a desire from them to perform.
“I can’t speak highly enough of the job that Nik has done here at Manly over the years.
“He has done an outstanding job across the pathways program, from Harold Matthews, SG Ball, Jersey Flegg, Tarsha Gale Cup and now Harvey Norman.
“In any team situation, you look for someone that is not always agreeing with what it is that you think, and you’ve got that ability to throw ideas up and to have somebody to bounce off.
“Nik is very upfront with what he thinks. We don’t hide any agendas from each other. We lay our cards on the table and we come up with the best compromise and the best solution to all the issues that get thrown at us. And they come thick and fast in this game.”
The Sea Eagles continue to go from strength to strength with their female pathways program with the long-term goal of establishing an NRLW team in 2026.
To achieve this, the Sea Eagles have introduced U14 and U16 Development squads in conjunction with Manly Warringah Junior Rugby League.
Manly have also competed in the Lisa Fiaola Cup (U17s) and Tarsha Gale Cup (U19s) competitions for the past two years before taking part in the Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership this year.
Furthermore, the Sea Eagles have also formed a Pathways Partnership with one of the largest rugby league clubs in New Zealand in the Mangere East Hawks, situated in the south of Auckland.
The partnership provides coaches and female players from the Mangere East Hawks with development opportunities and pathways to progress to the Sea Eagles.
Hanley, Wolfgramm and Geoff Toovey, Manly’s Junior Coaching Co-ordinator, are already working closely with the U12s, U14s, U16s and U18s female teams with regular trips to the Mangere club to oversee the emerging talent coming through.
These initiatives, along with the long-term plans of fostering local talent, will ensure the Sea Eagles female pathways program continues to grow and become an even stronger and more respected force in coming years.
