Wynnum Manly Seagulls

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Wynnum Manly Seagulls
BMD Kougari Oval, Manly West, Queensland (5,000)
CEOWayne Weekes
CoachMathew Head
CaptainDavid Fifita
CompetitionQueensland Cup
20236th
Current season
Records
Premierships3 (1982, 1984, 1986)
Runners-up1 (1985)
Minor premierships2 (1984, 1997)
Wooden spoons13 (1953, 1957, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1979, 1990, 1991)
Premierships (2nd grade)3 (1995, 2011, 2012)
Runners-up (2nd grade)1 (2019)
Minor premierships (2nd grade)1 (2012)
Premierships (3rd grade)5 (2007, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023)
Runners-up (3rd grade)5 (2003, 2008, 2012, 2015, 2022)

The Wynnum Manly Seagulls are an Australian rugby league football club based at Kougari Oval, in Brisbane's bayside suburb of Manly West, which neighbours the suburb of Wynnum. They competed in the Brisbane Rugby League from 1951 to 1997. Since 1996 they have competed in the Queensland Cup. Their jersey is red, green and white. From 1995 to 2005 they were known as the Wynnum Seagulls.

History

Wynnum-Manly entered the

Brisbane premiership in 1931 but withdrew after two seasons due to the Great Depression. After World War II, the Seagulls re-entered in 1951 as the Wynnum-Manly District Rugby League Football Club, with Jim Cloherty as President until 1964. Before relocating to Kougari Oval
in 1967, the club played at Kitchener Park, which now houses the Wynnum Manly Junior Rugby League Club.

Wynnum-Manly won only nine matches in their first three seasons, and it was widely thought they would disappear again in 1954 after they suffered numerous thrashings in first grade – including a 13–89 loss to Valleys when Norm Pope kicked nineteen goals[1] – and forfeitures in the lower grades.[2] "The Seasiders", as they were known then, improved by 1959, when they achieved their first season with more wins than losses[3] and defeated Valleys in the minor semi-final. Winger Lionel Morgan made history in 1960, becoming the first player from Wynnum-Manly and the first Aboriginal player to represent Australia when he debuted against France. [4]

The team faced challenges in the 1960s and 1970s, collecting ten wooden spoons and never finishing higher than fifth in the eight-team competition. By 1980, their win-loss-draw record stood at 173-415-14 in 603 games.

Their fortunes began to turn around in 1981 under President Arthur Lovell. Having secured star players Gene Miles and Greg Dowling from north Queensland, Wynnum-Manly became a power for the first time,[5] winning the Brisbane premiership in 1982, 1984, and 1986, with a runner-up finish in 1985. Four Seagulls players, Miles, Dowling, Bob Lindner and Australian captain Wally Lewis, were part of the "Unbeatables" 1986 Kangaroo squad that completed an unbeaten tour of Great Britain and France. Lindner would be the last non-NSWRL player chosen for Australia.

Facing receivership in the early 1990s,[6] the team rebranded as the Wynnum Seagulls, securing their fourth BRL premiership in 1995. The BRL was succeeded by the Queensland Cup in 1996.

In 2010, Paul Green became Wynnum's coach, leading the team to success in 2011 when they defeated Tweed Head Seagulls twice in the finals series, including in the grand final. The team defended its title in 2012, beating Redcliffe 20–10 in the decider.

Representative honours

Australia

* Wally Lewis who joined the club from Valleys in 1984, is the only Wynnum-Manly player to captain the Australia national rugby league team. Lewis captained the Kangaroos on 16 occasions while a member of the Seagulls from 1984-1987 including captaining the unbeaten 1986 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France.

2023 squad

2023 Wynnum Manly Seagulls Squad
First team squad Coaching staff

Head coach



Legend:
  • (c) Captain(s)
  • (vc) Vice-captain(s)



Personnel

Name Position
Mathew Head Head Coach
Darren Nicholls

Mat Cameron

Assistant Coaches
Tony Guilfoyle High Performance Manager
Andrew Fields Head of Strength
Steve Heymer Head Trainer
Darren McKenzie Manager

[7]

Results

Year Ladder position Finals series result
1996 7th
1997 1st Semi-finalists
1998 6th Preliminary finalists
1999 9th
2000 11th
2001 6th
2002 8th
2003 4th Preliminary finalists
2004 5th Preliminary finalists
2005 6th
2006 9th
2007 9th
2008 4th Semi-finalists
2009 10th
2010 5th Semi-finalists
2011 2nd Premiers[8]
2012 1st Premiers[9]
2013 4th Semi-finalists
2014 2nd Preliminary finalists
2015 4th Semi-finalists
2016 10th
2017 10th
2018 12th
2019 2nd Runners-up
2020 N/A
2021 2nd Runners-up
2022 9th
2023 6th Preliminary finalists

Head-to-head records

Current to 2023 season.

Current teams

Opponent Played Won Drawn Lost Win %
Burleigh 52 17 3 32 32.69
Central
48 35 2 11 72.92
Brisbane Tigers 179 75 4 100 41.90
Ipswich 71 39 3 29 54.93
Mackay 29 18 0 11 62.07
Northern Pride 30 16 0 14 53.33
Norths 175 69 4 102 39.43
Papua New Guinea 14 6 0 8 42.86
Redcliffe 158 57 4 97 36.08
Souths Logan 26 19 0 7 73.08
Sunshine Coast 26 16 0 10 61.54
Western Clydesdales 23 8 1 14 34.78
Townsville 12 5 0 7 41.67
Tweed Heads 44 27 0 17 61.36

Former teams

Opponent Played Won Drawn Lost Win %
Aspley 2 1 0 1 50.00
Broncos 4 2 0 2 50.00
Brothers 130 47 6 77 36.15
Brothers-Valleys 2 2 0 0 100.00
Bundaberg 3 3 0 0 100.00
Cairns 8 5 0 3 62.50
Crushers 4 2 0 2 50.00
Gold Coast 2 0 0 2 0.00
Logan City 29 18 3 8 62.07
Port Moresby Vipers 2 1 0 1 50.00
South Coast 5 2 0 3 40.00
Souths
153 67 2 84 43.79
Valleys 126 32 2 92 25.40
Wests 135 55 4 76 40.44
Young Guns 12 5 1 6 41.67

Sponsors

Principal Sponsor

Major Partners

Diamond Sponsors

  • Bartons Bayside

Premier Sponsors

  • Lipke Motors
  • McDonald's Bayside
  • George Hartnett Metropolitan Funerals
  • QLS Group
  • Place
  • Iona College
  • Deadly Choices
  • Emu Sportswear
  • EV2
  • Moreton Island Adventures
  • TFH Hire

See also

References

  1. ^ 'Pope’s Mighty Boot'; Truth, 12 July 1953, p. 15
  2. ^ Jefferies, Harry 'Wynnum Bid to Keep in BRL'; Brisbane Telegraph, 3 February 1954, p. 35
  3. ^ Pollard, Jack (1965). Gregory's Guide to Rugby League. Australia: Grenville Publishing. p144.
  4. ^ Hadden; Our Game, p. 299
  5. ^ "History of the Wynnum Manly Football Club - Wynnum Manly Seagulls". 21 September 2016.
  6. ^ "Staff – Wynnum Manly Seagulls". www.wynnumseagulls.com.au. 12 December 2023. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  7. ^ "By The Numbers: Grand Final Stats". Queensland Rugby League. 19 September 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  8. News Limited
    . Retrieved 23 September 2012.

Sources

External links