Wigan Warriors cult hero lands new coaching role Down Under in different sport
Ryan Hoffman (ball in hand) dives for the line to score a try for Wigan Warriors at Magic Weekend in 2011
Wigan Warriors cult hero Ryan Hoffman has taken on a new coaching role in Australia according to reports Down Under – but not in rugby league.
Zero Hanger have reported that Hoffman – who will turn 42 next month – has become a Leadership Consultant for Melbourne Football Club, one of the most historic and successful teams in the Australian Football League (AFL).
The Demons have 13 titles to their name, with the last of those coming in 2021 and bringing an end to a 57-year drought. This year, Steven King’s side finished 14th on the ladder in the 18-team competition, winning seven of their 23 games.
Their 2026 campaign gets underway in March, and as per the Zero Hanger report, Hoffman – who is believed to have taken up his new role with the club earlier this month – is spending at least one day a week with their squad.
He and they will utilise his experience from a 16-year career in professional rugby league.
Want more Love Rugby League? Add us as a preferred source on Google and ensure you never miss our exclusives and breaking news!
Wigan Warriors cult hero lands new coaching role Down Under in different sport
Born in Canberra, back-rower Hoffman – who now also works as a business development manager for United Forklift and Access Solutions in Melbourne – racked up 325 NRL appearances during his playing career.
Those games came across three stints with Melbourne Storm and one with the New Zealand Warriors.
Winning the 2012 NRL Grand Final for Storm along with three World Club Challenges, he also featured 14 times for New South Wales in State of Origin and picked up six Test caps on the international stage for Australia.
Hoffman’s time in Super League with Wigan was short but sweet, spending a single year in the UK in 2011 and lifting the Challenge Cup as he scored 11 tries in 35 appearances across all competitions for the Cherry and Whites.
Beating Leeds Rhinos under the Wembley arch to secure that Challenge Cup, the 38-year-old’s haul of 11 tries included one on debut at Magic Weekend against St Helens, quickly establishing himself as a fan favourite.
Under the tutelage of Michael Maguire in what would prove his last season as their head coach, the Warriors’ 2011 campaign ended with defeat in the play-off semi-finals to rivals Saints.
That 26-18 loss brought Hoffman’s final appearance for the Cherry and Whites along with Maguire’s last game in charge.
After the defeat, Hoffman returned for his second stint at Melbourne Storm while Maguire took the helm of NRL outfit South Sydney Rabbitohs.