Graham Murray
Encyclopedia
Graham Murray is an Australian rugby league
player and coach. Murray is currently the High Performance Unit Director of Coaching at the Newcastle Knights
.
third-grade side in the middle 1970s, Graham Murray took over as captain of the Eels' reserve grade side in 1977 and was regarded as too skilful for reserve grade rugby league owing to his great organisational ability, which had him known as "little Artie" after Arthur Beetson
. With international halfback John Kolc suffering ankle ligament damage, Murray spent some time in first grade during 1977, but returned to captain the reserve grade side to a premiership when Kolc was fit.
1978 saw Murray take over from Kolc as first grade halfback for most of the year, but the emergence of soon-to-be champion Peter Sterling
caused him to flirt between the grades in 1979 and 1980, but in the former year he captained the reserves to their third premiership in five years. Murray moved to Souths
in 1981 and played fairly regularly in first grade until he left at the end of 1983 to play in the country.
(where he won a premiership in 1987 and helped develop many of the future 1991 first-grade premiership team) and Balmain
, Murray was made coach of Illawarra
in 1991
. He guided the club to its first finals appearance in 1992
and during his tenure, the Steelers always won more games than they lost. He was dismissed as coach in April 1995
after he facilitated negotiations between Steelers players and representatives of the rebel Super League
organisation. He was the only person out of the countless players, coaches and administrators involved with the Super League saga to lose his job as a direct consequence.
Installed as coach of Super League's Newcastle
-based Hunter Mariners
team, Murray was able to construct a competitive team despite the apathy of the local community who were mostly supportive of the Newcastle Knights
still playing in the Australian Rugby League
's premiership. Although they made the final of the World Club Challenge
in their first season, the Mariners were shut down as a condition of the establishment of the National Rugby League
.
Left without a team to coach in Australia, Murray joined the Leeds Rhinos
in the European Super League
, directing the team to a Rugby League Challenge Cup
victory and a Super League grand final place. He signed a deal to coach the North Sydney Bears
for National Rugby League season 2000
. However, before he could take up this position, the club was excluded from the competition and forced to merge with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
. After the resignation of Phil Gould
as coach of the Sydney Roosters
, Murray was quickly named as his replacement.
In 2000, Murray proceeded to guide the Roosters to their first grand final since 1975, although they would lose 14–6 to the Brisbane Broncos
. Despite a sixth-place finish in 2001
, Murray was sacked by the Roosters two days after the end of the season.
After starting 2002 in his former profession as a teacher, he was made head coach of the North Queensland Cowboys
to replace the sacked Murray Hurst
in April. After three seasons of steady improvement, the Cowboys made the NRL finals for the first time in 2004
and finished one game short of the grand final. They improved on their efforts in the following season
, reaching the 2005 NRL Grand Final
, the Cowboys' first, which they lost to the Wests Tigers
by 34 points to 16.
In 2006 Murray was named coach of the Illawarra Steelers
"Team of Steel", celebrating their 25th Anniversary.
In National Rugby League season 2006
the Cowboys missed the finals and finished in ninth position.
Cowboys' CEO Peter Parr
announced that 2008 would be Murray's final year with the North Queensland Cowboys
, with the club seeking to move in a different direction. The club announced that Murray would be replaced by Murray's former assistant, current Canberra Raiders
coach, Neil Henry
from 2009. On 19 May, after a poor start to the season, Murray quit the North Queensland Cowboys
.
He was appointed the Newcastle Knights
High Performance Unit Director of Coaching for the 2012 season.
in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup
, winning one game and losing two.
Murray was appointed coach of the New South Wales State of Origin
team for the 2006 series
; despite winning the first game by just one point (17-16) they lost the series to Queensland by two games to one. Murray was re-appointed as New South Wales coach in 2007 with the full support of the North Queensland Cowboys board. Once again New South Wales lost the series by two games to one. In August, 2007, Murray announced that he would step down as coach of New South Wales.
Murray was also the NSW City Origin coach from 2001 to 2005. City won the annual contest against Country Origin in 2002, 2003 and 2005.
In 2010 Murray was appointed as the head coach of the Australian women's rugby league team.
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...
player and coach. Murray is currently the High Performance Unit Director of Coaching at the Newcastle Knights
Newcastle 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...
.
