Laurie Daley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Laurie Daley

Daley at rugby league centenary celebrations in 2008
Personal information
Full name	Laurie William Daley
Born	(1969-10-20) 20 October 1969 (age 55) Junee, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Height	183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	92 kg (14 st 7 lb)
Position	Five-eighth, Centre, Lock
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1987–00 Canberra Raiders 244 87 44 9 445 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1988–96 NSW Country 7 3 0 0 12 1989–99 New South Wales 23 6 1 0 26 1990–99 Australia 21 11 0 2 46 1997 NSW (SL) 3 0 0 0 0 1997 Australia (SL) 5 4 0 0 16
Coaching information
Representative Years Team Gms W D L W% 2008–12 NSW Country 5 2 1 2 40 2011–22 Indigenous All Stars 10 4 1 5 40 2013–17 New South Wales 15 6 0 9 40 2013–14 Prime Ministers XIII 2 2 0 0 100 2025– New South Wales 0 0 0 0

Laurie William Daley AM (born 20 October 1969) is a famous Australian rugby league player and coach. People often call him "Lozza" or "Loz". He played as a centre or five-eighth in the late 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s.

Laurie Daley played for the Canberra Raiders during their most successful years in the 1990s. He also played for Australia 26 times. He is known as one of Australia's best rugby league players of the 20th century.

Growing Up and Starting Rugby

Laurie Daley was born in Junee, New South Wales, Australia. He is the third youngest of eight children and the only boy with seven sisters. His father was from Nangus, New South Wales, and his mother was Aboriginal from Wantabadgery.

He first played Australian rules football at school. Later, he switched to rugby league and played for the Junee Diesels. He loved the sport and was so good that he played in the top-level team at just 15 years old.

Amazing Playing Career

Laurie Daley started playing representative rugby league before he turned 19. In 1988, he was chosen to play for the NSW Country team. He was a top try-scorer in the 1989 season, scoring 16 tries.

Early Success with the Raiders

In 1989, Daley helped the Canberra Raiders win their first championship. They beat the Balmain Tigers 19–14 in a thrilling extra-time game. After this win, he traveled with the Raiders to England for the 1989 World Club Challenge. He played as a centre in their game against Widnes.

Daley also played his first games for New South Wales in the 1989 State of Origin series.

Leading New South Wales and Australia

In 1990, Daley played his first game for Australia as a five-eighth against France. He scored a try in his very first game! The Raiders won their second championship in a row that year. Daley was named the Raiders' player of the year. He was then chosen for the 1990 Kangaroo Tour in England and France.

Canberra coach Tim Sheens moved Daley from centre to five-eighth. Many thought he would become Australia's main five-eighth. In 1991, despite some injuries, Daley kept his spot in the NSW team. He also played for Australia in two big wins against New Zealand.

In 1992, Daley became the captain of the NSW Origin team. He led the Blues to a 2–1 series win against Queensland. He also helped Australia keep The Ashes against Great Britain.

In 1993, Daley captained Australia and kicked a field goal to save the team from a loss against New Zealand. In 1994, he again led NSW to an Origin series win. He then helped the Raiders win another championship, beating Canterbury-Bankstown 36–12. He even scored a 50-meter try in the final game! After this, he went on a successful 1994 Kangaroo Tour with six of his Canberra teammates.

Overcoming Challenges and Retirement

In 1995, there was a big disagreement in rugby league called the Super League War. Because Daley supported one side, he was not allowed to play in some important representative games, including the World Cup. Even so, he was named the Raiders' player of the year in 1995, 1996, and 1997.

In 1996, Daley was allowed to play for New South Wales again. In 1997, he captained the Super League teams for both New South Wales and Australia. He scored three tries in one game against Great Britain that year. In 1997, his daughter Jaimee Frances Daley was born.

In 1998, the Super League and Australian Rugby League joined to create the National Rugby League (NRL). Daley became the full-time captain for the Canberra Raiders. He was again named the Raiders' player of the year. In 1999, Laurie married Michelle, and their daughter Caitlin Rose Daley was born.

Injuries started to limit his playing time, and he had to retire in 2000. That same year, his book, Laurie: Always a Winner, was published.

Life After Playing Rugby

After retiring as a player, Laurie Daley moved into coaching and media roles.

Coaching and Commentating

From 2008 to 2012, he coached the NSW Country Origin team. In September 2007, Daley started working for the Nine Network. He appeared on The Footy Show and commentated on rugby league games.

In 2010, he was removed as the state's team selector after New South Wales lost the Origin series badly.

Breaking the Origin Drought

On 21 August 2012, Laurie Daley was chosen to be the NSW State of Origin coach starting in 2013. He took over from his former teammate Ricky Stuart.

In 2014, Daley led the Blues to their first series win since 2005! This was a huge moment for New South Wales fans. He became only the second person to play, captain, and coach a Blues team to an Origin series win.

In 2015 and 2016, New South Wales lost to Queensland. In 2017, NSW won the first game of the series but then lost the next two, losing the series. On 25 August 2017, his time as New South Wales coach ended. Brad Fittler took over from him.

What's Next for Laurie?

Since February 2018, Daley has co-hosted the Big Sports Breakfast on Sky Sports Radio. He also returned to commentating with NRL Nation radio. In July 2018, he joined CBS Sports as a co-host for Sports Tonight.

In 2022, he coached a team of former Kangaroo players in a special "Match Fit" squad. In February 2024, he joined the International Rugby League Board as an independent director.

On 2 December 2024, it was announced that Laurie Daley would return to coach the NSW State of Origin team again!

Awards and Recognition

Laurie Daley has received many awards and honors for his amazing career:

• In February 2008, he was named one of Australia's 100 Greatest Players from 1908–2007.
• In August 2008, he was chosen as the five-eighth in the Indigenous Team of the Century.
• On 11 January 2013, the local football ground in his hometown of Junee was renamed Laurie Daley Oval in his honor.

Laurie Daley working for the Nine Network