Wynnum Manly Seagulls

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Wynnum Manly Seagulls
Wynnum-Seagulls LOGO.PNG
Club information
Full nameWynnum Manly Seagulls Rugby League Football Club Ltd.
Nickname(s)The Seagulls,
Colours Wynnum-Manly Colours.svg White, Green, Red
Founded1951;73 years ago (1951)
Website wynnumseagulls.com.au
Current details
Ground(s)
CEOWayne Weekes
Coach Mathew Head
Captain David Fifita
Competition Queensland Cup
2023 6th
Rugby football current event.png Current season
Records
Premierships3 (1982, 1984, 1986)
Runners-up1 (1985)
Minor premierships 2 (1984, 1997)
Wooden spoons 13 (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.

Contents

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.

Personnel

NamePosition
Mathew Head Head Coach
Darren Nicholls

Mat Cameron

Assistant Coaches
Tony GuilfoyleHigh Performance Manager
Andrew FieldsHead of Strength
Steve HeymerHead Trainer
Darren McKenzieManager

[7]

Results

YearLadder positionFinals series result
19967th
19971stSemi-finalists
19986thPreliminary finalists
19999th
200011th
20016th
20028th
20034thPreliminary finalists
20045thPreliminary finalists
20056th
20069th
20079th
20084thSemi-finalists
200910th
20105thSemi-finalists
20112ndPremiers [8]
20121stPremiers [9]
20134thSemi-finalists
20142ndPreliminary finalists
20154thSemi-finalists
201610th
201710th
201812th
20192ndRunners-up
2020N/A
20212ndRunners-up
20229th
20236thPreliminary finalists

Head-to-head records

Current to 2023 season.

Current teams

OpponentPlayedWonDrawnLostWin %
Manly Sea Eagles colours.svg Burleigh 521733232.69
Central Comets colours.svg Central 483521172.92
Balmain colours.svg Brisbane Tigers 17975410041.90
Ipswich Colours.svg Ipswich 713932954.93
Mackay Cutters colours.svg Mackay 291801162.07
Northern Pride colours.png Northern Pride 301601453.33
Norths Devils colours.svg Norths 17569410239.43
Port Moresby Vipers Colours.svg Papua New Guinea 1460842.86
Redcliffe colours.svg Redcliffe 1585749736.08
Souths-Logan Magpies Colours.svg Souths Logan 26190773.08
Sunshine Coast Colours.svg Sunshine Coast 261601061.54
Toowoomba Clydesdales colours.svg Western Clydesdales 23811434.78
Townsville Blackhawks colours.png Townsville 1250741.67
Western Suburbs colours.svg Tweed Heads 442701761.36

Former teams

OpponentPlayedWonDrawnLostWin %
Brisbane colours.svg Aspley 210150.00
Brisbane colours.svg Broncos 420250.00
Brothers Colours.svg Brothers 1304767736.15
Brothers Valleys Colours.svg Brothers-Valleys 2200100.00
Bundaberg Colours.svg Bundaberg 3300100.00
Cairns Cyclones Colours.svg Cairns 850362.50
South Queensland colours.svg Crushers 420250.00
Gold Coast Vikings Colours.svg Gold Coast 20020.00
Hunter colours.svg Logan City 29183862.07
Port Moresby Vipers Colours.svg Port Moresby Vipers 210150.00
South Coast520340.00
Western Suburbs colours.svg Souths 1536728443.79
Valleys colours.svg Valleys 1263229225.40
Wests Panthers Colours.svg Wests 1355547640.44
North Queensland colours.svg Young Guns 1251641.67

Sponsors

Principal Sponsor

Major Partners

Diamond Sponsors

Premier Sponsors

See also

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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. ↑ Hadden, Steve; Our Game: The Celebration of Brisbane Rugby League 1909-1987, p. 175 ISBN   9780995351202
  4. ↑ Pollard, Jack (1965). Gregory's Guide to Rugby League. Australia: Grenville Publishing. p144.
  5. ↑ Hadden; Our Game, p. 299
  6. ↑ "History of the Wynnum Manly Football Club - Wynnum Manly Seagulls". 21 September 2016.
  7. ↑ "Staff – Wynnum Manly Seagulls". www.wynnumseagulls.com.au. 12 December 2023. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  8. ↑ "By The Numbers: Grand Final Stats". Queensland Rugby League. 19 September 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  9. ↑ Ricketts, Steve (23 September 2012). "Wynnum-Manly Seagulls beat Redcliffe Dolphins 20-10 in Intrust Super Cup grand final at Suncorp Stadium". Herald Sun . News Limited . Retrieved 23 September 2012.

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