Meg Ward is ready for her first game as a head coach when Norths’ BMD Premiership team meets Wynnum Manly in a trial at Redlands tomorrow night.
The clash will be the last of five trials between the Devils and Seagulls, including matches for the men’s and women’s Under 17 and Under 19 teams.
Ward’s rise to the head coach role seems swift but that’s a pattern in her stellar rugby league career.
More than 10 of the Devils’ BMD squad played alongside Ward during a career that began when she was working as a firefighter in the Defence Force in Darwin.
Ward went on to win three NRLW premierships while also representing Queensland and Australia.
She played her last game in 2021 when Ward had already began dabbling coaching.
She was an assistant coach for the Devils’ inaugural BMD Premiership season in 2023 and took the step up this season for an expanded competition.
“It’s an exciting season because we have new teams (Western Clydesdales and Sunshine Coast Falcons) so the competition is growing which is great,” Ward said.
“It’s hard to know what to expect with the changes that expansion brings so we’ve been concentrating on preparing as well as we can through the pre-season.
“It’s a bit different being a head coach but I’ve enjoyed the change and continuing to work with girls that I’ve played alongside and worked with as an assistant coach.”
The Devils have welcomed new faces across the summer while farewelling players including Ali Brigginshaw and Shenae Ciesiolka, who have opted to remain closer to home with the new Clydesdales team.
Inaugural captain Jada Ferguson remains a key figure for the Devils along with familiar faces and recruits from across the competition and from rugby union.
The trial match against Wynnum Manly provides Ward with the opportunity to watch the new faces gel with the established Devils.
“We’ve got three trial matches which is really handy to see the talent across the squad,” Ward said.
“We’ll use the first two to get a really good overview and then try to nail down combinations in the final trial on the Sunshine Coast.”
Ward has brought experience from her many NRLW pre-seasons to the Devils squad, focusing on fitness and strength for a competition that will begin in a humid summer.
“We’ve enjoyed the pre-season so far and really working on our fitness and also working hard in the gym,” Ward said.
“This is always an exciting time of year especially with the expansion of a competition that is part of a really strong pathway for girls.”
The Devils’ Hostplus Cup squad will start its pre-season matches next weekend.
Details for this weekends Trials at Redlands RLFC – Vs Wynnum Manly Seagulls
Venue: Redlands RLFC – 226 Cleveland Redland Bay Rd
Game Schedule:
1:30pm – Harvey Norman U17 Women
2:50pm – Cyril Connell Cup U17 Men
4:10pm – Harvey Norman U19 Women
5:30pm – Mal Meninga Cup U19 Men
7pm – BMD Premiership Open Women
