Bradley Scott "Freddie" Fittler AMThe Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(born February 5, 1972) is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and former player. The current coach of NSW City team in the
City vs. Country clashCity vs Country is an annual Australian rugby league football match that takes place in New South Wales between City and Country representative sides. The City side represents the Sydney metropolitan area...
, he coached in the NRL for the
Sydney RoostersThe 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...
between 2007 and 2009. As a player, Fittler captained both
New South WalesThe 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...
and
AustraliaThe Australian national rugby league team have represented Australia in senior men's rugby league football competition since the establishment of the game in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian Rugby League, the Kangaroos' are ranked number one in the RLIF World Rankings...
, and in 2000 was awarded the Golden Boot award. He retired as the most capped New South Wales State of Origin player and third most capped Australian international plater. Fittler has been named among the finest rugby league footballers of the first century of rugby league in Australia.
Early years
Fittler was born in
Auburn, New South WalesAuburn is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales Australia. Auburn is located 19 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of Auburn Council.-History:...
,
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Fittler began playing junior rugby league for the Ashcroft Stallions and Mounties before moving to Cambridge Park. While attending Ashcroft High School,
St Dominic's CollegeSt Dominic's College is an all boys Catholic secondary school located in Penrith, New South Wales. St. Dominic's College was established in 1959 under Christian Brothers and to this day is officially run by Christian Brothers. Between 1978 and 1985 years 11 and 12 at the college were co-educational...
then later, McCarthy Catholic Senior High School Emu Plains, Fittler played for the Australian Schoolboys team in 1988 and 1989.
Penrith Panthers
Fittler's first grade career started in 1989 at the
Penrith PanthersThe 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...
while he was still attending McCarthy Catholic Senior High School in the western suburbs of Sydney. Fittler earned a top 15 percent ranking in the NSW HSC in his final year of high school. He played in Penrith's 1990 Grand Final loss. At the end of the 1990 NSWRL season, he was selected for Australia and went on the
1990 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and FranceThe 1990 Kangaroo Tour was the seventeenth Kangaroo Tour, where the Australian national rugby league team travelled to Europe and played eighteen matches against British and French rugby league teams, in addition to three Test matches...
. The following year he was in the Panthers' premiership winning-side of 1991.
During the 1992 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand, he helped Australia retain The Ashes.
At the end of the 1994 NSWRL season, he went on the
1994 Kangaroo tourThe 1994 Kangaroo Tour was the last played in the conventional format, where the Australian side plays a number of matches against British and French clubs or provincial outfits, in additions to the Test matches...
.
By 1995 Fittler was the world's highest-paid rugby league player, reportedly earning $1.05 million for the season.
Sydney Roosters
In 1996, he joined the
Sydney RoostersThe 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...
where he played nine seasons, captaining them to the
2002 NRL Grand FinalThe 2002 NRL season's Grand Final took place on Sunday, 6 October 2002, at Telstra Stadium. 80,130 people saw the Sydney Roosters beat the New Zealand Warriors 30-8. The Clive Churchill Medalist was Craig Fitzgibbon of the Sydney Roosters.- The teams :...
victory. Fittler retired as the second most experienced first grader, behind
Terry LambTerry Lamb OAM, is an Australian retired professional rugby league footballer and coach. He played 349 games , with Wests , and Canterbury . Lamb was known for his support of the ball-carrier - his ability to be in the right place at the right time netted him 164 tries. This earned him the moniker...
(349), having played 336 games.
He was selected for
Kangaroo TourKangaroo 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...
s in 1990,
1994The 1994 Kangaroo Tour was the last played in the conventional format, where the Australian side plays a number of matches against British and French clubs or provincial outfits, in additions to the Test matches...
and
2001The 2001 Kangaroo Tour was almost abandoned due to the events of September 11, 2001. The tour was initially cancelled by the ARL but after strong public opinion in both Great Britain and Australia, it went ahead, though the only games played were the three tests, marking the first Kangaroo Tour to...
and played in the
World CupsThe Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league competition contested by members of the Rugby League International Federation . It has been held nearly once every 4 years on average since its inaugural tournament in France in 1954...
of
1992-1990:---------------------1991:-------------------------1992:----In addition to being a World Cup allocated match, this was the third and deciding test of the 1992 Ashes series....
