Nathan Gardner
Encyclopedia
Nathan Gardner is an Australian professional rugby league
footballer who currently plays for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the National Rugby League
. He is by preference a fullback, but can also play on the wing. He previously played for the Parramatta Eels
Toyota Cup side. He made his first-grade debut in the 2010 season
against the Penrith Panthers
and has since cemented his spot as the Sharks starting fullback.
at under 17 level. He was signed by the Parramatta Eels
for the 2008 season and began playing in their Toyota Cup side. In his first season at the club he played a total of 16 games and scored 136 points including kicking 32 goals from 44 attempts as well as scoring 18 tries. Those 18 tries included four in one game against the St. George-Illawarra Dragons as well as a hat-trick against the Penrith Panthers
. A shoulder injury kept him out for the beginning of the 2009 season but he returned to action against the Dragons in round 5 and scored two tries including an 80 metre effort. He played a further 13 games for the season, scoring 100 points including 12 tries and 26 goals from 41 attempts. His season came to a premature end when he suffered a hamstring strain in the round 21 clash against the Sharks. In total he played 29 Toyota Cup games for the club scoring more than a try a game with 30 tries and kicking 58 goals for a tally of 236 points.
Nathan also has a brother, Aydan Gardner, who play's for Cabramtta div 1 c-grade, who is well on his way to cracking the big-time and being better than his older brother Nathan. Aydan represented Australia in 2009 at the Junior sanix rugby world cup.
. Gardner explained the reasoning behind his move, stating that he moved to the Sharks to get the chance to play first-grade football. He came off the bench in the trial matches against Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
and the Wests Tigers
, although he began the season in the Toyota Cup competition. He scored a try in each of his first two games for the club against Melbourne
and New Zealand
and followed that up with four tries to help the Toyota Cup side to their first victory of the season with a 22 points to 16 victory over South Sydney
. He played in the next five matches scoring one more try and kicking two goals from four attempts.
poor form and a knee injury to Nathan Stapleton
, Gardner became the clubs second debutant of the season after he was selected to play in his first first-grade match in the round 10 match against the Penrith Panthers
at Toyota Stadium
on the 16th of May. Despite eventually losing the game 34 points to 14, Gardner scored a try to help level the scores at 6-all after being set up by Tim Smith. Gardner credited Kade Snowden
with getting him physically prepared for first-grade football and Trent Barrett
and Paul Gallen
for mentally preparing him. In the following game against his former club, the Parramatta Eels
, Gardner kicked all three of his attempted conversions in a 22 points to 18 victory.
In round 13, Gardner inspired the club to a 42 points to 18 upset win against the Sydney Roosters
at the Sydney Football Stadium. He kicked a total of 7 goals from 9 attempts and although it was his error that led to a try for Shaun Kenny-Dowall
just after the interval, he atoned for the error just under eight minutes later when he scored what many were already tipping as one of the tries of the season. After catching a Braith Anasta
bomb just under ten metres out from his own try line, Gardner side-stepped an oncoming player and then sprinted down the left-hand sideline before running across field to score in the corner of the opposite side of the field. Gardner was awarded the man of the match for his performance after notching an 18 point tally. Despite his impressive performance against the Roosters, coach Ricky Stuart suggested that he was planning on giving Gardner a break from first-grade football at some stage during the season.
