Player Bio
Stephen Peter Kearney ONZM (born 11 June 1972) is a New Zealand professional rugby league football coach who until 2020 was the head coach of the New Zealand Warriors in the NRL and a former player.
A New Zealand national captain and second-row forward, Kearney's club football career, which spanned from the early 1990s to the mid-2000s, was played for the Randwick Kingfishers, Western Suburbs Magpies, Auckland Warriors, Melbourne Storm (with whom he won the 1999 NRL Premiership), and Hull F.C. (with whom he won the 2005 Challenge Cup).
Kearney was previously the head coach of the New Zealand national team, with whom he won the 2008 World Cup and 2011 Four Nations tournaments. He also previously coached the Parramatta Eels in the National Rugby League.
Kearney was born in Paraparaumu, New Zealand.
A Kapiti Bears junior, Kearney played for the Junior Kiwis between 1989 and 1991, becoming the side's captain for the 1991 series against Great Britain. He made his senior début in 1991 for the Randwick Kingfishers and also played for Wellington that year. Randwick lost the Wellington Rugby League Grand Final 6–14 to the Wainuiomata Lions.
Turning professional he moved to Australia to play for the Western Suburbs Magpies in 1992 in what is now the NSWRL Premiership. In 1993 he became the New Zealand national rugby league team' youngest test captain, aged 21. He left the Magpies at the end of 1994, returning home to play for the Auckland Warriors in their inaugural season. At the end of that season he travelled to England to represent New Zealand in the 1995 World Cup. He missed the first test match against a re-unified Australian team in 1998 due to suspension. Kearney remained a Warrior until 1998, when he moved to Australia to join the Melbourne Storm. In the Melbourne club's second ever season Kearney played at second-row forward in their victory in the 1999 NRL Grand Final. Kearney was selected for the New Zealand team to compete in the end of season 1999 Rugby League Tri-Nations tournament. In the final against Australia he played at second-row forward in the Kiwis' 22–20 loss.
Having won the 1999 Premiership, the Melbourne Storm travelled to England to contest the 2000 World Club Challenge against Super League Champions St Helens R.F.C., with Kearney playing at second-row forward in the victory. In 2002 Kearney missed the series-deciding match against Great Britain as he had to rush back home to Melbourne to be with his sick five-year-old daughter, who needed emergency surgery. While captaining the Storm in 2004, Kearney became the first New Zealand footballer to play 250 Australian first-grade matches. He also played his last test match for the Kiwis in 2004, in a game that marked the début of Sonny Bill Williams. Kearney finished his playing career with English club Hull F.C. in the Super League competition, playing in their 2005 Challenge Cup-winning side.
en.wikipedia.org
Junior Kiwi representative captain showed tremendous promise in Wests’ President's Cup grand final win over St George in 1992. Kearney developed into an accomplished ball-playing forward in 1993 and toured England and France with the Kiwi national side at the end of the year. He became the youngest player to captain NZ in a Test match that year (21 years 148 days, against Great Britain) but, incredibly, was injured when he fell from the balcony of a French hotel after the fixture collapsed. Kearney signed with the Auckland Warriors in 1995 but was frustrated by the club’s inconsistency and quickly found himself offside with club officials. In 1997 he led NZ to victory in the inaugural World Nines (Super League) competition in Fiji. He captained NZ in the ANZac Test the following year but was overlooked as leader in favour of Matthew Ridge and Quentin Pongia in the two Tests against Australia in September 1998. When a consortium headed by Graham Lowe brought the Warriors club in 1999 Kearney joined Melbourne but was suspended for a dangerous tackle early in the season and missed the ANZac Test. Cleared to play his part in Melbourne’s grand final victory after he was cited for an alleged high tackle on Parramatta’s Jason Smith, Kearney was again suspended in 2000 when his reckless tackle of opposing centre Jarrod McCracken eventually resulted in the W’Tigers captain’s early retirement. Kearney was a member of the NZ World Cup team in 2000 and was one of the Storms’ best players in the disappointing 2001 season in which the club failed to make the play-offs for the first time. In 2003 Kearney became the second-most capped player (44 Tests) in Kiwi Test history and captained Melbourne to the semi-finals in successive years before leaving Australia to see out his career with Hull in 2004.
www.rugbyleagueproject.org
A New Zealand national captain and second-row forward, Kearney's club football career, which spanned from the early 1990s to the mid-2000s, was played for the Randwick Kingfishers, Western Suburbs Magpies, Auckland Warriors, Melbourne Storm (with whom he won the 1999 NRL Premiership), and Hull F.C. (with whom he won the 2005 Challenge Cup).
