Stephen Kearney facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Stephen Kearney
ONZM

Personal information
Full name	Stephen Peter Kearney
Born	(1972-06-11) 11 June 1972 (age 53) Paraparaumu, New Zealand
Height	191 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Weight	103 kg (16 st 3 lb)
Playing information
Position	Second-row
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1991 Randwick Kingfishers 1992–94 Western Suburbs 46 6 0 0 24 1995–98 Auckland Warriors 79 11 0 0 44 1999–04 Melbourne Storm 139 20 0 0 80 2005 Hull F.C. 24 5 0 0 20 Total 288 42 0 0 168 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1991 Wellington 7 0 0 0 0 1993–04 New Zealand 45 9 0 0 36
Coaching information
Club Years Team Gms W D L W% 2011–12 Parramatta Eels 42 10 1 31 24 2017–20 New Zealand Warriors 79 32 1 46 41 Total 121 42 2 77 35 Representative Years Team Gms W D L W% 2008–16 New Zealand 42 23 1 18 55
As of 21 September 2019

Stephen Peter Kearney, born on June 11, 1972, is a famous New Zealand rugby league coach and former player. Until 2020, he was the head coach for the New Zealand Warriors team in the NRL.

Stephen was a captain for the New Zealand national team and played as a 'second-row forward'. He played for several clubs from the early 1990s to the mid-2000s. These clubs included the Randwick Kingfishers, Western Suburbs Magpies, Auckland Warriors, Melbourne Storm, and Hull F.C.. He won the 1999 NRL Premiership with Melbourne Storm and the 2005 Challenge Cup with Hull F.C.

Before coaching the Warriors, Stephen was the head coach for the New Zealand national team. With them, he won the 2008 Rugby League World Cup and the 2011 Rugby League Four Nations tournaments. He also coached the Parramatta Eels in the NRL.

Early Life and Background

Stephen Kearney was born in Paraparaumu, a town in New Zealand. He started playing rugby league at a young age.

Stephen's Playing Career

Stephen Kearney began his rugby league journey with the Kapiti Bears junior team. He played for the Junior Kiwis from 1989 to 1991. In 1991, he became the captain of the Junior Kiwis team.

First Steps as a Player

In 1991, Stephen made his first senior appearance for the Randwick Kingfishers. He also played for the Wellington team that year. His Randwick team lost the Wellington Rugby League Grand Final.

Playing in Australia

Stephen 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 test captain for the New Zealand national rugby league team.

He left the Magpies at the end of 1994. Stephen then returned to New Zealand to play for the Auckland Warriors in their very first season in 1995. After that season, he went to England to play for New Zealand in the 1995 Rugby League World Cup.

Success with Melbourne Storm

Stephen stayed with the Warriors until 1998. Then, he moved back to Australia to join the Melbourne Storm. In only their second season, Stephen played as a second-row forward. He helped the team win the 1999 NRL Grand Final.

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. Stephen played a key role in their victory.

In 2004, while captaining the Storm, Stephen 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.

Finishing His Playing Days

Stephen finished his playing career with the English club Hull F.C. in the Super League competition. He was part of their team that won the 2005 Challenge Cup.

Stephen's Coaching Career

After retiring as a player in 2006, Stephen Kearney returned to Australia. He became an assistant coach at his old club, the Melbourne Storm. He worked under head coach Craig Bellamy.

Coaching the New Zealand National Team

In 2008, Stephen was chosen to be the head coach of the New Zealand national rugby league team. He signed a two-year contract.

Stephen Kearney celebrating the World Cup win in 2008.

Stephen, along with assistant coach Wayne Bennett, led the Kiwis to their first-ever Rugby League World Cup win. On November 22, 2008, they beat Australia 34–20 in the final. This big achievement led to him being honored as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

For the 2010 Anzac Test, Stephen coached New Zealand in their game against Australia. Later in 2010, he guided the Kiwis to victory in the 2010 Four Nations Final against Australia.

Coaching in the NRL

In 2010, Stephen was announced as the new head coach for the Parramatta Eels in the NRL. He coached them for three years starting in 2011.

His time with the Eels was challenging. In 2011, the team won only 6 out of 24 matches. Things did not improve much in 2012. Stephen resigned on July 20, 2012, after winning only 3 out of 19 matches that season. Overall, he had 10 wins from 42 matches with the Eels.

After leaving the Eels, Stephen signed a two-year contract in October 2012. He became an assistant coach for the Brisbane Broncos starting in 2013.

Return to Kiwis and Warriors

Stephen coached New Zealand in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup. They made it to the final but were beaten by Australia.

In November 2014, Stephen led New Zealand to their second Rugby League Four Nations championship. They defeated Australia 22–18 in the final. By the end of 2015, he had 23 test wins as coach. This was the most wins for any New Zealand coach.

On September 12, 2016, Stephen stepped down as the New Zealand coach. He accepted a new role as head coach of the New Zealand Warriors in the NRL. He signed a three-year deal.

In his first season coaching the Warriors in 2017, the team finished 13th. They won 7 out of 24 games.

However, in 2018, the Warriors started strong. They won their first 5 matches, which was a first for the club. They finished the season in eighth place with 15 wins. They then lost their first finals match to the Penrith Panthers.

Stephen signed a contract in February 2019 to stay with the Warriors until 2022. However, on June 20, 2020, he was let go by the New Zealand Warriors due to poor results. His assistant coach, Todd Payten, took over.

Stephen returned to the Melbourne Storm as an assistant coach for the 2021 NRL season. His contract was extended for another two years in September 2021.

Kiwis Coaching Record

Opponent	Played	Won	Drew	Lost	Win Ratio (%)
Australia	20	5	1	14	25.00
England	10	6	0	4	60.00
Papua New Guinea	3	3	0	0	100
Tonga	2	2	0	0	100
France	2	2	0	0	100
Samoa	3	3	0	0	100
Wales	1	1	0	0	100
Scotland	1	1	0	0	100
TOTAL	42	23	1	18	54.76

Stephen's Legacy in Rugby League

Stephen Kearney has left a lasting mark on rugby league. In 2007, he was named in the Melbourne Storm team of the decade.

In 2012, Stephen 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.

As part of their 20-year celebrations in 2018, the Melbourne Storm included Stephen Kearney in their team for the first 20 years.