Barrow Raiders Ladies head coach Amanda Wilkinson has been shortlisted for the Betfred Women’s Super League Coach of the Year award.
Wilkinson has been shortlisted alongside Wigan Warriors’ Denis Betts and St Helens’ Matty Smith, having steered the club to a fifth-place finish in their debut season in the Betfred Women’s Super League.
Wilkinson led the Raiders Ladies to promotion via the play-offs last season and has gone on to consolidate their position as a Group 1 side.
Three wins from the final four games helped ensure the club’s season would finish on a high, with the Raiders Ladies finishing one place adrift of the play-off spots.
They also competed well against some of the division’s top sides, narrowly losing at home to Wigan Warriors, York Valkyrie and Leeds Rhinos, all of whom secured a top-four berth.
“I’m thrilled to have been shortlisted for the Coach of the Year award, and it was a really pleasant surprise when I heard the news,” Wilkinson said.
“I’m joined in the shortlist by Matty and Denis – two wonderful people, and experienced and professional coaches who I admire greatly, both from a personal and professional point of view.
“I want to say that I’m so proud to receive this nomination, but it isn’t just about me and the work I have done with Barrow over the past three years.
“It’s about the culture we have all created, belief in one another and the relentless hard work as a squad that as helped us to achieve our goal of being amongst the best in the game.
“The dedication and commitment from this group of girls, on and off the field, has been great to see. Their passion, drive and desire makes it a pleasure to work with them, and once again this season they gone above and beyond our expectations.
“Finishing fifth in the table is reflective of the effort they have put in, and we can now look back on a 2024 season which the entire club can be proud of.
“I’m honoured to have led this group of trailblazing ladies into the Women’s Super League, and together we will continue to work hard to be the best we can be.”
The winner will be announced at rugby league’s biggest and most inclusive awards night at the Royal Armouries, Leeds on Tuesday October 8 – two days after the Betfred Women’s Super League Grand Final.