Playing career
Having starred for the ParramattaParramatta 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...
third-grade side in the middle 1970s, Graham Murray took over as captain of the Eels' reserve grade side in 1977 and was regarded as too skilful for reserve grade rugby league owing to his great organisational ability, which had him known as "little Artie" after Arthur Beetson
Arthur Beetson
Arthur Henry "Artie" Beetson, OAM , was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach. He represented Australia and Queensland from 1964 to 1981. His position was at prop. Beetson became the first Indigenous Australian to captain his country in any sport. and is frequently cited as the best...
. With international halfback John Kolc suffering ankle ligament damage, Murray spent some time in first grade during 1977, but returned to captain the reserve grade side to a premiership when Kolc was fit.
1978 saw Murray take over from Kolc as first grade halfback for most of the year, but the emergence of soon-to-be champion 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...
caused him to flirt between the grades in 1979 and 1980, but in the former year he captained the reserves to their third premiership in five years. Murray moved to Souths
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...
in 1981 and played fairly regularly in first grade until he left at the end of 1983 to play in the country.
Club coaching career
After previous appointments as reserve grade coach at PenrithPenrith 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...
(where he won a premiership in 1987 and helped develop many of the future 1991 first-grade premiership team) and Balmain
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...
, Murray was made coach of Illawarra
Illawarra Steelers
The Illawarra Steelers are an Australian rugby league football club based in the city of Wollongong, New South Wales. The club competed in Australia's top-level Rugby League competition from 1982, when they, along with the Canberra Raiders, were admitted into the then New South Wales Rugby Football...
in 1991
New South Wales Rugby League season 1991
The 1991 New South Wales Rugby League Premiership season was the eighty-fourth season of professional rugby league football in Australia. This year the League experimented with a draft system for the first time....
. He guided the club to its first finals appearance in 1992
New South Wales Rugby League season 1992
The 1992 New South Wales Rugby League Premiership season was the eighty-fifth season of professional rugby league football in Australia. Sixteen teams competed for the J J Giltinan Shield during the season which culminated in a grand final for the Winfield Cup between the Brisbane Broncos, making...
and during his tenure, the Steelers always won more games than they lost. He was dismissed as coach in April 1995
Australian Rugby League season 1995
The 1995 ARL premiership was the 88th season of professional rugby league football in Australia, and the first to be run by the Australian Rugby League. For the first time since 1988, the League expanded again, with the addition of four new clubs from North Queensland, Western Australia, South...
after he facilitated negotiations between Steelers players and representatives of the rebel Super League
Super League war
The Super League war is the common name given to the corporate dispute that was fought in and out of court during the mid-1990s between the Rupert Murdoch and News Corporation-backed Super League and the Kerry Packer and Optus Vision-backed Australian Rugby League organisations over broadcasting...
organisation. He was the only person out of the countless players, coaches and administrators involved with the Super League saga to lose his job as a direct consequence.
Installed as coach of Super League's Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
-based Hunter Mariners
Hunter Mariners
The Hunter Mariners were an Australian rugby league club based in the Hunter Valley region's largest city, Newcastle. Hunter was formed in mid 1995 and was later disbanded at the end of 1997. The club was formed because of the Super League war, which was the rivalry between the traditional...
team, Murray was able to construct a competitive team despite the apathy of the local community who were mostly supportive of the Newcastle Knights
Newcastle 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...
still playing in the Australian Rugby League
Australian Rugby League
The 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...
's premiership. Although they made the final of the World Club Challenge
World Club Challenge
The World Club Challenge is an annual rugby league football match held between the champions of the Australasian National Rugby League and the European Super League competitions to determine the world's best rugby league club...
in their first season, the Mariners were shut down as a condition of the establishment of 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...
.
Left without a team to coach in Australia, Murray joined the Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
in the European 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...
, directing the team to a Rugby League 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....
victory and a Super League grand final place. He signed a deal to coach the North Sydney Bears
North Sydney Bears
The North Sydney Bears are an Australian rugby league football club based in North Sydney, New South Wales. They currently compete in the New South Wales Cup, having exited the National Rugby League following the 1999 NRL season after 92 years of top-grade competition. The Bears are based on...
for National Rugby League season 2000
National Rugby League season 2000
The 2000 NRL season was the 93rd season of professional rugby league football in Australia and the third to be run by the National Rugby League...
. However, before he could take up this position, the club was excluded from the competition and forced to merge with the 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...
. After the resignation of Phil Gould
Phil Gould
Phil 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...
as coach of 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...