,
1995The 1995 Rugby League World Cup was held during October in the United Kingdom. It was the eleventh staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was marketed as the Halifax Centenary World Cup, reflecting the tournament's sponsorship and the fact that 1995 marked the 100th birthday of the sport...
and
2000The 2000 Rugby League World Cup was the twelfth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was held during October and November of that year in Great Britain, Ireland and France...
.
Early in his career Fittler struggled with discipline problems, but he matured into a fine leader. He captained Australia in 20 Tests, winning 17 and losing 3, and in a further 5 victories in the 2000 World Cup. He also captained NSW in 14
State of OriginState 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...
matches, winning 8 and losing 6. In club competition, he captained the Roosters to their first grand final appearance in twenty seasons in 2000, a
PremiershipThe 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...
in 2002 and successive grand final appearances in
2003The 2003 NRL grand final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding match of the 2003 NRL season. In what was a contest of Sydney's east versus west, defending premiers and match favourites, the Sydney Roosters played against minor premiers and underdogs, the Penrith Panthers...
and 2004, before retiring at the end of 2004.
Two years after Fittler announced his retirement from representative football, NSW coach
Phil GouldPhil Gould is an Australian rugby league broadcaster, journalist, administrator and former player and coach. Since the 1990s he has had a prominent role in Channel 9's coverage of rugby league, as a commentator on their match-day coverage, and appears on The Sunday Footy Show and The Sunday Roast...
brought him back to State of Origin for the second and third game. Both he and Gould were farewelled in the last game at
Telstra StadiumStadium Australia, currently also known as ANZ Stadium due to naming rights, formerly known as Telstra Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium located in the Sydney Olympic Park precinct of Homebush Bay...
after he scored the winning try that sealed the NSW victory.
Fittler remains the youngest NSW State of Origin player (18 years 114 days) and was once the youngest Kangaroo representative (18 years 247 days) until
Israel FolauIsrael Folau is a professional Australian rules footballer currently listed with the Greater Western Sydney Football Club in the Australian Football League . He previously played Rugby league for the Melbourne Storm in the National Rugby League from 2007 to 2008 where he broke the record for most...
made his debut in late 2007. Fittler played more total matches (409 combining club and representative games) than any other player.
As a tribute to Fittler's contribution to the NSW team, the Brad Fittler Medal is named in his honour, awarded to the best NSW player after each series victory by NSW. However, it is only awarded after NSW have won a series, and so has not been awarded since 2005, with
QueenslandThe Queensland rugby league team have represented the Australian state of Queensland in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1908...
having won the last six series (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011).
Coaching career
On 9 July 2007, Roosters' coach Chris Anderson quit the club, just 48 hours after the team lost 56–0 to the Manly Sea Eagles, their second worst ever loss. Fittler took over the coaching from Round 18, in what was initially for a short term until the end of the 2007 season. The Roosters, who were sitting near the bottom of the competition and struggling with form, turned a corner with Fittler as coach as they went on to post some impressive wins. His first match was against his former mentor,
Ricky StuartRicky 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...
coaching the
Cronulla SharksThe Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are Australian professional Rugby league team based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales...
. The Roosters won the match 23–12. His second match was against the
Newcastle 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...
and again the team was successful 20–17.
On 27 July 2007, Fittler's coaching career took a massive leap. The Roosters side defeated the
Melbourne StormThe 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....
(front runners of the Premiership) 26–16, with the two late consolation tries to the Storm. Former Roosters coach,
Phil GouldPhil Gould is an Australian rugby league broadcaster, journalist, administrator and former player and coach. Since the 1990s he has had a prominent role in Channel 9's coverage of rugby league, as a commentator on their match-day coverage, and appears on The Sunday Footy Show and The Sunday Roast...
remarked after the Melbourne game "I've always had great confidence that "Freddie" would be successful at anything he turned his mind to. If he truly wants to be a coach, he'll be a bloody good one... I think in the end he was drawn to it and, to me, that's a coach. You don't wake up one day and say, 'I want to be a coach'. You are drawn to it. It compels you. I see and hear this in Freddie these days." Melbourne ultimately went on to win the title, which was later stripped due to salary cap breaches.
Following the win over the Melbourne Storm, the Roosters went up against the
New Zealand WarriorsThe 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...
with the match resulting in the first draw since 2005 after a hard fought golden point period which ended with the score 31–31. The result was good enough to keep Fittler undefeated as coach.
