Wally Lewis facts for kids
Lewis in 2009
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Personal information
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| Full name | Walter James Lewis | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 1 December 1959 Hawthorne, Queensland, Australia |
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Playing information
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| Height | 182 cm (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 95 kg (209 lb; 14 st 13 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Five-eighth, Lock | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Coaching information
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Walter James Lewis AM (born 1 December 1959) is a famous Australian former professional rugby league player. He also coached rugby league and later became a sports commentator on TV.
Wally Lewis is known as one of the greatest rugby league players ever. People often called him The King or The Emperor of Lang Park. He played for Queensland in 31 State of Origin games from 1980 to 1991. He was captain for 30 of those games. He also played for Australia in 33 international matches from 1981 to 1991. He was the national team captain from 1984 to 1989.
Lewis is especially famous for his amazing performances in State of Origin. He led Queensland to many wins in the 1980s. He won a record 8 "man of the match" awards in these games.
He has been added to the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame. In 1999, he became the sixth member of 'The Immortals', a special group of rugby league legends. In 2000, he received the Australian Sports Medal. This award recognized his important role in Australian rugby league.
In 2008, Wally Lewis was named one of Australia's 100 Greatest Players from 1908 to 2007. This was part of the sport's 100-year celebration in Australia. He was also chosen as a half in the Kangaroos' Team of the Century. In June 2008, he was picked for the Queensland Rugby League's Team of the Century as five-eighth and captain. In 2016, he became the 38th Legend of Australian Sport.
In 2009, he was named one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland. This was for his role as a "sports legend." In 2011, Lewis also received a Queensland Greats Award.
Contents
Early Life and Rugby Beginnings
Wally Lewis was born in Hawthorne, Queensland, on December 1, 1959. His father, Jimmy, played first-grade rugby league for Brisbane clubs. His mother, June, was a Queensland representative netball player.
Wally started playing rugby league at six years old with the Cannon Hill Stars. He often played as a lock forward. He played in junior Queensland school teams. Sometimes he represented his state against New South Wales.
Lewis went to Brisbane State High School in the 1970s. In 1977, while still in high school, he also played rugby union. He toured Europe and Japan with the Australian Schoolboys rugby union team. On this tour, he played with future rugby stars like Tony Melrose and Michael O'Connor. O'Connor later played both rugby codes for Australia, just like Lewis.
This 1977 tour was the first of three times Lewis would make undefeated tours of Britain with Australian national teams. Wally and his brother Scott, who also played rugby league, were butchers by trade.
Becoming a Rugby League Star
After his schoolboys tour, Lewis faced problems in rugby union because of his rugby league background. He was told he wouldn't be picked for representative teams if he kept playing league. So, he decided to focus on rugby league. He joined the Valleys Diehards in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership in 1978.
In 1979, Lewis played his first senior game for Queensland. He also played for a Brisbane team against the touring Great Britain Lions. With Ross Strudwick as captain-coach, Lewis helped Valleys win the premiership. They beat the Wayne Bennett-coached Souths Magpies in the Grand Final. A young Mal Meninga, who would become a long-time teammate, played for the Magpies that day.
Lewis played in the very first State of Origin match in 1980. He played at lock forward alongside his hero Arthur Beetson. Lewis helped set up Queensland's first-ever State of Origin try. The next year, in the second State of Origin match, Beetson was injured. He made 21-year-old Lewis captain, who moved to play as a five-eighth. This was a brilliant move.
His great form for Queensland led to his first Test game for Australia in 1981. He played five-eighth in a big win against France.
The Invincibles Tour
In the 1982 State of Origin series, Lewis scored his second Origin try. He also won his first "man of the match" award. Later that year, he was part of the 1982 Kangaroo tour as vice-captain. This Australian team became the first to go through Great Britain and France without losing a single game. They were nicknamed The Invincibles.
Lewis didn't play in the first test against Great Britain. His coach, Frank Stanton, challenged him to get fitter. Lewis worked hard, even jogging back from training to his hotel. His form improved, and he became a key player from the bench in later tests. One of his best moments was a perfect long pass to Mal Meninga in the second test. This pass showed how skilled Lewis was.
During the tour, Lewis captained Australia for the first time in an international game against Wales. He scored a try and kicked four goals in a win. He played five-eighth in the first test against France. However, he dislocated his shoulder in a minor game, ending his tour as a player.
In the 1983 State of Origin series, Lewis was named "man of the match" in two games. He also got his five-eighth spot back for Australia in tests against New Zealand.
Lewis also played for the English team Wakefield Trinity for a short time in 1983-84. He scored three tries in one game. He became the highest-paid player in England at that time.
Wynnum-Manly and National Captaincy
Back in Australia, Lewis joined the Wynnum-Manly Seagulls in 1984. He captained an Oceania team in an exhibition match in Paris. He became the national captain for Australia for the first time in the 1984 Ashes series against Great Britain. He was the first Queenslander to lead Australia to an Ashes victory.
Lewis also won the "player of the series" award for leading the Brisbane team to win the 1984 National Panasonic Cup. He was "man of the match" in the first two games of the 1984 State of Origin series. This made it three "man of the match" awards in a row for Origin. That year, he also led Wynnum-Manly to win the Brisbane Rugby League premiership. In 1985, he received the first-ever Golden Boot Award as the world's best international player.
