Neil Henry
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| Born | 23 January 1961 Hobart, Tasmania[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Rugby League Project | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Gold Coast Titans of the National Rugby League. Henry previously coached the Canberra Raiders and the North Queensland Cowboys. He has been described as, "one of the game's best tacticians."[5]
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 competition, he was made coach of the Western Reds' Under 19 team in 2017, before coaching Raiders lower-grade teams between 1999 and 2002.[citation needed]
He was previously the assistant coach of the North Queensland Cowboys between 2002 and 2006, and assistant to Mal Meninga in the Queensland State of Origin team from 2006–2009. He had two sons Jack Henry and Robert Walker.
In his first season as an NRL head coach, Henry incurred a fine of $10,000 for the Raiders by questioning the impartiality of the referee following a round 19 loss to Melbourne Storm in 2007.[6]
Henry was named Dally M Coach of the Year for 2008, ahead of other nominees Craig Bellamy, Ricky Stuart and Des Hasler.[7]
In October, 2008, 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 Australian Aboriginal rugby league team who played 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 Neil Henry was an assistant coach of the PM XIII team that played PNG. In 2010 Henry was in danger of losing his job after the Cowboys 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 Neil Henry was able to turn it around by winning 14 games.
Neil Henry was a finalist for Dally M coach of the year in 2011. [8]
However, on 29 July 2013, Neil Henry was informed by North Queensland Cowboys chairman, , that his services would no longer be needed in 2014 after a disappointing effort by the club.[9]
On 28 September 2013, it was announced that the former North Queensland mentor signed with Gold Coast Titans as an assistant coach.[10] He was elevated to the role of interim coach after John Cartwright tendered his resignation following a disappointing 2014 season for the club.[11]
On 17 August 2014, Henry coached his first game with the Gold Coast Titans in a 15-12 defeat by the Manly 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. It was also reported that Henry had fallen out of favour with other senior players at the Gold Coast club.[12][13][14]
2018 saw Henry return to representative coaching, taking the Junior Kangaroos to a win over France.
In 2019, Neil Henry began work for the NRL corporation acting as a coaching consultant.
Neil Henry re-joined the Queensland Sate of Origin staff in 2020 as an assistant coach to Wayne Bennett. In 2021, he will be assistant to Paul Green.
Television[]
Henry has recently turned his hand to expert commentary on Fox Sports.
Footnotes[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Neil Henry". Gold Coast Titans. 13 August 2016. Archived from the original on 21 March 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
- ^ Fox Sports (17 October 2008). "Royal welcome for 'King' Henry". Fox Sports. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
- ^ Zane Bojack (20 January 2010). "King Henry stands down from Origin". ABC. Retrieved 13 August 2016.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Mitch Jennings (20 January 2010). "Henry should be in frame for Coach of the Year". Illawarra Mercury. Retrieved 13 August 2016.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Brent Read (12 August 2013). "Tigers to consider Neil Henry as assistant coach". The Australian. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
- ^ Steve Jancetic (23 July 2007). "Simpkins spared over send off gaffe" (fee required). AAP Sports News (Australia). Retrieved 11 September 2008.[dead link]
- ^ Dean Ritchie (10 September 2008). "Henry rewarded for achieving impossible". Fox Sports News (Australia). Retrieved 11 September 2008.
- ^ "Royal welcome for 'King' Henry". Fox Sports News (Australia). 17 October 2008. Retrieved 18 October 2008.
- ^ "Cowboys sack Neil Henry".
- ^ "Henry signs on with the Titans".
- ^ Cartwright quits as Titans coach, NRL.com official website, 5 August 2014
- ^ "Hayne wins out as Neil Henry sacked". Sporting News.
- ^ "NRL coach Neil Henry sacked by Gold Coast Titans". The Guardian.
- ^ "Gold Coast Titans announce sacking of Neil Henry". Fox Sports.
External links[]
- 1961 births
- Living people
- Australian Aboriginal rugby league team coaches
- Australian rugby league coaches
- Australian rugby league players
- Canberra Raiders coaches
- Gold Coast Titans coaches
- North Queensland Cowboys coaches