Ashley Harrison
Encyclopedia
Ashley Harrison is an Australian professional rugby league
footballer for the Gold Coast Titans
of the NRL
. A Queensland State of Origin representative lock forward, he has played club football previously for the Brisbane Broncos
(with whom he won the 2000 NRL Premiership), the Sydney Roosters
and the South Sydney Rabbitohs
.
in Brisbane
, Queensland
, and played junior football for Norths Aspley
. He represented the Australian Schoolboys team in 1998.
Harrison made his debut in the National Rugby League
for the Brisbane Broncos
against the New Zealand Warriors
on 20 February 2000 (Round 3). After moving to the South Sydney Rabbitohs
, he was named the club's player of the year, winning the George Piggins Medal in 2004, and serving as the club's captain for a brief period in 2005. Harrison was selected to play for one State of Origin
match, playing for the Queensland Maroons in game 3, 2005, thus become South Sydney's first Queensland Origin representative in many years. Harrison's elevation to the Souths captaincy in 2005 appeared to be a turning point in both Souths' 2005 season and Harrison's career, as Souths won six of eight matches under his captaincy to avoid the 2005 wooden spoon (the only losses in that period were both against the 2005 Grand Finalists, Wests Tigers
and North Queensland
).
He moved to the Sydney Roosters
for the 2006 season, but struggled to play regular football following injuries and bad form. However, he did manage 41 out of a possible 48 matches at the Roosters. He returned to Queensland to play for the Gold Coast Titans
from 2008. At the Titans, he started at lock and performed well covering five-eighth while Rogers was out on suspension. As a result, he was named 18th man for the 2008 State of Origin series for Queensland. He started in both the second and third State of Origin games. Harrison was picked ahead of his club captain Scott Prince
(who was only drafted into the squad after a knee injury sustained by Darren Lockyer
) to play in the second State of Origin on 11 June 2008.
In April 2009, he was named in the preliminary 25 man squad to represent Queensland in the opening State of Origin
match for 2009.
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 for 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...
of 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...
. A Queensland State of Origin representative lock forward, he has played club football previously 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...
(with whom he won the 2000 NRL Premiership), 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...
and the South Sydney Rabbitohs
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...
.
Playing career
Harrison attended Wavell State High SchoolWavell State High School
Wavell State High School is a high school in Wavell Heights, Queensland, Australia, a suburb of Brisbane.Founded in 1959, it is named after the community where it is located, Wavell Heights. The suburb, in turn, is named after Field Marshal Archibald Percival Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell , a World War...
in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, and played junior football for Norths Aspley
Aspley Broncos
The Aspley Broncos are a rugby league club in Brisbane, Australia. Aspley competes in the FOGS Cup and FOGS Colts Challenge competitions...
. He represented the Australian Schoolboys team in 1998.
Harrison made his debut 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...
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...
against 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...
on 20 February 2000 (Round 3). After moving to the South Sydney Rabbitohs
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 was named the club's player of the year, winning the George Piggins Medal in 2004, and serving as the club's captain for a brief period in 2005. Harrison was selected to play for one 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...
match, playing for the Queensland Maroons in game 3, 2005, thus become South Sydney's first Queensland Origin representative in many years. Harrison's elevation to the Souths captaincy in 2005 appeared to be a turning point in both Souths' 2005 season and Harrison's career, as Souths won six of eight matches under his captaincy to avoid the 2005 wooden spoon (the only losses in that period were both against the 2005 Grand Finalists, 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 North Queensland
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...
).
He moved to 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...
for the 2006 season, but struggled to play regular football following injuries and bad form. However, he did manage 41 out of a possible 48 matches at the Roosters. He returned to Queensland to play for 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...
from 2008. At the Titans, he started at lock and performed well covering five-eighth while Rogers was out on suspension. As a result, he was named 18th man for the 2008 State of Origin series for Queensland. He started in both the second and third State of Origin games. Harrison was picked ahead of his club captain Scott Prince
Scott Prince
Scott Prince is an Australian professional rugby league footballer and current captain of the Gold Coast Titans club of the National Rugby League...
(who was only drafted into the squad after a knee injury sustained by Darren Lockyer
Darren Lockyer
Darren Lockyer is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. He was the captain of the Australian national team, the Queensland State of Origin team and his National Rugby League club, the Brisbane Broncos. His professional career spanned between 1995 and 2011...
) to play in the second State of Origin on 11 June 2008.
In April 2009, he was named in the preliminary 25 man squad to represent Queensland in the opening 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...
match for 2009.