That run was extended against the
Wests TigersThe 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...
on 10 August, with the second golden point game in a row for the club after a late field goal attempt from
Braith AnastaBraith Anasta is a Greek-Australian professional rugby league footballer who captains the Sydney Roosters of the National Rugby League...
hit the cross bar with 15 seconds to go. The game ended in a 26–22 win after Anasta broke the line and passed to
Amos RobertsAmos Roberts is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for English club Wigan Warriors of Super League. A country New South Wales representative prolific try-scoring back, he previously played in Australasia's National Rugby League for the St...
who then set up
Joel MonaghanJoel Monaghan is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Warrington Wolves in Super League. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative three-quarter, he played for the Canberra Raiders and the Sydney Roosters...
for the winning try.
Unfortunately, Fittler's winning streak as a coach was broken on the 19 August 2007 when the Roosters played the
Gold Coast TitansGold 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...
, losing 22–18. The following week, in the penulitmate round of the regular season, the Roosters lost to the eventual 2007 wooden spooners, the Penrith Panthers, 28–22.
On 21 August 2007, the Sydney Roosters signed Brad Fittler as their full time Head Coach until the 2010 season.
On 20 June 2009, it was reported in the
Townsville BulletinThe Townsville Bulletin is a daily newspaper published in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It is the only daily paper that serves the northern Queensland region. The paper has a print edition, a free World Wide Web edition, and a subscription digital edition.The newspaper is published by The...
that, a day earlier, a drunken Fittler had tried to gain access to the wrong hotel room while wearing only shorts. The incident occurred at the
Holiday InnHoliday Inn is a brand of hotels, formally a economy motel chain, forming part of the British InterContinental Hotels Group . It is one of the world's largest hotel chains with 238,440 bedrooms and 1,301 hotels globally. There are currently 5 hotels in the pipeline...
in Townsville at 3am. Fittler consequently fined himself and apologised for his behaviour at a televised press conference.
On 18 July 2009, following an ongoing season of unrelenting disappointment at the Roosters, the media was informed that in 2010 Brad Fittler would not be part of the coaching staff at the Sydney Roosters, reportedly before he was. Indeed, the Roosters took out the 2009 wooden spoon and a clean-out of the club began. He was replaced by
Brian SmithBrian Smith is an Australian coach and former player of rugby league football. He is the current head coach at the Sydney Roosters of the NRL. Smith played for St. George and South Sydney Rabbitohs , appearing in a total of 31 first grade games...
, who took the Roosters to within a match of the premiership the following year, losing against the St. George Illawarra Dragons.
In 2010 Fittler was linked with a move to the London-based
Super LeagueSuper 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...
side Harlequins, but this has not eventuated.
| Brad Fittler – NRL Coaching Results by Season |
| NRL Team |
Year |
Games |
Wins |
Losses |
Draws |
Win % |
| Sydney Roosters |
2007 |
8 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
63% |
| 2008 |
26 |
15 |
11 |
0 |
58% |
| 2009 |
24 |
5 |
19 |
0 |
21% |
| Career |
|
58 |
25 |
32 |
1 |
43% |
Media career
Fittler presents a weekly footy tipping segment on
TodayToday and Weekend Today are Australian breakfast television programmes, the show is often referred to as The Today Show. The show has been broadcast live by the Nine Network each morning since 1982...
. Fittler also co-hosts
NRL Deluxe, a streaming video show on Mondays and Thursdays available via Bigpond TV. A year after his retirement, in 2005, Fittler released his book,
Freddy: The Brad Fittler Story. Brad has since starred in two
TelstraTelstra Corporation Limited is an Australian telecommunications and media company, building and operating telecommunications networks and marketing voice, mobile, internet access and pay television products and services....
Next G TV advertisements. In 2010, Fittler joined the
Nine NetworkThe Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
commentary team.
Outside rugby league
In 2000 Fittler was awarded the
Australian Sports MedalThe 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. He was named a Member (AM) of the
Order of AustraliaThe Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
in the 2006 Queen's Birthday Honours List.
In February 2008, Fittler was named in the list of Australia's
100 Greatest Players (1908–2007) which was commissioned by the
NRLThe 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
ARLThe 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.
Fittler has a longtime partner, Marie Liarris. They have two children together: a daughter, Demi, and a son, Zach. He also has an illegitimate son whom he fathered via a one-night stand in 1995, but Fittler has no plans to meet him.
External links