Shaun Berrigan
Encyclopedia
Shaun Berrigan is an Australian professional rugby league
footballer who currently plays for the Canberra Raiders
of the NRL. Brother of fellow professional, Barry
, Shaun has also played for the Brisbane Broncos
, Hull and the New Zealand Warriors
. A very versatile footballer, he has played numerous games at hooker, Five-Eighth, halfback and centre, having played in all positions for Australia, Queensland and Brisbane. Berrigan was a regular representative player, appearing twelve times in State of Origin
for the Queensland Maroons and in five test matches for Australia before a 3-year stint in the English Super League.
against the Balmain Tigers
. He played from the interchange bench in the Broncos' 2000 Grand Final-winning side. Berrigan's regular position was centre but he can play a number of back-line positions as well as hooker.
Berrigan's versatility is evident in analysing the Queensland State of Origin
team where in 2002 Berrigan was the five-eighth for the entire series. The next series in 2003 he played at halfback for Queensland throughout the series.
He played in the centres for the 2004 State of Origin series. He was then the top try-scorer for the Broncos in the 2005
season scoring 19 tries.
Berrigan played his 150th first grade game for the club in 2006
. He started the year in the centre position but injuries to the Broncos' full-time hookers, Michael Ennis
and Shaun's brother Barry
, made coach Wayne Bennett move Berrigan to hooker. This turned out to be a success, with former great Peter Sterling
saying that it bought a new dimension to the Broncos' game not seen for a while. He played so well at hooker in the Broncos' 2006 NRL Grand Final victory over Melbourne that he was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal
for best on field. Berrigan was superb from dummy-half, but also shut down Melbourne Storm
super-star Greg Inglis
for the entire match. He was later selected in the 2006 Tri-Nations
side for Australia and played in the final which Australia won.
In the 2006 and 2007 Origin series Berrigan has been the utility back for Queensland on the bench, playing the majority of these games as Hooker when Cameron Smith
was off the field. In 2007 at the Broncos' 20-year anniversary celebration, the club announced a list of the 20 best players to play for them to date which included Berrigan.
Berrigan's Brisbane
contract ended at the end of the 2007 season.
team and 2006 Grand Final runners up,the mighty Hull FC. His contract commenced with the start of the 2008 season when he replaced Richard Swain
, who retired from the game at the end of the 2007 season, thus freeing up a free quota space.
In regards to the signing, Berrigan said "I have had a fantastic career at the Broncos, winning premierships, playing for Queensland and of course for Australia. I am really excited to be joining Hull and playing in the Super League and Challenge Cup
. I am excited by their plans, I believe the club has a fantastic future and I am looking forward to being a part of it for the next 4 years".
Berrigan scored his first try for new club Hull in Round 2 of Super League XIII
. On the 30 August Shaun Berrigan appeared for Hull at Wembley in the 2008 Challenge Cup Final
. During his Hull career Berrigan continued to play at hooker.
and Gold Coast Titans
, Berrigan signed a one year deal with the New Zealand Warriors
for the 2011 season
.
announced they had signed Berrigan on a one year contract for the 2012 season with the option for an extension.
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 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...
of the NRL. Brother of fellow professional, Barry
Barry Berrigan
Barry Berrigan is an Australian retired professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. He played for the Brisbane Broncos in the National Rugby League competition alongside his younger brother, Shaun Berrigan...
, Shaun has also played for 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...
, Hull and the New Zealand Warriors
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...
. A very versatile footballer, he has played numerous games at hooker, Five-Eighth, halfback and centre, having played in all positions for Australia, Queensland and Brisbane. Berrigan was a regular representative player, appearing twelve times 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...
for the Queensland Maroons and in five test matches for Australia before a 3-year stint in the English Super League.
Brisbane Broncos
Berrigan, who, through his mother is of German descent, made his debut for the Brisbane Broncos in Round 11, 1998Brisbane Broncos 1998
The 1998 Brisbane Broncos season was the eleventh in the club's history. They participated in the newly formed National Rugby League's 1998 premiership and posted their three biggest ever wins in rounds 5, 7 and 15 before capturing their fourth premiership in seven seasons.Broncos trio Allan...
against 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...
. He played from the interchange bench in the Broncos' 2000 Grand Final-winning side. Berrigan's regular position was centre but he can play a number of back-line positions as well as hooker.
Berrigan's versatility is evident in analysing the Queensland 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...
team where in 2002 Berrigan was the five-eighth for the entire series. The next series in 2003 he played at halfback for Queensland throughout the series.
He played in the centres for the 2004 State of Origin series. He was then the top try-scorer for the Broncos in the 2005
Brisbane Broncos 2005
The 2005 Brisbane Broncos season was the eighteenth in the club's history. They competed in the NRL's 2005 Telstra Premiership and finished the regular season 3rd despite ending the year with another long losing streak which continued into the play-offs and saw them knocked out once again.-Season...
season scoring 19 tries.
