Brett Kenny
Encyclopedia
Brett Kenny is an Australian former professional rugby league
footballer of the 1980s and 90s. He was a five-eighth for the Australian national team, the New South Wales Blues
representative side and the Parramatta Eels
. He played in 17 Tests, made 17 State of Origin appearances and won 4 premierships with Parramatta. He is considered one of the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century.
representative, Brett Kenny did not turn to rugby league until well into his teenage years after baseball and athletics
. Despite a lack of experience, his talent was quickly noticed by Parramatta when playing in the juniors at Guildford and he was graded in 1980. So successful was Kenny in the lower grades that he was partnering established champion Mick Cronin
in the centres by the end of that year making seven first grade performances in his rookie season.
in the middle of the 1981 season worked wonders for a team that had struggled during the previous season and a half and under coach Jack Gibson
they developed into formidable competitors.
Kenny was the pivot between the fearsome backline combination of Cronin, Ella and Eric Grothe
and a tremendous scrum-base force of halfback, Peter Sterling
and lock, Ray Price. These stars formed the nucleus of a side which dominated the New South Wales Rugby League premiership
between 1981 and 1986 winning four premierships, once runners-up and once third.
In the 1981 Grand Final
against Newtown
, Parramatta were behind for most of the match but exerted a continuous pressure after half time which took its toll on the Jets. The Eels powered away to win comfortably with Kenny scoring two fine tries - the first when he flew away into the corner after a Ray Price break.
Along with Wally Lewis
, Kenny was selected to have his likeness adorn the newly-created state of Origin Shield. His superb performance in the 1982 Grand Final against Manly - scoring two tries and producing a wonderful step near the touchline to set up one for Eric Grothe
- made him a certainty for that year's Kangaroo tour.
The 1983 season
saw Kenny continue his irrepressible form for the most part - his 21 tries is the standing record for a five-eighth in an Australian rugby league premiership season and included eight tries over five consecutive games. However at one point that season he was rested for a time by coach Jack Gibson. He returned to his best in the finals, scoring two Grand Final tries for the third successive time in the Eels 18-6 win over Manly.
had a spell at Wakefield whilst Peter Sterling
moved to Humberside with Hull, but it was Kenny who made a lasting impression on the British game. He arrived in Wigan on the 3 December 1984 and made his debut in the 22-8 win against Warrington
. In the next 4 months Kenny went on to become an immortal at the club, scoring 19 tries and forming an elusive partnership with John Ferguson, who had been signed for a 3 month spell.
His finest moment came at Wembley as he led Wigan to their first Rugby League Challenge Cup
victory in 20 years. Having flown back John Ferguson for the game, the club were confident of a win. He caused controversy before a ball had been kicked by keeping his hands in his pockets during the National Anthem and the pre match ritual, looking uninterested. But all doubters were proved wrong as Kenny became the first Australian to be awarded the Lance Todd Trophy
for his Man-of-the-Match performance in the 1984–85 Challenge Cup final, commonly regarded as the greatest final in Challenge Cup history (played before 99,801 spectators). His solo try scored when Hull had full cover defence across the field was memorable but so too was his marshalling of the Wigan defence and his own tackle count contribution. Kenny in his one season became a firm favourite at Wigans' Central Park and found fans among many neutral supporters.
. In 1986 - when the Eels were hit by injuries to most of their top players - the Kenny/Sterling partnership reached its zenith, with the two stars regularly winning matches for the Eels. In the Grand Final, though Kenny was disallowed two tries the Eels won 4-2. That year Kenny won the Golden Boot as the best player in the world.
