Dean Widders facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Dean Widders

Personal information
Full name	Dean Richard Widders
Born	(1979-10-25) 25 October 1979 (age 45) Armidale, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Height	178 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	101 kg (15 st 13 lb)
Position	Second-row, Lock, Five-eighth
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 2000–01 Sydney Roosters 13 1 0 0 4 2002–06 Parramatta Eels 112 28 0 0 112 2007–08 South Sydney 34 7 0 0 28 2009–11 Castleford Tigers 60 23 0 0 92 Total 219 59 0 0 236 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 2006 NSW Country 1 0 0 0 0 2007 Prime Minister's XIII 1 0 0 0 0 2008 Aboriginal Dreamtime 1 0 0 0 0
Coaching information
Club Years Team Gms W D L W% 2015–17 Redfern All Blacks 2021–23 Parramatta Eels Women 21 5 0 16 24 Total 21 5 0 16 24

Dean Richard Widders (born 25 October 1979) is an Indigenous Australian former professional rugby league player. He played during the 2000s and 2010s. Today, he works with the National Rugby League (NRL). He helps create paths for Indigenous people in rugby league. He also coaches the Parramatta Eels Women team.

Dean Widders was a skilled player. He always cared deeply about rugby league. He believes the sport can help communities. This is especially true for people from rural areas and Indigenous Australians. He has strongly supported women playing rugby league. He coached the Indigenous Women's All Stars team. They won against the Jillaroos in 2017. He also teaches young people about leadership and making good choices. He is involved in many school programs. He played for and coached the Redfern All Blacks. They won three grand finals in a row from 2015 to 2017. He also won two Koori Knockouts in a row with them. He proudly won three Koori Knockouts with his hometown team, the Narwan Eels, in the 2000s.

Early Life and Rugby Beginnings

Dean Widders was born in Armidale, a town in New South Wales, Australia. He started playing rugby league when he was six years old. He played for the local Armidale Colts team. His father, Jake Widders, was a great player for the famous Aboriginal team, the Narwan Eels. Dean watched his dad play and was inspired. He tried other sports too, but he was best at rugby league. Dean also loved reading when he was a child. He still encourages others to read today.

As a teenager, Dean became very good at rugby league. He was known in his local area as a strong 'lock' player. He played for the Armidale Greens and the Narwan Eels. A scout from the Sydney Roosters club, Arthur Beetson, flew to Armidale to watch him play. In 1993, when Dean was 14, he was invited to a special try-out. He showed he was one of the best players there.

Playing Career Highlights

Starting in the NRL

In 1996, at age 17, Dean Widders moved to Sydney. He joined the Sydney Roosters club. That same year, he was chosen to be captain of an Aboriginal team. Dean made his first big game appearance for the Roosters in 2000. He played 13 matches for the club in the National Rugby League (NRL).

In 2002, Dean signed with the Parramatta Eels. In 2005, he was part of the Parramatta team that won the minor premiership. This means they finished first in the regular season. He left the club at the end of 2006. In 2006, he signed a three-year deal to play for the South Sydney Rabbitohs. He started playing for them in 2007.

Playing for Castleford Tigers

Dean Widders moved to England to join the Castleford Tigers for the 2009 season. He played 19 games in his first year and scored 6 tries. He started the 2010 season very well. He scored the winning try in Castleford's first game against the Leeds Rhinos. Dean got an injury and missed two months of the season. But he came back and played in a different position, linking up with another player, Rangi Chase.

Dean played well in 2011, which was his last season with the Castleford Tigers. The team did not make the playoffs that year. Dean said goodbye to the fans in Castleford during his last home game.

Community Work and Coaching

In 1997, Dean Widders went back to Duval High School in Armidale. He finished his Higher School Certificate, which is like a high school diploma. Dean is highly respected in his hometown of Armidale. In 2004, he received the NRL's Ken Stephen Medal. This award is given for positive work with young people in the community. In 2006, he was chosen to be part of the Federal Government's National Indigenous Council. This council advises the government on Indigenous issues. Dean is also an Ambassador for the National Aboriginal Sports Corporation Australia (NASCA). This group helps Indigenous youth through sports.

In November 2018, Dean Widders played in the Legends of League tournament. He played for the Parramatta team in Gosford. Today, he is the coach of the Parramatta Eels Women team. He coached them in the 2022 NRLW season.

Career Highlights

• Junior Club: Armidale, Narwan
• Career Stats: 219 first grade games scoring 59 tries
• Representative Honours: Country Origin (2006), Prime Minister's XIII (2007)
• Honours: Minor Premiership (2005) with Parramatta