Berrigan played his 150th first grade game for the club in 2006
Brisbane Broncos 2006
The 2006 Brisbane Broncos season was the nineteenth in the club's history. Coached by Wayne Bennett and captained by Darren Lockyer, they won the NRL's 2006 Telstra Premiership, finishing the regular season in 3rd place before going on to win the 2006 NRL Grand Final against minor premiers the...
. He started the year in the centre position but injuries to the Broncos' full-time hookers, Michael Ennis
Michael Ennis
Michael Ennis is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs of the National Rugby League. A New South Wales State of Origin representative hooker, he previously played for the Brisbane Broncos, St George Illawarra Dragons and the Newcastle Knights...
and Shaun's brother Barry
Barry Berrigan
Barry Berrigan is an Australian retired professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. He played for the Brisbane Broncos in the National Rugby League competition alongside his younger brother, Shaun Berrigan...
, made coach Wayne Bennett move Berrigan to hooker. This turned out to be a success, with former great 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...
saying that it bought a new dimension to the Broncos' game not seen for a while. He played so well at hooker in the Broncos' 2006 NRL Grand Final victory over Melbourne that he was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal
Clive Churchill Medal
The Clive Churchill Medal has been presented to the man-of-the-match of the National Rugby League's annual Grand Final match ever since the 1986 season. The award was created to honour Clive Churchill, one of the greatest rugby league players in Australian history, following his death in 1985...
for best on field. Berrigan was superb from dummy-half, but also shut down Melbourne Storm
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....
super-star Greg Inglis
Greg Inglis
Greg Inglis is an Australian professional rugby league player for the South Sydney Rabbitohs. A Queensland State of Origin and Australian international representative outside back, Inglis joined the Rabbitohs in 2011 after much controversy.Inglis is a versatile back, having played in several...
for the entire match. He was later selected in the 2006 Tri-Nations
Rugby League Tri-Nations
The Rugby League Tri-Nations was a rugby league tournament involving the top three nations in the sport: Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand...
side for Australia and played in the final which Australia won.
In the 2006 and 2007 Origin series Berrigan has been the utility back for Queensland on the bench, playing the majority of these games as Hooker when Cameron Smith
Cameron Smith
Cameron Smith is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who currently captains the Melbourne Storm of the National Rugby League...
was off the field. In 2007 at the Broncos' 20-year anniversary celebration, the club announced a list of the 20 best players to play for them to date which included Berrigan.
Berrigan's Brisbane
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...
contract ended at the end of the 2007 season.
Hull
Berrigan signed a four year deal with English Super LeagueSuper League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
team and 2006 Grand Final runners up,the mighty Hull FC. His contract commenced with the start of the 2008 season when he replaced Richard Swain
Richard Swain
Richard Swain is a retired professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. A New Zealand international representative Hooker, he played club football in Australia for the Hunter Mariners, Melbourne Storm and Brisbane Broncos and in England for Hull.-Early years:Swain went to Farrer...
, who retired from the game at the end of the 2007 season, thus freeing up a free quota space.
In regards to the signing, Berrigan said "I have had a fantastic career at the Broncos, winning premierships, playing for Queensland and of course for Australia. I am really excited to be joining Hull and playing in the Super League and 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....
. I am excited by their plans, I believe the club has a fantastic future and I am looking forward to being a part of it for the next 4 years".
Super League XIII
Engage Super League XIII was the official name, due to sponsorship, for the 2008 Super League season by Engage Mutual. Twelve teams competed for the Minor Premiership over 27 rounds after which, the top 6 finishing teams entered the play-offs where they competed for a place in the Grand Final and...
. On the 30 August Shaun Berrigan appeared for Hull at Wembley in the 2008 Challenge Cup Final
2008 Challenge Cup Final
The 2008 Challenge Cup Final was the final game of the 2008 Challenge Cup, also known as The Carnegie Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons. The match was contested by two Super League teams: the defending champions St. Helens and Hull....
. During his Hull career Berrigan continued to play at hooker.
New Zealand Warriors
At the start of 2011 Berrigan secured a release from Hull so he could move to be closer to his family following the death of his father in 2010. After being linked with the North Queensland CowboysNorth 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...
and 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...
, Berrigan signed a one year deal with the New Zealand Warriors
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...
for the 2011 season
2011 New Zealand Warriors season
The New Zealand Warriors 2011 season was the New Zealand Warriors 17th first-grade season. The club competed in Australasia's National Rugby League. The coach of the team is Ivan Cleary while Simon Mannering is the club's captain. The Warriors lost to the Manly Sea Eagles 10-24 in the 2011 NRL...
.
Canberra Raiders
On 19 October 2011 the Canberra RaidersCanberra 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...
announced they had signed Berrigan on a one year contract for the 2012 season with the option for an extension.