, Murray was quickly named as his replacement.
In 2000, Murray proceeded to guide the Roosters to their first grand final since 1975, although they would lose 14–6 to 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...
. Despite a sixth-place finish in 2001
National Rugby League season 2001
The 2001 NRL season was the 94th season of professional rugby league football in Australia and the fourth run by the National Rugby League. The Newcastle Knights claimed their second premiership in five seasons, defeating minor premiers Parramatta Eels in the first ever night-time grand...
, Murray was sacked by the Roosters two days after the end of the season.
After starting 2002 in his former profession as a teacher, he was made head coach of 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...
to replace the sacked Murray Hurst
Murray Hurst
-Early life:Hurst was born in Surat on a sheep and cattle property in the south west corner of Queensland and attended Marist Brothers College at Ashgrove in Brisbane...
in April. After three seasons of steady improvement, the Cowboys made the NRL finals for the first time in 2004
National Rugby League season 2004
The year 2004 NRL season was the 97th season of professional rugby league football in Australia, and the seventh run by the National Rugby League. Fifteen clubs competed for the Telstra Premiership...
and finished one game short of the grand final. They improved on their efforts in the following season
National Rugby League season 2005
The 2005 NRL season was the 98th season of professional rugby league football in Australia and the eighth run by the National Rugby League. The lineup of clubs remained unchanged from the previous year, with fifteen clubs contesting the 2005 Telstra Premiership, which culminated in a grand final...
, reaching the 2005 NRL Grand Final
2005 NRL Grand Final
The 2005 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2005 National Rugby League season. It was played on the night of Sunday, 2 October at Sydney's Telstra Stadium between 4th-placed Wests Tigers and 5th-placed North Queensland Cowboys, the only two clubs in the...
, the Cowboys' first, which they lost to 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...
by 34 points to 16.
In 2006 Murray was named coach of the Illawarra Steelers
Illawarra Steelers
The Illawarra Steelers are an Australian rugby league football club based in the city of Wollongong, New South Wales. The club competed in Australia's top-level Rugby League competition from 1982, when they, along with the Canberra Raiders, were admitted into the then New South Wales Rugby Football...
"Team of Steel", celebrating their 25th Anniversary.
In National Rugby League season 2006
National Rugby League season 2006
The 2006 NRL season was the 99th season of professional rugby league football in Australia and the ninth run by the National Rugby League. The lineup of teams remained unchanged from the previous year, with fifteen clubs competing for the 2006 Telstra Premiership...
the Cowboys missed the finals and finished in ninth position.
Cowboys' CEO Peter Parr
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...
announced that 2008 would be Murray's final year with 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...
, with the club seeking to move in a different direction. The club announced that Murray would be replaced by Murray's former assistant, current 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...
coach, Neil Henry
Neil Henry
Neil Henry is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and former player. Since 2009 he has been head coach for the North Queensland Cowboys of the National Rugby League. Henry previously played for, then coached the Canberra Raiders.Henry was a foundation player of the Raiders,...
from 2009. On 19 May, after a poor start to the season, Murray quit 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...
.
He was appointed the Newcastle Knights
Newcastle 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...
High Performance Unit Director of Coaching for the 2012 season.
Representative coaching career
Graham Murray was the coach of the Fiji teamFiji national rugby league team
-Competitions:Fiji have participated in:*Pacific Cup *World Cup *World Sevens *Superleague World Nines *Superleague Oceania Tournament *Pacific Rim Competition -Results:...
in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup
2000 Rugby League World Cup
The 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...
, winning one game and losing two.
Murray was appointed coach of the New South Wales 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 for the 2006 series
2006 Rugby League State of Origin series
The 2006 State of Origin series was the 25th year that the annual best-of-three series of interstate rugby league football matches contested between the Queensland and New South Wales representative teams was played under 'State of Origin' selection rules. It was decided in three matches which drew...
; despite winning the first game by just one point (17-16) they lost the series to Queensland by two games to one. Murray was re-appointed as New South Wales coach in 2007 with the full support of the North Queensland Cowboys board. Once again New South Wales lost the series by two games to one. In August, 2007, Murray announced that he would step down as coach of New South Wales.
Murray was also the NSW City Origin coach from 2001 to 2005. City won the annual contest against Country Origin in 2002, 2003 and 2005.
In 2010 Murray was appointed as the head coach of the Australian women's rugby league team.