Kearney was previously the head coach of the New Zealand national team, with whom he won the 2008 World Cup and 2011 Four Nations tournaments. He also previously coached the Parramatta Eels in the National Rugby League.
Kearney was born in Paraparaumu, New Zealand.
A Kapiti Bears junior, Kearney played for the Junior Kiwis between 1989 and 1991, becoming the side's captain for the 1991 series against Great Britain. He made his senior début in 1991 for the Randwick Kingfishers and also played for Wellington that year. Randwick lost the Wellington Rugby League Grand Final 6–14 to the Wainuiomata Lions.
Turning professional he moved to Australia to play for the Western Suburbs Magpies in 1992 in what is now the NSWRL Premiership. In 1993 he became the New Zealand national rugby league team' youngest test captain, aged 21. He left the Magpies at the end of 1994, returning home to play for the Auckland Warriors in their inaugural season. At the end of that season he travelled to England to represent New Zealand in the 1995 World Cup. He missed the first test match against a re-unified Australian team in 1998 due to suspension. Kearney remained a Warrior until 1998, when he moved to Australia to join the Melbourne Storm. In the Melbourne club's second ever season Kearney played at second-row forward in their victory in the 1999 NRL Grand Final. Kearney was selected for the New Zealand team to compete in the end of season 1999 Rugby League Tri-Nations tournament. In the final against Australia he played at second-row forward in the Kiwis' 22–20 loss.
Having won the 1999 Premiership, the Melbourne Storm travelled to England to contest the 2000 World Club Challenge against Super League Champions St Helens R.F.C., with Kearney playing at second-row forward in the victory. In 2002 Kearney missed the series-deciding match against Great Britain as he had to rush back home to Melbourne to be with his sick five-year-old daughter, who needed emergency surgery. While captaining the Storm in 2004, Kearney became the first New Zealand footballer to play 250 Australian first-grade matches. He also played his last test match for the Kiwis in 2004, in a game that marked the début of Sonny Bill Williams. Kearney finished his playing career with English club Hull F.C. in the Super League competition, playing in their 2005 Challenge Cup-winning side.
Stephen Kearney - Wikipedia
Junior Kiwi representative captain showed tremendous promise in Wests’ President's Cup grand final win over St George in 1992. Kearney developed into an accomplished ball-playing forward in 1993 and toured England and France with the Kiwi national side at the end of the year. He became the youngest player to captain NZ in a Test match that year (21 years 148 days, against Great Britain) but, incredibly, was injured when he fell from the balcony of a French hotel after the fixture collapsed. Kearney signed with the Auckland Warriors in 1995 but was frustrated by the club’s inconsistency and quickly found himself offside with club officials. In 1997 he led NZ to victory in the inaugural World Nines (Super League) competition in Fiji. He captained NZ in the ANZac Test the following year but was overlooked as leader in favour of Matthew Ridge and Quentin Pongia in the two Tests against Australia in September 1998. When a consortium headed by Graham Lowe brought the Warriors club in 1999 Kearney joined Melbourne but was suspended for a dangerous tackle early in the season and missed the ANZac Test. Cleared to play his part in Melbourne’s grand final victory after he was cited for an alleged high tackle on Parramatta’s Jason Smith, Kearney was again suspended in 2000 when his reckless tackle of opposing centre Jarrod McCracken eventually resulted in the W’Tigers captain’s early retirement. Kearney was a member of the NZ World Cup team in 2000 and was one of the Storms’ best players in the disappointing 2001 season in which the club failed to make the play-offs for the first time. In 2003 Kearney became the second-most capped player (44 Tests) in Kiwi Test history and captained Melbourne to the semi-finals in successive years before leaving Australia to see out his career with Hull in 2004.
- ALAN WHITICKER
Stephen Kearney - Playing Career - RLP
A summary of the career stats for Junior Kiwi representative captain showed tremendous promise in Wests’ President's Cup grand final win over St George in 1992. Kearney developed into an accomplished ball-playing forward in 1993 and toured England and France with the Kiwi national side at the...
www.rugbyleagueproject.org
