QRL article by Jorja Brinums

For Bryce Donovan, there is a very long list of people who have helped him get to and stay where he is in the rugby league universe, playing his 100th Hostplus Cup game.

Among those at the top of the list is his mum Kelly Donovan, wife Jess Donovan and daughter Willow Donovan – fitting, given it’s Harvey Norman Women in League Round.

The crafty playmaker will lace up his boots for his 100th Cup game when Wynnum Manly Seagulls take on Central Queensland Capras in Rockhampton on Saturday.

“It’s definitely something I’m proud of,” Donovan said.

“To play 100 Cup games… it probably wasn’t a goal to play 100 Cup games… the goal was always NRL and it would take as many Cup games as it did until that was ticked off.

“I’m still always chasing it. If you asked me, I wouldn’t have said 100 Cup games was a goal because I was probably a bit arrogant, thinking I’d be doing something else by now, but I wouldn’t change it for the world… it has been really fun.

“Without playing that next level, it just shows that I have been able to play some pretty consistent footy for a number of years now. To get to 100 games, I don’t think it’s a fluke… I’m obviously doing something right, so it’s something I’m definitely proud of.”

The 29-year-old made his Cup debut for the Redcliffe Dolphins in 2018, and won the competition that year. He has played 54 games for the Dolphins, 29 for Norths Devils and 16 for Wynnum Manly Seagulls.

Donovan played for the Dolphins in 2018-19, Devils in 2020-22, Dolphins again in 2022, Devils in 2023 and Wynnum Manly in 2024.

“I debuted in 2018 at Redcliffe and as we all know, I have hopped around over the years, and probably would’ve had my 100 a bit earlier because I’ve probably lost a full season through injuries,” Donovan said.

“Had a pretty cool debut year… tore my pec leading into Round 1, came back halfway through the year then we won the comp… it was a long time ago but I’m still hanging onto it.

“I was at Norths in 2021… I lost half a season there with my ACL and the team was pretty much rolling when I came back so I didn’t play in the grand final.

“My highlight playing Cup would definitely be 2018, winning the grand final in 2018.

“Other than that, one of my funnest years was 2022… I went back to Redcliffe I think in Round 3 and we didn’t start off good. I think we lost our first four in a row, but then just went on a really big winning streak… didn’t lose for about 13 or 14 weeks there, which is a club record.

“I got to go back and play with some old mates and make some new ones that will last a lifetime, so 2022 is right up there as well.”

Donovan said while it was a milestone for him, he owed it to a “long list of people”.

“Footy is the only thing I’ve known since I was probably four or five… you get around a special group of people and they’re you’re family away from family… with them four to five times a week, travel with them, they become your family… it’s just fun as you get older,” Donovan said.

“Without carrying on too much, I just want to say I am grateful for the support of both mum and dad my whole career…they did everything for me growing up, with footy… took me to all of the trainings and games, all the weekends away… without them, this would be hard.

“There’s obviously Trai Fuller, Cameron Cullen, Sheldon Pitama and Nathan Watts from Reddy and also my big, tall, friendly giant friend Jarrett Boland.

“Then Norths, obviously playing with Jack Ahearn was pretty cool… we had some fun, Moses Noovao-McGreal, he is still one of my best friends even though he’s at Brisbane Tigers, and I’ve got Connor Broadhurst and Brendan Frei who I played with at Norths, who are playing with me at Wynnum Manly now.

“Now, all the Wynnum boys. I’m really enjoying the group at Wynnum. We’re not getting the results we want at the moment, but I’m having a really fun year so far. My halves partner this year Kurt Falls, my security guard (back rower) who’s saved my butt a few times this year Luke Gale, Josh Stuckey and Ollie Pascoe – comedians of the team; Matty Milson… played with him at Norths and now Wynnum.

“All of the clubs I’ve played at hold a special place in my heart. Redcliffe, I went there and won a comp and went back and we went to a grand final and unfortunately didn’t win.

“Norths, I got to get coached by Rohan Smith… the people who know Rohan and the players who have been coached by Rohan know he’s a pretty special guy and so that was cool.

“And then, going to Wynnum Manly, after bouncing between Redcliffe and Norths, to be coached by Mat Head who has played NRL, also as a halfback, and to play with different guys who I have played against, now getting to be on their team, it’s pretty cool.

“Each of the three clubs hold a special place in my heart.”

Donovan said most importantly, he could not do what he did without the support of his childhood sweetheart and now wife Jess, and two-year-old daughter Willow.

“I moved up from Newcastle. I spent my whole life and footy career there… played Cup with Newcastle and 20s with Newcastle… and then I had a shoulder reconstruction after the 2016 season and I think I moved up here at the end of 2017 for something different and just fell in love with the joint,” Donovan said.

“I have put my wife Jess through the ringer with footy over the years. Without her support each year – obviously there’s several nights a week I’m away from home – I come home to dinner ready, I don’t have to do anything… I’m pretty much a big baby.

“Without her, I would not be playing football and I would be really struggling to look after myself. She is the MVP of our family. We’ve been together since Year 8.”

Donovan said Willow – “the hurricane”, who turns three on September 16, the day his second baby is due – kept him grounded.

“She’s always awesome… when she was born, my one thing was I wanted to keep playing footy at this level and perform well enough until she’s at an age where she can comprehend what’s going on,” Donovan said.

“She comes to every game with her little Wynnum Manly jersey on. Even when we’re sitting watching NRL on TV and we ask who her favourite NRL team is, she says the Seagulls, where daddy plays, which is pretty cool.

“And any time I’m in a slump, or coming off the field after a loss – I take a loss pretty hard – I see her on the sideline and she comes running over with a massive smile, and yeah, that’s exactly what I need after a loss. She takes me away footy and makes me realise there’s a bigger picture there.

“She won’t be there this weekend in Rockhampton, but she’ll be glued to Qplus.tv.”

Donovan – a project co-ordinator at a stock fitting company – said he simply love footy, and his life and he hoped to continue on the track he was on for many more years.

“On the field, I’d still love, in my future, to tick off my goal of playing NRL. Outside of that, I need to win another comp after losing a couple of years ago… I really want the chance to fix that up,” he said.

“In 2022, got beaten my Norths after I left there… trying to wipe that from my memory but it’s really hard.

“I want to play as good as I can for as long as I can. If I can tick off a few more milestones like 150 or 200, that’d be pretty cool. I guess I’m just going to play until the wheels fall off.

“Away from footy, I just want to have a happy and healthy family and enjoy their company.”

Bryce Donovan’s honour roll

Note: He wanted to name everyone who has helped him get to 100 games but couldn’t.