The future of the Central Coast Mariners’ A-League Women team has been secured following intervention from the majority owners of the Wests Tigers, according to reports from AAP’s George Clarke. This development comes after a period of uncertainty for the team, which now has just over two months to build a competitive squad and hire a coaching staff ahead of the new season.

New Backers Confirmed

The Holman Barnes Group (HBG), which holds a majority stake in the NRL club Wests Tigers and has shares in NPL NSW football club APIA Leichhardt, is set to be confirmed as the new backers for the Mariners’ ALW side. This change follows the decision by Total Soccer Growth Holdings (TSG), led by Malaysian businessman Ruben Gnanalingam, to focus solely on the A-League Men team, leaving the women’s team in jeopardy.

The Mariners, who clinched the 2024/25 grand final, have a history of nurturing Australian talent, with players like Isabel Gomez and Annalise Rasmussen moving to Europe after their performances in Gosford. However, TSG's choice not to support the women’s team raised concerns about its viability.

A Vision for the Future

HBG is now tasked with assembling a squad and staff for the upcoming season, which kicks off on October 17. HBG chief executive Daniel Paton expressed the group's commitment to establishing a sustainable A-League Women’s program on the Central Coast. “Our vision is to deliver elite football outcomes while embedding long-term participation and development pathways for female footballers across NSW,” he stated.

Paton emphasized the importance of building elite women’s football programs on a foundation of participation and performance pathways, aiming to create a lasting impact on women's football in the region while maintaining the community identity associated with the Mariners.

This resolution marks another positive step for the Australian Professional Leagues (APL), which successfully secured a buyer for Canberra United last month. Under the new arrangement, TSG will retain the club's license, while HBG will manage the day-to-day operations of the ALW side. APL chair stated that this innovative structure allows HBG to take full rights and responsibilities for the women’s team, ensuring dedicated investment and leveraging local expertise in women's football.