Dane Gagai facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Dane Gagai

Personal information
Born	(1991-01-03) 3 January 1991 (age 34) Mackay, Queensland, Australia
Height	182 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	92 kg (14 st 7 lb)
Playing information
Position	Centre, Wing, Fullback
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 2011 Brisbane Broncos 6 4 0 0 16 2012–17 Newcastle Knights 128 29 3 0 122 2018–21 South Sydney 92 35 8 0 156 2022– Newcastle Knights 64 17 11 0 90 Total 290 85 22 0 384 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 2015–17 Indigenous All Stars 3 2 0 0 8 2015–24 Queensland 23 12 0 0 48 2015 Prime Minister's XIII 1 0 0 0 0 2017–18 Australia 7 4 0 0 16 2019–24 Māori All Stars 2 2 1 0 10
As of 14 September 2024
Parent(s)	Ray Gagai (father)
Relatives	Jacob Gagai (brother) Josh Hoffman (cousin) Travis Waddell (cousin) Wendell Sailor (cousin) Tristan Sailor (cousin)

Dane Gagai (pronounced gay-guy) is an Australian professional rugby league player. He was born on January 3, 1991. He plays as a centre or winger for the Newcastle Knights in the National Rugby League (NRL).

Dane has also played for the Brisbane Broncos and South Sydney Rabbitohs. He has represented Australia internationally. He also plays for the Indigenous All Stars and the Māori All Stars. For his state, he plays for Queensland in the famous State of Origin series. In 2017, he won the Wally Lewis Medal as the best player in the State of Origin series.

About Dane Gagai

Early Life and Family Connections

Dane Gagai was born in Mackay, Queensland, Australia. His family has strong ties to rugby league. His father, Ray Gagai, was also a rugby league player for the Brisbane Broncos.

Dane has a rich heritage. He is from the Torres Strait Islander people through his father's family. His mother's family is of Māori descent from New Zealand. This means Dane could play for either Australia or New Zealand in international games. His brother, Jacob Gagai, also plays rugby league for the South Sydney Rabbitohs. Several of his cousins, including Josh Hoffman and Wendell Sailor, have also played professional rugby league.

Junior Rugby League Journey

Dane went to Brisbane Boys' College where he played rugby union. He then switched to rugby league and played for Brisbane Wests as a junior. Later, he was signed by the Brisbane Broncos to join their youth team.

Gagai playing for the Broncos in 2009

Playing Career Highlights

Starting Out in the NRL (2009-2012)

From 2009 to 2011, Dane played for the Brisbane Broncos' youth team. He scored many tries, showing his talent early on. In 2010, he was named one of the best young players in the league. He also played for the Junior Kangaroos.

In 2011, Dane made his first-grade debut for the Brisbane Broncos. He scored a try in his very first game. He finished his first year with 4 tries in 6 matches. He was again named in the youth team of the year, this time as a winger.

Gagai playing for Brisbane in 2011

In 2012, Dane left the Broncos and joined the Newcastle Knights. He quickly made his mark, scoring a try in his first game for the Knights. He played 12 matches and scored 5 tries in his first season with Newcastle.

Growing as a Player (2013-2015)

Dane continued to play well for the Knights. In 2013, he played 23 matches and scored 5 tries. He decided he wanted to play for Queensland in the State of Origin series, even though he could have played for New Zealand.

In 2014, Dane was considered for the Queensland team but didn't make his debut yet. He played in all 24 matches for the Knights that year, scoring 7 tries.

The year 2015 was a big one for Dane. He played for the Indigenous All Stars team and helped them win. He also made his exciting State of Origin debut for Queensland. He scored the first try in Game 3, helping Queensland win by a huge margin. He played all 24 matches for the Knights, scoring 7 tries. Later that year, he played for the Prime Minister's XIII team against Papua New Guinea.

Key Moments and Achievements (2016-2017)

In 2016, Dane played for the Indigenous All Stars again. He also reached a milestone, playing his 100th NRL career game. After a tough loss, he was seen crying on camera. It was later shared that he was upset because his grandmother had passed away that day.

Dane was a star for Queensland in the 2016 State of Origin series. He scored a try in Game 1 and an amazing three tries (a hat-trick) in Game 2.

In 2017, Dane continued his strong form. He played for the Indigenous All Stars for the third time, scoring a try. He then signed a new contract to join the South Sydney Rabbitohs from 2018.

A major highlight of 2017 was when Dane won the Wally Lewis Medal. This award is given to the best player in the 2017 State of Origin series. He was the first winger to ever win this award, showing how important his performance was. After his final year with the Knights, he was selected to play for the Australia Kangaroos in the 2017 Rugby League World Cup. He made his international debut and scored his first international try in the tournament. He played a key role in Australia winning the World Cup final.

Time with South Sydney (2018-2021)

In 2018, Dane started his journey with the South Sydney Rabbitohs. He scored his first try for Souths against his old team, Newcastle. He also chose to play for the Maori All-Stars team, showing his connection to his Maori heritage.

In 2019, Dane played for the New Zealand Maori Kiwis against the Indigenous Australian All Stars, scoring two tries. He was a standout player in Game 1 of the 2019 State of Origin series, scoring two tries and being named man of the match. He finished the season with 10 tries for South Sydney.

In 2020, Dane continued to score tries, including his first NRL hat-trick against the Wests Tigers. He was involved in a scuffle during a game but continued to play well. He finished the season with 11 tries.

In 2021, Dane scored another hat-trick for South Sydney. It was announced that he would rejoin the Newcastle Knights in 2022. He played in the 2021 NRL Grand Final for South Sydney before moving back to Newcastle.

Return to Newcastle (2022-Present)

In 2022, Dane returned to the Newcastle Knights. During a State of Origin game, he was sent off the field for a short time for punching an opponent. He played 20 games for Newcastle that year.

In 2023, Dane played 22 games for the Knights as they made it to the finals. He played in both of their finals games.

In 2024, Dane scored two tries in a game against South Sydney. He played 22 games for Newcastle and helped them qualify for the finals. He also signed a new contract to stay with the Knights for two more years.

Accolades

• Wally Lewis Medal: 2017

Career statistics

Club

Year	Club	Team	Tries	Goals	Pts
2011	Brisbane Broncos	6	4		16
2012	Newcastle Knights	12	5		20
2013		23	5		20
2014		24	7	1	30
2015		24	7	2	32
2016		22	3		12
2017		23	2		8
2018	South Sydney Rabbitohs	25	4		16
2019		25	10	7	54
2020		19	11	1	46
2021		23	10		40
2022	Newcastle Knights	20	5		20
2023		22	4	1	18
2024		22	8	10	52
	Totals	290	85	22	384

source:

Representative