Stephen Kearney facts for kids
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Personal information
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| Full name | Stephen Peter Kearney | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 11 June 1972 Paraparaumu, New Zealand |
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| Height | 191 cm (6 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 103 kg (16 st 3 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Playing information
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| Position | Second-row | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Coaching information
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As of 21 September 2019
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Stephen Peter Kearney (born 11 June 1972) is a famous New Zealand rugby league coach and former player. He was the head coach for the New Zealand Warriors in the NRL until 2020.
Stephen Kearney was a captain for the New Zealand national team. He played as a second-row forward. His playing career lasted from the early 1990s to the mid-2000s. He played for several teams, including the Randwick Kingfishers, Western Suburbs Magpies, Auckland Warriors, Melbourne Storm, and Hull F.C.. He won the 1999 NRL Premiership with the Melbourne Storm and the 2005 Challenge Cup with Hull F.C.
Kearney also coached the New Zealand national team. He led them to victory in the 2008 Rugby League World Cup and the 2011 Rugby League Four Nations tournaments. He also coached the Parramatta Eels in the National Rugby League.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Stephen Kearney was born in Paraparaumu, New Zealand. He started playing rugby league as a junior for the Kapiti Bears.
He played for the Junior Kiwis team from 1989 to 1991. In 1991, he became the captain of the Junior Kiwis. That same year, he made his first senior appearance for the Randwick Kingfishers. He also played for the Wellington team.
Playing Career Highlights
Stephen Kearney became a professional player and moved to Australia in 1992. He joined the Western Suburbs Magpies in the NSWRL Premiership. In 1993, at just 21 years old, he became the youngest ever captain for the New Zealand national rugby league team.
He left the Magpies in 1994 and returned to New Zealand. He joined the Auckland Warriors for their very first season in 1995. After that season, he played for New Zealand in the 1995 Rugby League World Cup. He stayed with the Warriors until 1998.
Success with Melbourne Storm
In 1998, Kearney moved back to Australia to play for the Melbourne Storm. In only their second season, Kearney played as a second-row forward. He helped them win the 1999 NRL Grand Final. This was a huge achievement for the club.
After winning the 1999 Premiership, the Melbourne Storm traveled to England. They played against St Helens R.F.C. in the 2000 World Club Challenge. Kearney played in this game, and the Storm won. In 2002, he had to miss an important match against Great Britain. He rushed home to Melbourne because his five-year-old daughter needed emergency surgery.
In 2004, while captaining the Storm, Kearney made history. He became the first New Zealand player to play 250 first-grade matches in Australia. He also played his last test match for the Kiwis in 2004. He finished his playing career with the English club Hull F.C. in the Super League. He was part of the team that won the 2005 Challenge Cup.
Coaching Achievements
After retiring as a player in 2006, Kearney became an assistant coach. He returned to his old club, the Melbourne Storm, to work under coach Craig Bellamy. In 2008, he was appointed head coach of the New Zealand national rugby league team.
World Cup Victory
Kearney, along with assistant coach Wayne Bennett, led the Kiwis to their first ever Rugby League World Cup win. On 22 November 2008, they beat Australia 34–20 in the final. This historic game took place at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. Because of this amazing achievement, he was given the title of Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit. This award was for his great service to rugby league.
In 2010, Kearney coached New Zealand in the 2010 Anzac Test against Australia. Later that year, he led the Kiwis to victory again. They won the 2010 Four Nations Final against Australia.
Coaching in the NRL
In 2011, Kearney became the head coach of the Parramatta Eels in the NRL. His time with the Eels was challenging. In his first season, the team won only 6 out of 24 matches. In 2012, things did not improve much. He resigned in July 2012, having won only 10 out of 42 matches with the Eels.
After leaving the Eels, Kearney became an assistant coach for the Brisbane Broncos in 2013. He also continued to coach the New Zealand national team. In the 2013 Rugby League World Cup, his team reached the final but was beaten by Australia.
In November 2014, Kearney guided New Zealand to another big win. They won their second Rugby League Four Nations championship. They defeated Australia 22–18 in the final. By the end of 2015, he had achieved 23 test wins as coach. This included five wins over Australia, which was more than any previous New Zealand coach.
Return to New Zealand Warriors
On 12 September 2016, Kearney left his role as New Zealand coach. He accepted a new job as head coach of the New Zealand Warriors in the NRL. He signed a three-year deal.
In his first season with the Warriors in 2017, the team finished 13th. They won 7 out of 24 games. However, in 2018, the Warriors had a great start. They won their first 5 matches, which was a club record. They finished the season in eighth place, making it to the finals. They lost their first finals match to the Penrith Panthers.
Kearney signed a contract extension with the Warriors in February 2019, keeping him until 2022. However, on 20 June 2020, he was let go by the New Zealand Warriors due to poor results. His assistant coach, Todd Payten, took over.
Kearney returned to the Melbourne Storm in 2021 as an assistant coach. His contract was extended for two more years in September 2021.
Legacy and Recognition
Stephen Kearney has received several honors for his contributions to rugby league.
- In 2007, he was named in the Melbourne Storm team of the decade.
- In 2012, he was recognized as one of the New Zealand Rugby League's Legends of League.
- He was also named in the Wellington Rugby League's Team of the Century.
- In 2018, as part of their 20-year celebrations, the Melbourne Storm included Kearney in their team for the first 20 years.
Images for kids
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Stephen Kearney
