 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 2 March 1997 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 196 cm (6 ft 5 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 108 kg (17 st 0 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Wing, Centre, Second-row | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: [1] As of 9 October 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jayden Okunbor (born 2 March 1997) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a winger and second-row forward for Hull F.C. in the Betfred Super League.
Okunbor was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and is of Zimbabwean and Nigerian descent on his father's side. [2] [3]
Okunbor played his junior football for the Milperra Colts and attended Picnic Point High School before being signed by the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. [4]
Okunbor played in the Bulldogs Under-20s team in 2015–2017.
Okunbor spent 2018 playing in the Bulldogs 2018 NSW Cup premiership winning team. On 23 September 2018, Okunbor played on the wing in the Bulldogs NSW Cup Grand Final against the Newtown Jets in the 18–12 victory at Leichhardt Oval. [5] In the following week, on 30 September 2018, Okunbor played on the Wing in the State Championship Final against Queensland Cup winners the Redcliffe Dolphins, scoring a try in the 42–18 win. [6]
Okunbor made his National Rugby League (NRL) debut in round 3 of the 2019 NRL season for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs against the Wests Tigers, playing on the wing and having a solid match registering 214 metres in Canterbury's 22–8 win at Campbelltown Stadium. [7] [8] In the next match in Round 4 against the Melbourne Storm, Okunbor had a powerhouse performance, scoring his first NRL career try, and ran for a whopping 290 metres even busting through 2 tackles from Storm captain Cameron Smith during Canterbury's unlucky 18–16 loss at AAMI Park. [9] On 29 April 2019, Okunbor was rewarded with a 2-year extension with Canterbury to the end of the 2021 season. [10]
On 21 May, Okunbor was ruled out for 6 weeks after suffering a toe ligament injury in Canterbury's Round 10 victory over the Gold Coast where Okunbor had scored 2 tries. [11]
Okunbor made a total of 10 appearances for Canterbury in the 2019 NRL season as the club finished 12th on the table. At one stage, Canterbury-Bankstown found themselves sitting last on the table and in real danger of finishing with the wooden spoon. However, for the third straight season, Canterbury achieved four upset victories in a row over Penrith, the Wests Tigers, South Sydney and Parramatta who were all competing for a place in the finals series and were higher on the table. Pay was credited with the late season revival as the side focused heavily on defence. [12] [13]
After being reinstated to the Canterbury club, Okunbor played his first game of the 2020 NRL season in round 18 against Manly-Warringah where Canterbury lost 32–20. [14]
Okunbor missed the first half of the 2021 NRL season due to an injury to his Anterior Cruciate Ligament, suffered in Canterbury's final game of the 2020 NRL season against the Penrith Panthers. [15] He played his first game in Round 18 and scored a try in Canterbury's 32–24 loss to the South Sydney Rabbitohs. [16]
On 20 July, the Canterbury club announced that Okunbor had re-signed a contract for a further two-years, keeping him at the club until the end of 2023. [17]
Okunbor made a total of seven appearances for Canterbury and scored five tries in the 2021 NRL season as the club finished last and claimed the Wooden Spoon. [18]
Okunbor was limited to only six matches for Canterbury in the 2022 NRL season as the club finished 12th on the table. Okunbor played for Canterbury in their 2022 NSW Cup Grand Final loss to Penrith. [19]
In round 5 of the 2023 NRL season, Okunbor was sent to the sin bin for a hip drop tackle during Canterbury's 15-14 golden point extra-time victory over North Queensland. [20] In round 12, Okunbor scored the winning try for Canterbury with less than two minutes remaining as they defeated the Gold Coast 20–18. [21] On 25 August, Okunbor signed a contract to join English side Hull F.C. ahead of the 2024 Super League season. [22]
Okunbor made his club debut for Hull F.C. against arch-rivals Hull Kingston Rovers in round 1 of the 2024 Super League season. Hull F.C. would go on to lose the match 22-0. [23]
On 10 March 2020, Okunbor was stood down by Canterbury just two days before the start of the 2020 NRL season after it was alleged he met with two women during a pre-season trip to Port Macquarie earlier in March along with teammate Corey Harawira-Naera. Whilst a sexual encounter was alleged to occur, the women were of the age of consent and there was no criminal investigation pending. Both players were asked to "show cause" why the NRL should not cancel or suspend their registrations as players. [24]
On 11 March 2020, it was revealed that Okunbor had used Instagram to contact one of the women. In a leaked message obtained through Fox Sports, Okunbor said to the girl "Yeah had to have a good look, what are we doing tonight?". [25]