At the end of 1986 with the retirement or absence through injury of former Eels champions, things went downhill. Kenny was hit by injury in 1987 and was never at his best. His 1988 season was wiped out by a serious knee injury leading to a decision to retire from representative rugby league. Yet, even having lost a lot of pace, Kenny's footwork, passing skills and anticipation were stronger than ever. Between 1989 and 1992 he missed only three games for the Eels, constantly standing out in a struggling side after Sterling succumbed to severe shoulder problems. His tackling ability was so good that he was successfully moved to lock forward in 1991 despite his lack of kilograms. Back at five-eighth, his testimonial year in 1992 was again superb, and he recovered from contractual disputes and shoulder problems to finish his career on a high note in 1993 even if his form was not as good as in previous seasons.
level in 1982 as a replacement in game II before being selected in the run-on side for game III.
His season form saw him selected for the 1982 Kangaroo Tour
of a team that came to be known as the Invincibles
where Kenny played so well that he was selected in all six of the tour's Tests and for three of those he kept Wally Lewis out of the Test team. He scored six tries in the Tests plus six minor tour matches. For the rest of Kenny's international career he was picked in the centres to accommodate Lewis at five-eighth.
He toured in 1986 with the second Kangaroo side to go through a tour unbeaten, scoring eight tries in five Tests and nine minor tour matches. That year he was also named man-of-the-match in the final game of the State of Origin series.
were able to do this, enabling Kenny to focus on his kick-chase which accounted for many of his 110 first grade tries for Parramatta. Kenny was also a brilliant tackler, consistently able to bring down much bigger players like Wally Lewis
, Mal Meninga
and Gene Miles
in State of Origin
games during the 1980s. Kenny was in his early days capable of great acceleration, often aided by feigning to deceive a would-be tackler or a quite simple dummy. When Wally Lewis was at the height of his Origin dominance Kenny was one of the few NSW players with an ability to match and possibly contain him.
In 2000 he was awarded the Australian Sports Medal
for his contribution to Australia's international standing in rugby league. In 2006 he coached the Penrith Panthers
under 20 Jersey Flegg Cup
side to a premiership title.He is married to Julie Kenny and has 3 children, Joshua, Nikkolah and Mitchell.
Kenny made a cameo appearance in the 2006 film, Footy Legends
.
In February 2008, Kenny was named in the list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players (1908–2007) which was commissioned by the NRL
and ARL
to
celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia.
In 2010, Kenny became the coach of the Wentworthville Magpies in the NSW Cup competition, taking over from Rip Taylor.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
footballer of the 1980s and 90s. He was a five-eighth for the Australian national team, the New South Wales Blues
New South Wales Rugby League team
The New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1907. Administered by the New South Wales Rugby League, the team competes in the annual State of Origin series against arch-rivals, the...
representative side and the Parramatta Eels
Parramatta Eels
The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, with their First Grade side playing their first season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League...
. He played in 17 Tests, made 17 State of Origin appearances and won 4 premierships with Parramatta. He is considered one of the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century.
Youth and baseball
The son of a former Australian baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
representative, Brett Kenny did not turn to rugby league until well into his teenage years after baseball and athletics
Athletics (track and field)
Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking...
. Despite a lack of experience, his talent was quickly noticed by Parramatta when playing in the juniors at Guildford and he was graded in 1980. So successful was Kenny in the lower grades that he was partnering established champion Mick Cronin
Mick Cronin (rugby league)
Michael William "Mick" Cronin OAM is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. He was a goal-kicking centre for the Australian national team and a stalwart for the Parramatta Eels club. He played in 22 Tests and 11 World Cup matches between 1973 and 1982...
in the centres by the end of that year making seven first grade performances in his rookie season.
Parramatta
A swap with five-eighth Steve EllaSteve Ella
Steve Ella is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1980s. He was a utility back for the Australian national team, playing in 4 Tests between 1983 and 1985...
in the middle of the 1981 season worked wonders for a team that had struggled during the previous season and a half and under coach Jack Gibson
Jack Gibson (rugby league)
Jack Arthur Gibson OAM was an Australian rugby league identity – a player, commentator and most notably a coach...
they developed into formidable competitors.
Kenny was the pivot between the fearsome backline combination of Cronin, Ella and Eric Grothe
Eric Grothe, Sr.
