David Waite
Encyclopedia
David Waite is an Australian former rugby league
footballer and coach. He has also coached Great Britain
in the Rugby League Tri-Nations
.
Waite holds a British passport, courtesy of his father being born in Leicester
.
competition. It was whilst playing for Wests Wollongong that he first represented for Country, NSW and Australia. He spent two seasons with the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in 1974 and 1975. Injury forced him into premature retirement in 1976 but in 1978 he was coaxed to make a comeback by his former coach Warren Ryan
and returned to the Western Suburbs Magpies
for a few games in 1978 before retiring again and taking up coaching.
tour of Great Britain
and two Tests against France
. In 1974 he took part in two Tests in the Ashes series in Australia.
He scored three tries in the Kangaroos versus Rest of The World match in early 1974 but broke his jaw that season and missed the early representative games. He returned to the Test team for the opening match of the Ashes series but was dropped following Australia's 16-11 second Test loss.
reserve grade coach from 1988 to 1991.
Waite's first first-grade coaching job was for Newcastle, succeeding Allan McMahon
in 1991. He joined St George in 1996 and went on to guide them to the 1996 Grand Final against great odds and again coached St.George to the 1999 Grand Final. To Waite's surprise, in May 2000 it was announced that he would not be retained as coach for 2001. Instead, the St. George Illawarra board favoured Waite's co-coach, Andrew Farrar
for the position.
He was reportedly offered the job of New Zealand
coach in 2000 but instead moved to Britain to work as a coaching co-ordinator in 2000 for the Rugby Football League
.
In February 2001, he was appointed head coach and technical director of the Great Britain rugby league side. Waite stepped down from this role in 2003.
During 2006 he worked behind the scenes with Catalans Dragons
in their inaugural season in the Super League
. He returned to Australia at the end of the 2006 season.
In 1995 Waite coached South Australia in the National Championship
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 and coach. He has also coached Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
in the Rugby League 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...
.
Waite holds a British passport, courtesy of his father being born in Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
.
Club career
Waite was a Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs junior and played with their President's Cup side in 1969. The following season he played with Wests Wollongong in the Illawarra Rugby LeagueIllawarra Rugby League
The Illawarra Rugby League is a rugby league competition in Wollongong, NSW. It is one of the oldest rugby league competitions in Australia, founded in 1911 with five clubs ....
competition. It was whilst playing for Wests Wollongong that he first represented for Country, NSW and Australia. He spent two seasons with the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in 1974 and 1975. Injury forced him into premature retirement in 1976 but in 1978 he was coaxed to make a comeback by his former coach Warren Ryan
Warren Ryan
Warren Ryan is former rugby league football coach and player from Sydney, Australia. He is considered as one of the most influential coaches in recent times. Ryan also played 1st Grade Rugby League for the St George Dragons and Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks....
and returned to 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...
for a few games in 1978 before retiring again and taking up coaching.
Representative career
Waite was a Country and New South Wales representative in 1973 before being selected for international representation as a winger in 1973. He played in two Tests of the AshesRugby League Ashes
The Ashes is the name given to the trophy awarded to the winner of a best-of-three series of rugby league football test series between Great Britain and Australia...
tour of Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
and two Tests against France
France national rugby league team
The France national rugby league team represent France in international rugby league tournaments. They are also sometimes referred to as "Les Tricolores" or more commonly "Les Chanticleers"...
. In 1974 he took part in two Tests in the Ashes series in Australia.
He scored three tries in the Kangaroos versus Rest of The World match in early 1974 but broke his jaw that season and missed the early representative games. He returned to the Test team for the opening match of the Ashes series but was dropped following Australia's 16-11 second Test loss.
Coaching career
In 1984 he was appointed coach of the Australian Schoolboys team. A position as coach of Canterbury under 23s followed from 1985 to 1987 and he was then NewcastleNewcastle 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...
reserve grade coach from 1988 to 1991.
Waite's first first-grade coaching job was for Newcastle, succeeding Allan McMahon
Allan McMahon
Allan McMahon was an Australian former professional rugby league footballer and coach. He was an Australian test player and a former coach of the Canberra Raiders, Newcastle Knights and Illawarra Steelers.-Playing career:...
in 1991. He joined St George in 1996 and went on to guide them to the 1996 Grand Final against great odds and again coached St.George to the 1999 Grand Final. To Waite's surprise, in May 2000 it was announced that he would not be retained as coach for 2001. Instead, the St. George Illawarra board favoured Waite's co-coach, Andrew Farrar
Andrew Farrar
Andrew Farrar is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. He played for the Canterbury Bulldogs, Western Suburbs Magpies, Wigan Warriors and Illawarra Steelers. Farrar also played for New South Wales in the State of Origin on several occasions and played for Australia in the 1988...
for the position.
He was reportedly offered the job of New Zealand
New Zealand national rugby league team
The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
coach in 2000 but instead moved to Britain to work as a coaching co-ordinator in 2000 for the Rugby Football League
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
.
In February 2001, he was appointed head coach and technical director of the Great Britain rugby league side. Waite stepped down from this role in 2003.
During 2006 he worked behind the scenes with Catalans Dragons
Catalans Dragons
The Catalans Dragons are a French professional rugby league club based in Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales. They currently play in the Super League, and are the only team in the competition from outside of the United Kingdom...
in their inaugural season in the Super League
Super 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...
. He returned to Australia at the end of the 2006 season.
In 1995 Waite coached South Australia in the National Championship