Gardner kept up his impressive form after scoring a try and kicking 1 goal from 3 attempts in the 20 points to 19 victory over the North Queensland Cowboys
in round 16. He also scored a try in round 19 in the 48 points to 18 loss against the Manly Sea Eagles
and followed that up two games later with a try in the controversial 24 points to 22 loss against the Wests Tigers
. Two rounds later, in the round 23 match against the Sydney Roosters
, Gardner scored the match winning try which sealed an 18 points to 12 victory at Toyota Stadium. During the match he was hit high by Frank-Paul Nu'uausala and then taken out in mid air by Braith Anasta
. Both players were placed on report following the incidents. After the match, Sharks coach Shane Flanagan
tipped Gardner as a long term fullback for the club despite believing just six months earlier that he was too small to make an impact in first grade due to his small stature. Flanagan praised his bravery by stating "he is one of the toughest players for his size I have ever seen." He scored another try two games later, in a 30 points to 16 victory over the Gold Coast Titans
, in the clubs last home game of the season. In the final game of the season against the Penrith Panthers
, Gardner scored another brilliant individual try again after catching a bomb just ten metres out from his own try line and running almost the length of the field to score. However, it was no more than a consolation try in a game that the Sharks would go on to lose 50 points to 12.
Despite playing just 16 first-grade clubs in his debut season, Gardner finished as the clubs top try scorer with eight tries. He also kicked 11 goals from 17 attempts making him joint leading point scorer for the club with Luke Covell
after finishing with a total of 54 points. He also racked up five assists for the season which put him second at the club behind Trent Barrett
.
At the 2010 Dally M Awards
, Gardner was nominated for the 'Rookie of the Year' but lost out to Matt Gillett
of the Brisbane Broncos
. He was also nominated for the 'Peter Frilingos
Headline Moment of the Year' for his try against the Roosters
in round 13 but lost out to Jarryd Hayne
who won the award for his try against the Penrith Panthers
. He also polled seven points towards the Dally M Medal
. In an official NRL online poll Gardner's try against the Roosters in round 13 was voted, by fans, as try of the year. At the clubs end of season awards Gardner was awarded the Steve Rogers Rookie of the Year award.
Gardner has earned a reputation as one of the quickest players in the competition and was invited to race in the first ever Gatorade Bolt event which aimed to find the quickest athlete out of all the football codes in Australia. Gardner finished forth in the race.
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 who currently plays for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the National Rugby League
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...
. He is by preference a fullback, but can also play on the wing. He previously played for 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...
Toyota Cup side. He made his first-grade debut in the 2010 season
2010 NRL season
The 2010 NRL season was the 103rd season of professional rugby league football club competition in Australia, and the thirteenth run by the National Rugby League. The season commenced on 12 March and ended with the Grand Final, played on 3 October at ANZ Stadium...
against 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...
and has since cemented his spot as the Sharks starting fullback.
Early career
As a junior, Gardner played for the Fairfield Pats Rugby League Club before moving on to play for the Cabramatta Two Blues.Gardner attended Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield a noted rugby league school. He earned representative honours when he was selected to play for the Australian school boys side at the under 15 level and earned further representative honours, playing for New South WalesNew 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...
at under 17 level. He was signed by 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...
for the 2008 season and began playing in their Toyota Cup side. In his first season at the club he played a total of 16 games and scored 136 points including kicking 32 goals from 44 attempts as well as scoring 18 tries. Those 18 tries included four in one game against the St. George-Illawarra Dragons as well as a hat-trick against 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...
. A shoulder injury kept him out for the beginning of the 2009 season but he returned to action against the Dragons in round 5 and scored two tries including an 80 metre effort. He played a further 13 games for the season, scoring 100 points including 12 tries and 26 goals from 41 attempts. His season came to a premature end when he suffered a hamstring strain in the round 21 clash against the Sharks. In total he played 29 Toyota Cup games for the club scoring more than a try a game with 30 tries and kicking 58 goals for a tally of 236 points.
Nathan also has a brother, Aydan Gardner, who play's for Cabramtta div 1 c-grade, who is well on his way to cracking the big-time and being better than his older brother Nathan. Aydan represented Australia in 2009 at the Junior sanix rugby world cup.
Cronulla Sharks
After the 2009 season, Gardner was signed during the off-season by Cronulla Sharks coach Ricky StuartRicky Stuart
Ricky Stuart is an Australian rugby league football coach and former player of the 1980s and 90s. He is currently the head coach of the New South Wales State of Origin team, having replaced Craig Bellamy following a fifth consecutive failure in the 2010 series...