Lewis was "man of the match" in Game II of the 1985 State of Origin series. He then played in Wynnum-Manly's 1985 Grand Final loss. The Australian team toured New Zealand that year, winning the test series.
In 1986, Lewis became the captain-coach of Wynnum-Manly. He led the team to a 14–6 win in the 1986 BRL Grand Final. He then became the first Queenslander since Tom Gorman in 1929-30 to be named captain for a Kangaroo tour. The 1986 Kangaroo tour was very successful, with Australia going undefeated. They were nicknamed The Unbeatables.
In 1987, Lewis was honored as a Member of the Order of Australia for his service to rugby league. A book about him, King Wally, was published. He was also inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. In 1987, Lewis led Queensland to a 2-1 Origin series win over NSW.
Joining the Brisbane Broncos
Many Sydney clubs tried to get Wally Lewis to play for them in the 1980s. But the Queensland Rugby League wanted him to stay. In 1988, Lewis finally played in the Sydney premiership. He joined the Brisbane Broncos as their first-ever captain. He led the new club to a big win in their very first game. Lewis was the Broncos' top try-scorer in their first season. He also scored the club's first hat-trick.
During the 1988 season, Lewis won the Harry Sunderland Medal. This award recognized him as Australia's best player in the Ashes series against Great Britain. Lewis and Sam Backo became the only Australian players to score a try in every test of an Ashes series. At the end of 1988, he captained Australia to win the 1985 - 1988 Rugby League World Cup final against New Zealand. He broke his right forearm during the game but bravely played on for 20 minutes.
Lewis won another "man of the match" award in the second game of the 1989 State of Origin series. He scored a famous try in that game, running 40 meters and beating several defenders. He then captained the Australian team for their mid-season tour of New Zealand.
At the end of the 1990 season, Lewis left the Broncos. The club needed to keep younger players due to salary rules.
Gold Coast Seagulls and Coaching
In 1991, Wally Lewis joined the Gold Coast Seagulls as captain. He won his eighth and last "man of the match" award in the first game of the 1991 State of Origin series. He played his last games for Queensland and Australia by the end of that year.
He captained and coached Gold Coast in 1992 NSWRL season. His last game as a player-coach for Gold Coast was a win against Penrith. He stopped playing but continued coaching the Seagulls in 1993. However, the team struggled, finishing last for three years in a row. He left the club after that.
Wally Lewis also coached the Queensland State of Origin side in 1993 and 1994. However, his teams did not win the series during those years.
Wally Lewis's Legacy
Wally Lewis is remembered for his creative playmaking and exciting moments on the field. The Wally Lewis Medal is awarded to the best player in the State of Origin series.
A bronze statue of Wally Lewis stands at the entrance to Lang Park (now Suncorp Stadium). The statue's words call him "The Emperor of Lang Park." They explain that he is one of the greatest rugby league players ever. He is one of only a few players named a Rugby League Immortal. He is also one of the first members of the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame.
The statue highlights his amazing achievements as Queensland captain in State of Origin. He played 31 Origin games, captaining 30 of them. He won a record 8 "Man of the Match" awards. The name Wally Lewis is strongly linked with State of Origin and Queensland Rugby League. He continues to inspire future players.
Lewis has also appeared in many advertisements. In 2007, the Broncos named him one of their 20 best players ever. In 2009, he was inducted into the Queensland Sports Hall of Fame.
What People Say About Wally
Many famous sports people have praised Wally Lewis:
- "Lewis has to be number one because he’s the only bloke who dominated the game at the highest level, in State of Origin, over a long period." – Ray Warren, sports commentator.
- "Certainly he's the best I've ever seen in the rugby codes." – Peter Meares, sports commentator.
- "...I haven't seen anyone step past or ahead of Wally Lewis. You've got the right bloke in at No. 1." – Steve Mortimer, former New South Wales captain.
- "For what it is worth, I rate him as the best footballer I ever laid eyes on." – Bill Harrigan, leading referee.
Personal Life
In November 1984, Wally Lewis married Jacqueline. They have two sons, Mitchell and Lincoln, and one daughter, Jamie-Lee. They separated in 2021.
His son, Lincoln, is an actor. His other son, Mitchell, is a radio presenter. His daughter, Jamie-Lee, was born profoundly deaf. This led to Wally's decision to retire from Origin football in 1991. Jamie-Lee is a water polo player who has represented Australia. She is the first deaf person to represent her country's national hearing team in water polo.
In May 2010, Lewis had surgery to remove his gallbladder.
Wally Lewis wrote his autobiography, Out of the Shadows: A Champion's Return to the Spotlight, in 2009. He is also a big fan of The Phantom comic series.
After retiring from playing, Lewis became a television sports presenter. He worked for Seven Nightly News Brisbane and then Nine News Queensland. He stepped down from this role in January 2023 due to health concerns.
Living with Epilepsy
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In November 2006, Wally Lewis had some on-air difficulties during news broadcasts. He later revealed that he has epilepsy. This condition caused his confusion during the broadcasts.
On February 21, 2007, Lewis had brain surgery to help his epilepsy. The surgery was successful, and he has made a full recovery.
Lewis has said that he doesn't remember some things from his rugby league career because of his epilepsy. He wants to work with epilepsy organizations to help raise awareness about the condition. He is also involved with the Hear and Say Centre, a charity for deaf children, because of his daughter Jamie-Lee.
Images for kids
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Lewis in 2008
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Wally Lewis "The King" in 2004
