Neil Henry

Last updated

Neil Henry
Neil Henry.jpg
Personal information
Born (1961-01-23) 23 January 1961 (age 63)
Hobart, Tasmania, Australia [1]
Playing information
Position Five-eighth
Club
YearsTeamPldTGFGP
1988–89 Hull FC 81004
Coaching information
Club
YearsTeamGmsWDLW%
200708 Canberra Raiders 492202745
200913 North Qld Cowboys 1245906548
201417 Gold Coast Titans 752804637
Total248109013844
Representative
YearsTeamGmsWDLW%
2008 Dreamtime Team 1100100
2010 Indigenous All Stars 1100100
2018 Junior Kangaroos 2200100
Source: [2]

Neil Henry (born 23 January 1961) is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and former player. He was formerly the head coach for the Canberra Raiders, North Queensland Cowboys and Gold Coast Titans of the National Rugby League. He has been described as, "one of the game's best tacticians." [3]

Contents

Career

Henry was a foundation player of the Raiders, having played for the club from 1982 and 1984 in the lower grades.[ citation needed ] After a succession of player-coach positions at local clubs in the Canberra and Cooma in the Group 8 and 16 competitions, he was made coach of the Perth Reds' Under 19 team in 1997, before coaching Raiders SG Ball and Jersey Flegg teams between 1999 and 2002. [ citation needed ] He played for Hull FC (Heritage № 835) [4] in England for one season.

He was previously the assistant coach of the North Queensland Cowboys between 2003 and 2006 under Graham Murray and assistant to Mal Meninga in the Queensland State of Origin team from 2006 to 2009.

In his first season as an NRL head coach, Henry incurred a fine of $10,000 for Canberra by questioning the impartiality of the referee following a round 19 loss to Melbourne Storm in 2007. A supporters led fundraiser raised the money within days and was donated to charity. [5]

Henry was named Dally M Coach of the Year for 2008, ahead of other nominees Craig Bellamy, Ricky Stuart and Des Hasler. [6]

In October, 2009, Henry returned to Townsville, Queensland to take over from Ian Millward as head coach of the North Queensland Cowboys. He was also coach of the Indigenous Dreamtime team who played the Welcome to Country game against a NZ Maori team before the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.

Henry coached the Indigenous All Stars in the inaugural All Stars match in 2010, with the Indigenous All Stars prevailing 16–12.

In 2010, Henry was an assistant coach of the PM XIII team that played PNG. In 2010, Henry had a lean year as North Queensland won just five out of its 24 games, only avoiding the wooden spoon after Melbourne were stripped of its premiership points for salary cap breaches. In 2011, Henry was able to turn it around by winning 14 games.

Henry was a finalist for Dally M coach of the year in 2011. [7]

However, on 29 July 2013, Neil Henry was informed by the North Queensland Cowboys chairman, Laurence Lancini, that his services would no longer be needed in 2014 despite the club making the finals three years in a row. [8]

On 28 September 2013, it was announced that the former North Queensland mentor signed with Gold Coast Titans as an assistant coach. [9] He was elevated to the role of interim coach after John Cartwright tendered his resignation following a disappointing 2014 season for the club. [10]

On 17 August 2014, Henry coached his first game with the Gold Coast Titans in a 15–12 defeat by the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles on the Gold Coast.

On 21 August 2017, Henry was sacked from his position as head coach of the Gold Coast Titans. The sacking came in the wake of a highly publicised feud between Henry and the then Gold Coast player Jarryd Hayne. [11] [12] [13]

2018 saw Henry return to representative coaching, taking the Junior Kangaroos to a win over the Junior Kiwis. In 2019 Henry was coach of an Australia A (under 23) team which defeated a French team 62–4 in Wollongong. In 2019, Henry began work for the NRL acting as a coaching consultant. Henry re-joined the Queensland Sate of Origin staff in 2020 as an assistant coach to Wayne Bennett in their series win over NSW. In 2021, he will be assistant to Paul Green.

Television

Henry has recently turned his hand to expert commentary on Fox Sports.

Footnotes

  1. "Neil Henry". Gold Coast Titans. 13 August 2016. Archived from the original on 21 March 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
  2. Rugby League Project
  3. Brent Read (12 August 2013). "Tigers to consider Neil Henry as assistant coach". The Australian. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
  4. "Neil Henry". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  5. Steve Jancetic (23 July 2007). "Simpkins spared over send off gaffe" (fee required). AAP Sports News (Australia). Retrieved 11 September 2008.[ dead link ]
  6. Dean Ritchie (10 September 2008). "Henry rewarded for achieving impossible". Fox Sports News (Australia). Retrieved 11 September 2008.
  7. "Royal welcome for 'King' Henry". Fox Sports News (Australia). 17 October 2008. Retrieved 18 October 2008.
  8. "Cowboys sack Neil Henry".
  9. "Henry signs on with the Titans".
  10. Cartwright quits as Titans coach, NRL.com official website, 5 August 2014
  11. "Hayne wins out as Neil Henry sacked". Sporting News. 21 August 2017.
  12. "NRL coach Neil Henry sacked by Gold Coast Titans". The Guardian. 21 August 2017.
  13. "Gold Coast Titans announce sacking of Neil Henry". Fox Sports. Australia. 21 August 2017.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Matthew Elliott
2002-2006
Coach
Canberra colours.svg
Canberra Raiders