Eric "Guru" Grothe is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 1980s. A New South Wales and Australian representative winger, he played club football for the Parramatta Eels with whom he won four NSWRL premierships...
and a tremendous scrum-base force of halfback, Peter Sterling
Peter Sterling
Peter Maxwell John "Sterlo" Sterling OAM is an Australian rugby league commentator and former player. He was one of the all-time great halfbacks and a major contributor to Parramatta Eels' dominance of the New South Wales Rugby League premiership in the 1980s. Sterling played nineteen Tests for...
and lock, Ray Price. These stars formed the nucleus of a side which dominated the New South Wales Rugby League premiership
New South Wales Rugby League premiership
The New South Wales Rugby League premiership was the first rugby league football club competition established in Australia. Run by the New South Wales Rugby League from 1908 until 1994, the premiership was the state's and later the country's elite rugby league competition...
between 1981 and 1986 winning four premierships, once runners-up and once third.
In the 1981 Grand Final
Grand Final
Grand Final is a predominantly Australian sport term used to describe a match that decides a league champion.It originated in Victoria and South Australia and has become specifically significant Australian culture...
against Newtown
Newtown Jets
The Newtown Jets are an Australian rugby league football club based in Newtown, a suburb of Sydney's inner west. They currently compete in the NSWRL Premier League competition, having left the top grade after the 1983 NSWRFL season...
, Parramatta were behind for most of the match but exerted a continuous pressure after half time which took its toll on the Jets. The Eels powered away to win comfortably with Kenny scoring two fine tries - the first when he flew away into the corner after a Ray Price break.
Along with Wally Lewis
Wally Lewis
Walter James "Wally" Lewis AM is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer and coach. Currently a commentator of the sport, he is widely regarded as the greatest rugby league player of all time...
, Kenny was selected to have his likeness adorn the newly-created state of Origin Shield. His superb performance in the 1982 Grand Final against Manly - scoring two tries and producing a wonderful step near the touchline to set up one for Eric Grothe
Eric Grothe, Sr.
Eric "Guru" Grothe is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 1980s. A New South Wales and Australian representative winger, he played club football for the Parramatta Eels with whom he won four NSWRL premierships...
- made him a certainty for that year's Kangaroo tour.
The 1983 season
New South Wales Rugby Football League season 1983
The 1983 NSWRFL season was the seventy-sixth season of professional rugby league football in Australia. Fourteen teams competed for the J J Giltinan Shield and Winfield Cup during the season, which culminated in a replay of the previous year's grand final between the Parramatta and Manly-Warringah...
saw Kenny continue his irrepressible form for the most part - his 21 tries is the standing record for a five-eighth in an Australian rugby league premiership season and included eight tries over five consecutive games. However at one point that season he was rested for a time by coach Jack Gibson. He returned to his best in the finals, scoring two Grand Final tries for the third successive time in the Eels 18-6 win over Manly.
Wigan
After the ban on foreign imports was lifted, the '82 invincibles were in high demand. Wally LewisWally Lewis
Walter James "Wally" Lewis AM is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer and coach. Currently a commentator of the sport, he is widely regarded as the greatest rugby league player of all time...
had a spell at Wakefield whilst Peter Sterling
Peter Sterling
Peter Maxwell John "Sterlo" Sterling OAM is an Australian rugby league commentator and former player. He was one of the all-time great halfbacks and a major contributor to Parramatta Eels' dominance of the New South Wales Rugby League premiership in the 1980s. Sterling played nineteen Tests for...
moved to Humberside with Hull, but it was Kenny who made a lasting impression on the British game. He arrived in Wigan on the 3 December 1984 and made his debut in the 22-8 win against Warrington
Warrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....
. In the next 4 months Kenny went on to become an immortal at the club, scoring 19 tries and forming an elusive partnership with John Ferguson, who had been signed for a 3 month spell.
