Craig Hancock
Encyclopedia
Craig Hancock is an Australian former professional rugby league
footballer of the 1980s and 90s. Hancock played for Manly
and Balmain
as well as being selected for New South Wales. He primarily played on the wing.
Hancock was selected to represent New South Wales as a winger for game I of the 1995 State of Origin
series.
Manly were the form team of the 1995 ARL season finishing minor premiers with a 20-2 record (equal with the Canberra Raiders
but with a better for and against record) and were hot favourites to win their 6th premiership when they lined up in the Grand Final against the Sydney Bulldogs who had finished 6th with a 14-8 record. However, the Bulldogs put in a heroic effort and defeated Manly 17-4 and keeping Manly, who had the best attack in the ARL in 1995, tryless during the game. Hancock scored 12 tries on the wing for Manly during 1995.
Hancock's 1996 season was interrupted by injury restricting him to just 3 games for the season. Luckily one of those games was the 1996 Grand Final against the St George Dragons. Manly were again hot favourites going into the game having won their 9th minor premiership. This time the Sea Eagles delivered and defeated the Dragons 20-8 with Hancock coming off the bench during the second half as a replacement for fullback Matthew Ridge
.
Matthew Ridge, Manly's fullback since 1990, had signed with Super league
in 1995 and was off to the Auckland Warriors in 1997. Manly coach Bob Fulton
moved Hancock to fullback for the season as a replacement for Ridge until the Round 17 clash with Parramatta
at Brookvale Oval
where he broke his ankle ending his season and missing the Sea Eagles 3rd Grand Final in succession where they were defeated by the Newcastle Knights
.
Hancock was moved back to his preferred wing position in 1998 by the emergence of new fullback Shannon Nevin. In a frustrating season, Manly's form of the previous 3 seasons dropped alarmingly and the club only scrapped into the finals in 10th place before being eliminated be Canberra in the Qualifying Finals. Following the 1998 NRL season, Hancock, after 10 seasons, 172 games and 64 tries for Manly, signed to play for the Balmain Tigers
in 1999.
Hancock played 20 games for the Tigers during 1999, adding a further 7 tries to his career total. Following the season the Tigers and the Western Suburbs Magpies
entered into a merger to become the Wests Tigers
and Hancock, after 192 senior games for Manly and Balmain as well as state of Origin selection for NSW in 1995 and the 1996 premiership, retired from rugby league at the age of 30.
Outside of rugby league, Craig Hancock is a fully qualified motor mechanic and runs his own mobile mechanics business.
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. Hancock played for Manly
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League's Telstra Premiership, the premier rugby league competition of Australasia...
and Balmain
Balmain Tigers
The Balmain Tigers are a rugby league football club based in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Balmain. They were a founding member of the New South Wales Rugby League and one of the most successful in the history of the premiership, with eleven titles...
as well as being selected for New South Wales. He primarily played on the wing.
Hancock was selected to represent New South Wales as a winger for game I of the 1995 State of Origin
1995 Rugby League State of Origin series
The 1995 State of Origin series was the 14th year that the annual best-of-three series of interstate rugby league football matches contested between the Queensland and New South Wales representative teams was played under 'State of Origin' selection rules...
series.
Manly were the form team of the 1995 ARL season finishing minor premiers with a 20-2 record (equal with the Canberra Raiders
Canberra Raiders
The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership since 1982...
but with a better for and against record) and were hot favourites to win their 6th premiership when they lined up in the Grand Final against the Sydney Bulldogs who had finished 6th with a 14-8 record. However, the Bulldogs put in a heroic effort and defeated Manly 17-4 and keeping Manly, who had the best attack in the ARL in 1995, tryless during the game. Hancock scored 12 tries on the wing for Manly during 1995.
Hancock's 1996 season was interrupted by injury restricting him to just 3 games for the season. Luckily one of those games was the 1996 Grand Final against the St George Dragons. Manly were again hot favourites going into the game having won their 9th minor premiership. This time the Sea Eagles delivered and defeated the Dragons 20-8 with Hancock coming off the bench during the second half as a replacement for fullback Matthew Ridge
Matthew Ridge
Matthew John Ridge is a New Zealand television presenter as well as a former All Black, and rugby league captain for the Manly Sea Eagles, New Zealand Warriors and Kiwis....
.
Matthew Ridge, Manly's fullback since 1990, had signed with Super league
Super League (Australia)
Super League was an Australian rugby league football administrative body that conducted professional competition in Australasia for one season in 1997. Along with Super League of Europe, it was created by News Corporation during the Super League war which arose following an unsuccessful attempt to...
in 1995 and was off to the Auckland Warriors in 1997. Manly coach Bob Fulton
Bob Fulton
Robert "Bob" Fulton AM is an Australian rugby league football identity. Fulton played, coached, selected for and has commentated on the game with great success at the highest levels and has been named amongst Australia's greatest rugby league players of the 20th century.As a player Fulton won...
moved Hancock to fullback for the season as a replacement for Ridge until the Round 17 clash with Parramatta
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...
at Brookvale Oval
Brookvale Oval
Brookvale Oval is a sporting ground located within Brookvale Park at Brookvale, New South Wales, Australia. The ground is owned by Warringah Council and is primarily used by the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles rugby league team...
where he broke his ankle ending his season and missing the Sea Eagles 3rd Grand Final in succession where they were defeated by the Newcastle Knights
Newcastle Knights
The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
.
Hancock was moved back to his preferred wing position in 1998 by the emergence of new fullback Shannon Nevin. In a frustrating season, Manly's form of the previous 3 seasons dropped alarmingly and the club only scrapped into the finals in 10th place before being eliminated be Canberra in the Qualifying Finals. Following the 1998 NRL season, Hancock, after 10 seasons, 172 games and 64 tries for Manly, signed to play for the Balmain Tigers
Balmain Tigers
The Balmain Tigers are a rugby league football club based in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Balmain. They were a founding member of the New South Wales Rugby League and one of the most successful in the history of the premiership, with eleven titles...
in 1999.
Hancock played 20 games for the Tigers during 1999, adding a further 7 tries to his career total. Following the season the Tigers and the Western Suburbs Magpies
Western Suburbs Magpies
The Western Suburbs Magpies are an Australian rugby league football club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests, as they are commonly referred to, were one of the nine foundation clubs of the first New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia...
entered into a merger to become the Wests Tigers
Wests Tigers
The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Sydney's mid-western suburbs. They have competed in the National Rugby League since they were formed at the end of the 1999 season as a joint-venture club between the Balmain Tigers and the Western Suburbs...
and Hancock, after 192 senior games for Manly and Balmain as well as state of Origin selection for NSW in 1995 and the 1996 premiership, retired from rugby league at the age of 30.
Outside of rugby league, Craig Hancock is a fully qualified motor mechanic and runs his own mobile mechanics business.
Career highlights
- First Grade Debut: 1989 - Round 3, Manly vs Newcastle KnightsNewcastle KnightsThe Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
at Marathon Stadium, 2 April - Representative Selection: 1995 - State of Origin Game 1, 15 May, at the Sydney Football Stadium.
- Premierships: 1996 - member of the Manly premiership winning team that defeated St. George Illawarra Dragons, 20–8