. Gardner explained the reasoning behind his move, stating that he moved to the Sharks to get the chance to play first-grade football. He came off the bench in the trial matches against Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
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 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...
, although he began the season in the Toyota Cup competition. He scored a try in each of his first two games for the club against Melbourne
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
and New Zealand
New Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia...
and followed that up with four tries to help the Toyota Cup side to their first victory of the season with a 22 points to 16 victory over South Sydney
South Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...
. He played in the next five matches scoring one more try and kicking two goals from four attempts.
2010 (Debut season)
After Albert Kelly'sAlbert Kelly
Albert Kelly is an Australian rugby league player for the Cronulla Sharks in the NRL competition. He was educated at Patrician Brothers' College Blacktown. He plays as a . His cousin is Greg Inglis of the South Sydney Rabbitohs. He previously played for the Parramatta Eels in the lower...
poor form and a knee injury to Nathan Stapleton
Nathan Stapleton
Nathan Stapleton is an Australian Rugby league player in the National Rugby League, from Deepwater in the New England region of Northern New South Wales. He plays for the Cronulla Sharks. He attended Toowoomba Grammar School and The Southport School, where he competed in many sports in the GPS...
, Gardner became the clubs second debutant of the season after he was selected to play in his first first-grade match in the round 10 match against 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...
at Toyota Stadium
Toyota Stadium
is a 45,000 seat retractable roof stadium in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. It was built in 2001 and is often used as home to the J. League club Nagoya Grampus...
on the 16th of May. Despite eventually losing the game 34 points to 14, Gardner scored a try to help level the scores at 6-all after being set up by Tim Smith. Gardner credited Kade Snowden
Kade Snowden
Kade Snowden is an Australian professional rugby league footballer currently playing for the Newcastle Knights in the National Rugby League. He primarily plays at prop but started his first-grade career as a second-rower. He began his career at the Newcastle Knights and made his first grade debut...
with getting him physically prepared for first-grade football and Trent Barrett
Trent Barrett
Trent Barrett is an Australian retired professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s...
and Paul Gallen
Paul Gallen
Paul Gallen is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks of the National Rugby League. Gallen's position of choice is lock and occasionally at Prop. He is an Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative...
for mentally preparing him. In the following game against his former club, 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...
, Gardner kicked all three of his attempted conversions in a 22 points to 18 victory.
In round 13, Gardner inspired the club to a 42 points to 18 upset win against the Sydney Roosters
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
at the Sydney Football Stadium. He kicked a total of 7 goals from 9 attempts and although it was his error that led to a try for Shaun Kenny-Dowall
Shaun Kenny-Dowall
Shaun Kenny-Dowall is a professional rugby league footballer for the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League competition. He primarily plays in the centres.-Early years:...
just after the interval, he atoned for the error just under eight minutes later when he scored what many were already tipping as one of the tries of the season. After catching a Braith Anasta
Braith Anasta
Braith Anasta is a Greek-Australian professional rugby league footballer who captains the Sydney Roosters of the National Rugby League...
bomb just under ten metres out from his own try line, Gardner side-stepped an oncoming player and then sprinted down the left-hand sideline before running across field to score in the corner of the opposite side of the field. Gardner was awarded the man of the match for his performance after notching an 18 point tally. Despite his impressive performance against the Roosters, coach Ricky Stuart suggested that he was planning on giving Gardner a break from first-grade football at some stage during the season.
Gardner kept up his impressive form after scoring a try and kicking 1 goal from 3 attempts in the 20 points to 19 victory over the North Queensland Cowboys
North Queensland Cowboys
The North Queensland Cowboys are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, Queensland. They compete in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
in round 16. He also scored a try in round 19 in the 48 points to 18 loss against the Manly Sea Eagles
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 followed that up two games later with a try in the controversial 24 points to 22 loss against 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...
