Wade McKinnon is an Australian rugby league

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 who currently plays for 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...

 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...

. His position of preference is at fullback.

Early years

Educated at St Dominic's College, Terra Sancta College

Terra Sancta College

Terra Sancta College is a dual campus co-educational, systemic Catholic, day school located in Quakers Hill & Schofields, North Western Suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.Founded in 1996, the college is a school of the Diocese of Parramatta...

 and Westfields Sports High School

Westfields Sports High School

Westfields Sports High School is Australia's first Sports High school. It is a coeducational school in Fairfield West, Sydney, Australia...

 McKinnon played rugby league from a young age. A St Clair

St Clair, New South Wales

St Clair is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. St Clair is located 49 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Penrith and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region...

 Comets junior, McKinnon made his first grade debut with 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...

 in 2002 following their re-admittance into the competition.

Parramatta Eels

After two years at South Sydney McKinnon moved to Parramatta. In 2004, his first season with the Eels, he won the Jack Gibson

Jack Gibson (rugby league)

Jack Arthur Gibson OAM was an Australian rugby league identity – a player, commentator and most notably a coach...

 Award and the Ron Lynch

Ron Lynch (rugby league)

Ron Lynch is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1960s and 70s. An Australian international and New South Wales interstate representative forward, he played club football in NSW for Forbes, Parramatta and Penrith....

 Media Award in the same season.

New Zealand Warriors

With the Eels making it clear that they preferred Luke Burt ahead of the off-contract McKinnon, McKinnon often found it tough to make the first-grade team when the Eels were at full-strength. Consequently he signed a three-year deal with the Warriors in 2007, filling in the void that was to be left by the departing Brent Webb

Brent Webb

Brent Webb is an Australian-born New Zealand rugby league footballer who currently plays for the Leeds in the Super League. Webb plays as a full-back and is a former New Zealand international.-Early years:...

. McKinnon cited the Warriors' style of play as being conducive to the game.

Mckinnon became the 132nd first grade player for the 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...

 when he made his debut against the Eels, his former club, at Mt Smart Stadium

Mt Smart Stadium

Mt Smart Stadium, formerly Ericsson Stadium, is a stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the home ground of National Rugby League team, the New Zealand Warriors...

 in Round 1, 2007. McKinnon scored 9 tries in his first season with the club.

During his time at the Warriors McKinnon was involved in several incidents. In a Round 19 match in 2007 McKinnon was sent off by referee Paul Simpkins in the final minute of play for allegedly kneeing Taniela Tuiaki

Taniela Tuiaki

Taniela Tuiaki is a retired New Zealand professional rugby league player who played for the Wests Tigers in the Australian National Rugby League competition. Tuiaki was a versatile player but primarily played on the wing.-Club :Tuiaki played junior football with North Curl Curl...

. The replay, however, suggested there was no contact or intent, and consequently he was not cited after the match.

McKinnon's individual try against the Penrith Panthers

Penrith 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...

 in Round Fifteen, 2007 was voted as the greatest of the year by NRL.com.

McKinnon was ruled out of most of the 2008 NRL Season after an injury in the Warriors first trial game against 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...

 left him requiring a knee reconstruction. However McKinnon recovered relatively quickly and he made his return against 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...

 in Round 22. He celebrated this game by scoring a try in a 16-12 Warriors win.

In Round 25, 2008, McKinnon was suspended for three matches after allegedly spitting at touch-judge Brett Suttor. Suttor said that the spit landed 30 centimetres away from him, but the judiciary said that as McKinnon was at least six metres away from him, it was not possible for his spit to travel that far.

He was selected for City in the City vs Country

City vs Country Origin

City 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...

 match on 8 May 2009.

Wests Tigers

After struggling to break into the Warriors 2010 team as he failed to regain his speed from his knee injury, McKinnon signed for the West Tigers on 26 May 2010. McKinnon had been contracted to the Warriors until the end of 2011 but was granted an immediate release by the Warriors. McKinnon played his first game for the Tigers in round 15, but was limited to 6 games for the season due to a hamstring injury.

McKinnon began the 2011 season as the starting fullback for the Wests Tigers, but hampered by injuries, lost his position to Tim Moltzen

Tim Moltzen

Tim Moltzen is an Australian professional rugby league player for the Wests Tigers in the Australian National Rugby League competition. He plays at fullback or halfback.-Wests Tigers:...

. He was released from the final year of his contract so he could join Hull for a three year deal starting in 2012.