On the same day, it was revealed that because of the two players' actions, new major sponsor Rashays had cancelled their $2 million sponsorship with the club. Rashays had signed on to become Canterbury's front of shirt sponsor. Rashays owner Rami Ykmour released a statement saying "It's a shame two players could wreck it for everyone, It's disgusting. It's repulsive, to be honest. That's something else. If they sack them, I would stand by the club and the NRL's decision". [26]
On 1 April 2020, Okunbor had his contract terminated by Canterbury-Bankstown and was also deregistered by the NRL. Canterbury released a statement saying "The NRL have today deregistered both Jayden Okunbor and Corey Harawira-Naera with immediate effect and as a result their playing contracts with the Bulldogs have been cancelled, The conduct of the two players, on the eve of our final trial match, demonstrated an unacceptable lack of respect for their teammates, their coach and club officials, our hosts in Port Macquarie and fans of the game everywhere". [27]
On 8 April 2020, both players opted to appeal their contract terminations at an NRL Appeals Tribunal (an independent hearing headed by high court judge Ian Callinan AC QC). [28]
On 13 July 2020, the NRL Appeals Tribunal agreed (with the players appeal) that the punishment was too harsh, reversing the decision to deregister both Okunbor and Corey Harawira-Naera effective immediately. Okunbor was retrospectively given a 14-game ban (from the date of contract termination), a $22,500 fine and a course of counselling / community service. Corey Harawira-Neara received a retrospective 10 game ban (from the date of contract termination), and a $15,000 fine. [29]
Josh Reynolds is a former Australian professional rugby league footballer who played as a five-eighth for Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs in the National Rugby League.
Isaac John is a former New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who previously played for the Mount Pritchard Mounties in the Intrust Super Premiership. A Cook Islands and New Zealand international representative, he played as a five-eighth and halfback and previously played for the New Zealand Warriors and Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League, and the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats in the Super League.
David Klemmer is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a prop for the Wests Tigers in the National Rugby League (NRL) and Australia international level.
Fa'amanu Brown is a Samoa, and New Zealand international rugby league footballer, who plays as a stand-off, hooker, scrum-half and loose forward for Hull F.C. in the Betfred Super League.
Herman Ese'ese is a New Zealand and Samoan professional rugby league footballer who plays for Hull FC as a prop and lock in the Betfred Super League in the United Kingdom. He has also played for both New Zealand and Samoa at international level.
Raymond Faitala-Mariner is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a second-row forward for the St. George Illawarra Dragons in the National Rugby League (NRL). He has played for both Samoa and New Zealand at international level.
Tyrone Phillips is a Fiji international rugby league footballer who plays as a fullback, centre and winger for Glebe in the Ron Massey Cup.
Joshua Addo-Carr is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a winger for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the National Rugby League (NRL) and Australia at international level. Addo-Carr is a dual premiership winner 2017 and 2020 with the Melbourne Storm and 2021 World Cup winner.
Corey Harawira-Naera is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a second-rower or lock for the Canberra Raiders in the National Rugby League (NRL), and the New Zealand Māori and New Zealand at international level.
Royce Hunt is a Samoa international rugby league footballer who plays as a prop for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Zach Dockar-Clay is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a hooker or five-eighth for the North Sydney Bears in the NSW Cup.
Christian Crichton is a Samoan professional rugby league footballer who plays on the wing for Samoa at international level.
Kyle Flanagan is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a halfback for the St. George Illawarra Dragons in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Corey Allan is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a wing, fullback and centre for the St. George Illawarra Dragons in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Blayke Brailey is an Australian rugby league footballer who plays as a hooker for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Corey Waddell is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a second-row forward for the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Hayze Perham is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a fullback for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Matt 'Burto' Burton is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a five-eighth or halfback for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the National Rugby League (NRL). He is on-field co-captain of the club alongside Reed Mahoney.
Josh Stuckey is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a lock.
Jayden Tanner is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a prop for Featherstone Rovers in the RFL Championship.