2007-2008
Succeeded by
David Furner
2009-2013

Related Research Articles

New Zealand Māori rugby league team is a rugby league representative side made up of New Zealand Māori players. The side represents the New Zealand Māori Rugby league. Like its union counterpart, the rugby league team previously competed in international competitions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gold Coast Titans</span> Australian Rugby League Football club, based at Gold Coast, Queensland

The Gold Coast Titans are a professional rugby league football club, based on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership, Australia's elite rugby league competition. Since 2008, the Titans have played their home games at Cbus Super Stadium in Robina, Queensland.

Robina Stadium, commercially known as Cbus Super Stadium, is a multi-purpose rectangular stadium in Robina, a suburb of Gold Coast, Queensland. It is the home ground to the National Rugby League's Gold Coast Titans, this venue sometimes hosts the A-League team Brisbane Roar FC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Prince</span> Australia international rugby league footballer

Scott Prince is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a halfback in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Todd Payten</span> Australian RL coach and former rugby league footballer

Todd Payten is an Australian professional rugby league coach who is the head coach of the North Queensland Cowboys in the National Rugby League (NRL) and former professional rugby league footballer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Zillman</span> Australian rugby league footballer

William Gary "Zilly" Zillman is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s, he played in the National Rugby League. His usual position is at fullback but can also play five-eighth. Zillman has previously played for the Canberra Raiders and Gold Coast Titans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Todd Carney</span> Australian rugby league footballer

Todd Carney, also known by the nickname of "Toddy", is an Australian former professional rugby league player who played in the 2000s and 2010s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jarryd Hayne</span> Australian rugby player (born 1988)

Jarryd Lee Hayne is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who also briefly played American football and rugby union sevens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shannon Walker (rugby)</span> Australia international rugby union & league player

Shannon Walker, is an Indigenous Australian professional rugby union footballer who plays Sevens Rugby for Australia. He previously played Rugby League with the Gold Coast Titans of the National Rugby League. His position of choice is as at Fullback but he can play on the Wing

The 2009 North Queensland Cowboys season was the 15th season in the club's history. Coached by Neill Henry and captained by Johnathan Thurston, they competed in the National Rugby League's 2009 Telstra Premiership and finished the regular season 12th place, failing to reach the finals for the second consecutive year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indigenous All Stars (rugby league)</span> Rugby league team

The Indigenous Australian rugby league team is a rugby league football team that represents Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders. The team was first formed in 1973 and currently plays in an annual All Stars Match against a National Rugby League NRL All Stars team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jarrod Croker</span> Australian rugby league footballer

Jarrod Keith Croker is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a centre and captained the Canberra Raiders in the National Rugby League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan James (rugby league)</span> Australian rugby league footballer

Ryan James is an Australian former rugby league player who played as a prop and second-row forward for the Gold Coast Titans in the National Rugby League (NRL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Roberts (rugby league)</span> Australian professional rugby league footballer

James Roberts is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who last played as a centre for the Wests Tigers in the National Rugby League (NRL).

The 2012 North Queensland Cowboys season was the 18th in the club's history. Coached by Neil Henry and co-captained by Johnathan Thurston and Matthew Scott, they competed in the National Rugby League's 2012 Telstra Premiership. They finished the regular season in 5th place and were knocked out in the second week of the finals by the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, for the second year in a row.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aidan Sezer</span> Turkey international rugby league footballer

Aidan Yüçel Sezer is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a halfback and five-eighth for the Wests Tigers in the National Rugby League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashley Taylor</span> Australian rugby league footballer

Ashley Taylor is an Indigenous Australian former professional rugby league footballer who last played as a halfback, five-eighth for the New Zealand Warriors in the NRL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nathan Davis (rugby league)</span> Australian rugby league footballer

Nathan Davis is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who last played for the Parramatta Eels in the National Rugby League. He played as a centre, wing and fullback. He has previously played for the Gold Coast Titans.

Shane Wright is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a second-row forward for the Salford Red Devils in the Super League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jake Clifford</span> Australian rugby league footballer

Jake Clifford is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a halfback and five-eighth for North Queensland Cowboys in the NRL.