Gungahlin Bulls: Season Preview

After an improved season last year, the Gungahlin Bulls will be aiming to qualify for their first Blumers Lawyers Canberra Raiders Cup finals series since 2021 under the new leadership of Captain Coach Matt Frawley and Josh Hardy. 

In the Katrina Fanning Shield, a fifth placed finish last season saw them miss out on finals action after finishing runners up the year prior and will be desperate to return to the top four.  

Whilst the Ladies League Tag enters 2026 as the defending premiers after a 12-0 victory against the Rams in the Grand Final and after years of chasing the title, they won’t be giving it up easily.  

In a massive coup for the club, former Canberra Raider Matt Frawley will lead the charge for the Bulls in the 2026 season, appointed as the club’s Captain Coach, whilst Josh Hardy has been promoted from assistant coach to Co-Coach.  

The arrival of Frawley and Hardy has seen a boast in the feeling around the club, with experienced forward Jayden Ford believing the club is heading in the right direction.  

“He [Frawley] has been awesome and really brings that knowledge and experience along with Josh Hardy. Those two have really struck up a good combination. Training is going awesome and we are really heading in the right direction,” Ford said.  

With their reserve grade claiming the title last season, along with some new arrivals, it has seen strong competition for spots throughout the preseason, with First Grade now looking for the same level of sustained success.  

“They’ve had a lot of success over the last four or five years and as first grade team we are trying to come along with them, and we have to do better for the club.”  

“We have very high expectations as a club and that’s been pushed by the players through competition for spots and we want to do really well this year.” 

Meanwhile, the Katrina Fanning Shield will be looking for a return to the finals after narrowly missing the playoffs on for and against.  

Fresh off a Rookie of the Year season, outside back Molly Sturgiss will be a key member of the squad, with the former 400-meter sprinter impressing in her first season and declaring her side is return to feature in the finals.  

“It was my first season playing rugby league last year and I had good support from the Gungahlin Bulls, and it was exciting to be a part of a new club ... all the girls were really supportive,” Sturgiss said.   
 

“Last year, finishing in fifth place we just missed out on in the semis, but the girls have just brought a brand-new energy this year and ready for pre-season and we want to make finals.”  

The Bulls will be looking to new coach Ian Gorman to provide them with the necessary experience to return to the finals, as well as former First Grade Head Coach Ben Flynn who will be the assistant coach.  

For the Ladies League Tag, they enter the season as the team to beat after taking the title away from the Woden Valley Rams last season, with Matisse McNair saying whilst the win was exciting it came from a lot of hard work.  

“It took a little bit to get there but in the end we got the result that we were looking for and it came off the back of a lot of hard work and effort at training. It’s exciting we got the win and the girls are really excited about it,” McNair said. 

Despite there being some turnover with the squad throughout the summer, McNair is confident that the standards developed through the previous years will hold them in good stead for their title defense.  

“Our team has changed a lot but at the end of the day we know what our team is about and the standards we need to reach and we are going to get there.” 

As the defending premiers, the Bulls will be the team to beat in the Ladies League Tag competition, with this poising an exciting challenge for them.  

“We are super excited when we hear other teams are training hard and getting better. It’s something that we look forward to playing and we have a lot of respect for every team we play.” 

In Reserve Grade, the Gungahlin Bulls will be looking to defend their title, whilst the Under 19s side will be looking to go one better after suffering defeat in the Grand Final against the Goulburn City Bulldogs.