. Two rounds later, in the round 23 match against the Sydney Roosters
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
, Gardner scored the match winning try which sealed an 18 points to 12 victory at Toyota Stadium. During the match he was hit high by Frank-Paul Nu'uausala and then taken out in mid air by Braith Anasta
Braith Anasta
Braith Anasta is a Greek-Australian professional rugby league footballer who captains the Sydney Roosters of the National Rugby League...
. Both players were placed on report following the incidents. After the match, Sharks coach Shane Flanagan
Shane Flanagan
Shane Flanagan is an Australian professional rugby league football coach. He was appointed assistant coach of NRL team Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in 2006 and was subsequently appointed to the top position when former coach Ricky Stuart resigned on 20 July 2010.Flanagan played SG Ball, Jersey Flegg...
tipped Gardner as a long term fullback for the club despite believing just six months earlier that he was too small to make an impact in first grade due to his small stature. Flanagan praised his bravery by stating "he is one of the toughest players for his size I have ever seen." He scored another try two games later, in a 30 points to 16 victory over the Gold Coast Titans
Gold Coast Titans
Gold Coast Titans are an Australian professional rugby league football club, based in the Gold Coast, Queensland. The club competes in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership. It is the newest of the sixteen clubs in the league, having commenced its...
, in the clubs last home game of the season. In the final game of the season against 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...
, Gardner scored another brilliant individual try again after catching a bomb just ten metres out from his own try line and running almost the length of the field to score. However, it was no more than a consolation try in a game that the Sharks would go on to lose 50 points to 12.
Despite playing just 16 first-grade clubs in his debut season, Gardner finished as the clubs top try scorer with eight tries. He also kicked 11 goals from 17 attempts making him joint leading point scorer for the club with Luke Covell
Luke Covell
Luke Covell is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks of the National Rugby League. He also previously played for the Wests Tigers. His position of choice is on the...
after finishing with a total of 54 points. He also racked up five assists for the season which put him second at the club behind Trent Barrett
Trent Barrett
Trent Barrett is an Australian retired professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s...
.
At the 2010 Dally M Awards
2010 Dally M Awards
The 2010 Dally M Awards were presented on Tuesday 7 September 2010 at the State Theatre in Sydney and broadcast on Fox Sports.-Dally M Medal:The Dally M Medallion was presented by former Australian rugby league player, Robert Laurie....
, Gardner was nominated for the 'Rookie of the Year' but lost out to Matt Gillett
Matt Gillett
Matt Gillett , is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Brisbane Broncos of the NRL. A utility forward, he made his debut for the Broncos in 2010....
of the Brisbane Broncos
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...
. He was also nominated for the 'Peter Frilingos
Peter Frilingos
Peter Frilingos was a sports journalist and commentator, best known for his work as a rugby league writer. He was affectionately known as Chippy because of his Greek background....
Headline Moment of the Year' for his try against the Roosters
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
in round 13 but lost out to Jarryd Hayne
Jarryd Hayne
Jarryd Lee Hayne is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Parramatta Eels of the NRL. A New South Wales State of Origin and Australian, Fiji international representative winger and fullback, he has played his entire NRL career to date with Parramatta, with whom he got to the...
who won the award for his try against 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...
. He also polled seven points towards the Dally M Medal
Dally M Medal
The Dally M Medal is the premier individual award in the Australian rugby league competition, which is given to the player voted by sports commentators as the best and fairest in the competition for that year....
. In an official NRL online poll Gardner's try against the Roosters in round 13 was voted, by fans, as try of the year. At the clubs end of season awards Gardner was awarded the Steve Rogers Rookie of the Year award.
Gardner has earned a reputation as one of the quickest players in the competition and was invited to race in the first ever Gatorade Bolt event which aimed to find the quickest athlete out of all the football codes in Australia. Gardner finished forth in the race.