Tarsha Gale skipper finds her niche in Rugby League

The club Manly captain Ana-Sofima Seia-Perez turned down – Penrith Panthers – is the club she will face in Harvey Norman Tarsha Gale Cup action at Brookvale Oval this weekend.

The young forward had an Oz Tag background before joining the Mt Druitt Lions JRLC.

“I played there for a couple of years then I was offered a spot with Penrith’s Tarsha Gale girls but I turned it down and came to Manly,” she told nswrl.com.au at the NSWRL 2023 season launch.

The Manly Sea Eagles are enjoying their debut season in the women’s U19s competition.

“Coach Nick Wolfgramm gave me the opportunity and I wanted to show my siblings that you can make it in clubs outside your area,” Seia-Perez said.

“Nick is very big on giving all us girls from out west a chance.

“The Manly pathway is there and the Sea Eagles are on board with getting the women’s game strong,” she said. 

“They’ve been a very welcoming club – treat you like family as soon as you walk in the door – no matter where you’re from.”

Wolfgramm is proving to be a great mentor, as well as former Jillaroo Lisa Fiaola is an assistant at the Sea Eagles. She also has the NSWRL U17s competition named after her.

“Lisa, well we call her ‘Aunty Li’,” Seia-Perez said.

“She is the most soft and whole-hearted person you could ever meet, but when the time comes to be hard on us she is definitely hard on us.”

The coaches saw something in Seia-Perez and made her skipper for 2023.

“I was shocked when I found out because it’s the first Tarsha Gale team for Manly and I’m the first captain,” she said.

“I first thought ‘Why me?’ but coach and Lisa talked to me about it and said I could handle it.

“They said they saw a spark in me that the girls would follow.”

Manly won their opening Tarsha Gale Cup round against the Wests Tigers but have lost close games with the Parramatta Eels and Canberra Raiders the past two weekends. The Panthers in round four are next.

“We’re starting to gel. It’s just taken a couple of weeks for individuals to find their strengths in our team,” Seia-Perez said.

“But us Manly girls are coming – we’re coming home strong.”