Jillaroos coach Brad Donald faces NRL investigation over alleged comment made in front of players

The future of Australian women's rugby league team (Jillaroos) coach Brad Donald is uncertain as the National Rugby League (NRL) finalizes an investigation into alleged derogatory comments he made in front of players. Donald, who has been the head coach of the Australian women's team since 2016, has had a tumultuous few months following his controversial exclusion of Dally M medalist Olivia Kernick from the Pacific Championships squad last October.

According to the Australian Associated Press (AAP), another incident has become the subject of an internal NRL investigation involving the league's human resources department since that tournament. The matter has reached the desk of Australian Rugby League chairman Peter V'landys and is set to be finalized next week, at which point a final decision on Donald's future will be made. Meanwhile, the Jillaroos players are preparing for a single test match in Las Vegas in March, which has been added to the schedule of the NRL season-opening American showcase.

Sources told AAP that the incident relates to Donald allegedly using foul language to refer to a journalist in front of players, while expressing his displeasure over related reporting late last year. At least one player shared details of the alleged interaction more widely, after which the NRL became aware of the matter and launched an internal investigation. The matter is complicated by Donald holding two separate contracts with the NRL, as both national team coach and general manager of the women's player development pathway, and is therefore being handled by human resources rather than the NRL's integrity unit.

Any potential sanction would directly impact Donald’s role as Jillaroos coach. The alleged incident occurred after Donald's exclusion of Kernick from the Australian Pacific Championship squad, which raised eyebrows within league headquarters and commentators, adding to the pressure on the coach. When contacted by AAP, both Donald and the NRL declined to comment. Donald was scheduled to lead a Jillaroos training camp on the Gold Coast last weekend in preparation for the team's historic test match against England in Las Vegas on March 1, but the camp was canceled at the last minute without any clear explanation.

Donald is a long-time NRL employee, having started as a game development manager in Queensland in 2002. Since then, he has become one of the most prominent and influential figures in the women's game, while leading the Jillaroos through their most successful era. During his tenure with the national team, the women's game has grown rapidly in Australia, achieving professionalization at the highest level. Donald led Australia to World Cup victories in 2017 and 2022 and once guided the Jillaroos to a seven-year, 15-game unbeaten streak until their only loss to New Zealand in 2023. The experienced coach had hoped to lead the Jillaroos to another title in 2026 and was praised for his development pathway work during the inaugural Las Vegas trip last year. However, his decision to exclude current player Kernick, who was named NRLW's best player just days earlier, was widely criticized. Donald later claimed he made the decision partly because Kernick came off the bench in an interstate game, when in fact she started for New South Wales. Australia went undefeated in the Pacific Championships, defeating Papua New Guinea 84-0, followed by 14-0 and 24-4 victories over New Zealand. It is understood that it was during the final week of that training camp that Donald made the comments that allegedly sparked the ongoing investigation.