His finest moment came at Wembley as he led Wigan to their first Rugby League Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
victory in 20 years. Having flown back John Ferguson for the game, the club were confident of a win. He caused controversy before a ball had been kicked by keeping his hands in his pockets during the National Anthem and the pre match ritual, looking uninterested. But all doubters were proved wrong as Kenny became the first Australian to be awarded the Lance Todd Trophy
Lance Todd Trophy
The Lance Todd Trophy is awarded to the Man-of-the-Match in rugby league football's Challenge Cup Final.The trophy was introduced in 1946, in memory of Lance Todd, the New Zealand-born player and administrator, who was killed in a road accident during the Second World War...
for his Man-of-the-Match performance in the 1984–85 Challenge Cup final, commonly regarded as the greatest final in Challenge Cup history (played before 99,801 spectators). His solo try scored when Hull had full cover defence across the field was memorable but so too was his marshalling of the Wigan defence and his own tackle count contribution. Kenny in his one season became a firm favourite at Wigans' Central Park and found fans among many neutral supporters.
Golden Boot
Kenny was acclaimed as the best player in rugby league history by former GB and Wigan great Billy BostonBilly Boston
William John "Billy" Boston MBE is a former Wales and Great Britain professional Rugby League World Cup winning footballer. Boston is a member of the Rugby League Hall of Fame, Welsh Sports Hall of Fame and was, along with Shaun Edwards the first to be voted into the Wigan Hall Of Fame...
. In 1986 - when the Eels were hit by injuries to most of their top players - the Kenny/Sterling partnership reached its zenith, with the two stars regularly winning matches for the Eels. In the Grand Final, though Kenny was disallowed two tries the Eels won 4-2. That year Kenny won the Golden Boot as the best player in the world.
At the end of 1986 with the retirement or absence through injury of former Eels champions, things went downhill. Kenny was hit by injury in 1987 and was never at his best. His 1988 season was wiped out by a serious knee injury leading to a decision to retire from representative rugby league. Yet, even having lost a lot of pace, Kenny's footwork, passing skills and anticipation were stronger than ever. Between 1989 and 1992 he missed only three games for the Eels, constantly standing out in a struggling side after Sterling succumbed to severe shoulder problems. His tackling ability was so good that he was successfully moved to lock forward in 1991 despite his lack of kilograms. Back at five-eighth, his testimonial year in 1992 was again superb, and he recovered from contractual disputes and shoulder problems to finish his career on a high note in 1993 even if his form was not as good as in previous seasons.
Representative career
Bert (to his fans) debuted at the State of OriginRugby League State of Origin
State of Origin is an annual best of three series of rugby league football matches contested by the Maroons and the Blues, who represent the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales respectively...
level in 1982 as a replacement in game II before being selected in the run-on side for game III.
His season form saw him selected for the 1982 Kangaroo Tour
Kangaroo Tour
Kangaroo Tour is the name given to Australian national rugby league team tours of Great Britain and France. The first Kangaroo Tour was in 1908. Traditionally, Kangaroo Tours took place every four years and involved a three-Test Ashes series against Great Britain and a number of tour matches...
of a team that came to be known as the Invincibles
The Invincibles (rugby league)
The Australia national rugby league team have generally since 1908 barring wartime, toured Great Britain every four years often capping the tour with games and Tests in France. This regular touring side are known as the Kangaroos...
where Kenny played so well that he was selected in all six of the tour's Tests and for three of those he kept Wally Lewis out of the Test team. He scored six tries in the Tests plus six minor tour matches. For the rest of Kenny's international career he was picked in the centres to accommodate Lewis at five-eighth.
He toured in 1986 with the second Kangaroo side to go through a tour unbeaten, scoring eight tries in five Tests and nine minor tour matches. That year he was also named man-of-the-match in the final game of the State of Origin series.
