Trent Robinson: There will be a female NRL coach sooner rather than later

Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson says there will be a female coach in the NRL in the not too distant future.

The women’s game in the NRL is taking huge strides at the moment, with the NRL Holden Women’s Premiership being the elite level of competition.

The Roosters have appointed former Under-20s boss Adam Hartigan to lead their women’s side, but Robinson admitted that he would like to see NRL women’s teams being coached by women, with a view to becoming a coach for a men’s NRL side.

He told NRL.com: “It is a bridge too far right now, but it won’t be long.

“I was really keen but we weren’t quite ready. We couldn’t find one that was dominant or competent enough at the moment. But there should be women’s coaches of the women’s rugby league teams.

“That’s the first step and then we’ll start seeing them get into assistant coaching jobs at SG Ball, Jersey Flegg and then we’ll see them into NRL teams. There have been no pathways for that.

“Am I saying there will be a female NRL coach in five years? I doubt it but are we saying there won’t be in 50 years? I’m definitely not saying that either.

“You’ve got to create pathways for some to show they can become a NRL coach. It’s not about creating women NRL coaches. It’s about creating pathways in coaching regardless of gender.”