Ken Nagas facts for kids

Ken Nagas (born 18 June 1973) is an Australian former professional rugby league player. He played during the 1990s and early 2000s. Ken was known for playing for the Canberra Raiders in the National Rugby League (NRL). He mostly played as a wing (winger).

Early Life and Rugby Beginnings

Ken Nagas was born in Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia. He has Indigenous Australian and South Pacific island family roots.

He started playing junior rugby league for local teams in Bundaberg. When he was 16, he moved to Kyogle, New South Wales. There, he played for the Kyogle Turkeys and went to Kyogle High School. In 1991, Ken signed with the Canberra Raiders. While in Canberra, he studied at Lake Ginninderra College. He was also chosen to play for the Australian Schoolboys team.

Playing Career Highlights

Starting with the Raiders

In 1992, Ken Nagas played for the Raiders' Jersey Flegg Cup team (a junior competition). He also represented the New South Wales under-19 team that year.

Later in 1992, Ken made his first-grade debut for the Raiders. He played on the wing against the Newcastle Knights. This was his only game that season. In 1993, he played in nine games for Canberra and scored four tries.

Breakthrough Season and Grand Final Win

The 1994 was a big year for Ken. He played 18 games and scored 11 tries. One of his most famous tries was against the St George Dragons. He ran the whole length of the field to score, holding the ball in one hand!

Ken played on the wing in Canberra's Grand Final win in 1994. The Raiders beat Canterbury-Bankstown 36–12. Ken scored two tries in this important match.

Super League Era

In 1995, Ken Nagas and other Canberra Raiders players signed with Super League. He continued to play very well, scoring 14 tries in 19 games. However, because of the Super League conflict, he and some teammates were not chosen for representative teams that year. This was because only players signed with the Australian Rugby League were picked.

In the 1997 World Club Championship, Ken scored six tries for Canberra against Halifax. This set a club record for the Raiders.

Retirement from Rugby League

After playing for eleven seasons with the Canberra Raiders, Ken faced knee problems. These injuries made him retire from the sport in 2002.

Representing His State and Country

State of Origin Appearances

Even though Ken was born in Queensland, he was allowed to play for New South Wales. This was because he played his first senior game in Kyogle, New South Wales, when he was 16. He chose to play for New South Wales, a decision he later said he regretted.

He played for New South Wales in two games of the 1994 State of Origin series.

Super League Representative Games

In 1997, Ken was also chosen to play for New South Wales in the Super League Tri-series. He scored two tries in two of these games. He also played in the 'Grand Final' of the series against Queensland. This game is known as the longest professional rugby league game in Australian history, lasting 104 minutes!

In 1997, Ken Nagas played for Australia in the first ever ANZAC Test against New Zealand. He also played in three other international matches against Great Britain later that year. However, due to the Super League conflict at the time, these games are not officially counted by the Australian Rugby League. This means that even though Ken played in five international games in 1997, official Australian records do not list him as having represented his country.

Life After Playing

In 2004, Ken Nagas was named as one of the best Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to have played for the Canberra Raiders.

He later worked as a trainer for the Canberra Raiders' Under-20s team.

Career Highlights

• First Game: 1992 – Round 22, Canberra vs Newcastle Knights on 30 August.
• Premierships: 1994 – Part of the Canberra team that beat Canterbury Bulldogs 36–12, scoring two tries.
• Representative Selection: 1994 – Played in game II of the State of Origin series, where NSW beat Queensland 14–0.