Playing style
He was a prodigiously skilled five-eighth with tremendous footwork and anticipation. Parramatta didn't suffer from Kenny's lack of kicking prowess since Sterling, Mick Cronin, Steve Ella and John MuggletonJohn Muggleton
John Muggleton is a former rugby league player who represented Parramatta Eels in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership, New South Wales in State of Origin competition and the Australian national team...
were able to do this, enabling Kenny to focus on his kick-chase which accounted for many of his 110 first grade tries for Parramatta. Kenny was also a brilliant tackler, consistently able to bring down much bigger players like Wally Lewis
Wally Lewis
Walter James "Wally" Lewis AM is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer and coach. Currently a commentator of the sport, he is widely regarded as the greatest rugby league player of all time...
, Mal Meninga
Mal Meninga
Malcolm Norman Meninga AM is an Australian former rugby league test captain and current coach of Queensland's State of Origin team. As a player he was a legendary goal-kicking centre, counted amongst the finest footballers of the 20th century...
and Gene Miles
Gene Miles
Gene Miles is a retired Australian rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s. An Australian international and Queensland State of Origin representative centre, he played his club football in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership before joining the Brisbane Broncos whom he captained.-BRL:A...
in State of Origin
Rugby League State of Origin
State of Origin is an annual best of three series of rugby league football matches contested by the Maroons and the Blues, who represent the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales respectively...
games during the 1980s. Kenny was in his early days capable of great acceleration, often aided by feigning to deceive a would-be tackler or a quite simple dummy. When Wally Lewis was at the height of his Origin dominance Kenny was one of the few NSW players with an ability to match and possibly contain him.
Statistical highlights
He held the Parramatta club record for the most first grade games (265) from 1993 to 2010, and has scored the most tries (110) for the club. His 21 tries in the 1983 season stands second behind Steve Ella's 23 for most tries in a season.Post playing
Since retirement, Brett Kenny has kept a low profile other than publishing an autobiography, The Natural, and writing occasionally about the game.In 2000 he was awarded the Australian Sports Medal
Australian Sports Medal
The Australian Sports Medal was an award given during 2000 to recognise achievements in Australian sport.Recipients of the award included competitors, coaches, sports scientists, office holders, and people who maintained sporting facilities and services. Over 18,000 Medals were...
for his contribution to Australia's international standing in rugby league. In 2006 he coached the Penrith Panthers
Penrith Panthers
The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, the top rugby league football competition in Australasia. For the 2012 NRL season they will be coached by Ivan...
under 20 Jersey Flegg Cup
Jersey Flegg Cup
The Jersey Flegg Cup was a junior rugby league competition played in New South Wales, contested among teams made up of players aged under 20. The competition was administered by the New South Wales Rugby League and run concurrently with the National Rugby League...
side to a premiership title.He is married to Julie Kenny and has 3 children, Joshua, Nikkolah and Mitchell.
Kenny made a cameo appearance in the 2006 film, Footy Legends
Footy Legends
Footy Legends is a 2006 Australian film, directed, written and produced by Khoa Do, starring his older brother Anh Do, Angus Sampson, Emma Lung and Claudia Karvan. It was filmed in and around Sydney, Australia, mostly in the western suburbs...
.
In February 2008, Kenny was named in the list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players (1908–2007) which was commissioned by the NRL
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
and ARL
Australian Rugby League
The Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...
to
celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia.
In 2010, Kenny became the coach of the Wentworthville Magpies in the NSW Cup competition, taking over from Rip Taylor.
External links
- Brett Kenny at stateoforigin.com.au
- Brett Kenny Wigan Playing Career Page on the Wigan RL Fansite.
- Whiticker, AlanAlan WhitickerAlan J. Whiticker is an Australian non-fiction author with currently over 30 published books.Whiticker writes primarily on matters pertaining to the history of the sport of rugby league in Australia, but has also published works on subjects as diverse as the Wanda Beach Murders and an adaptation...
and Hudson, Glen; The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players (1998, 3rd ed) Gary Allen Pty. Ltd - Kenny, Brett with Cardigan, Neil The Natural: Brett Kenny's Life in League (1993) Ironbark Press, Randwick, N.S.W.
- Andrews, Malcolm (2006) The ABC of Rugby League Austn Broadcasting Corpn, Sydney