Laurie Daley

Laurie Daley AM (born 20 October 1969 in Junee, New South Wales) is a professional Australian rugby league football coach currently in charge of the New South Wales State of Origin team. Daley is also a former player, having represented Australia on 26 occasions and has since been named as one of the nation's finest of the 20th century. Daley played primarily as a centre and then five-eighth for the Canberra Raiders during their most successful period in the 1990s.

Playing career

1980s

Spotted playing first grade for the Junee Diesels in 1986 at the age of sixteen, and after being signed by the Raiders, he developed as a centre and was playing first grade by 1987, including being a non-playing reserve for the Raiders in their 18-8 Grand Final loss to Manly-Warringah at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Daley was playing representative rugby league before his 19th birthday in 1988 when he was selected to represent NSW Country in the annual City vs Country Origin game. He was the second highest try-scorer in the 1989 NSWRL season with sixteen tries, only one less than team mate Gary Belcher. He tasted premiership success with the Raiders 1989 in an extra-time game which saw Canberra defeat the Balmain Tigers 19-14, and in the ensuing celebrations dropped the Winfield Cup from a moving car. In the post season he travelled with the Raiders to England for the 1989 World Club Challenge, playing at centre in Canberra's 18-30 loss to Widnes at the Old Trafford stadium in Manchester.