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Shane Webcke (born 28 September 1974 in Toowoomba, Queensland) is an Australian former professional rugby league player, who spent his top-grade career playing for the Brisbane Broncos. His position of choice was at prop forward and at his peak he was renowned as the best front rower in the world.
Webcke represented Queensland in the State of Origin on twenty-one separate occasions and has also captained the side. He made his debut in the first game of the 1998 series and was named man-of-the-match in the third and deciding game that year. From his debut until his retirement from representative football following Game III in 2004, no other player wore the number 8 for Queensland.
He made eighteen test appearances for the Australian national side, including being a member of the Australian world champion team that won the 2000 Rugby League World Cup. In 2000 Shane was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for his contribution to Australia's international standing in the sport of rugby league. He won the Broncos' best player award for the 2001 and 2005 National Rugby League seasons.
On the 26th of April 2006 Webcke announced that he would retire at the end of the 2006 NRL season. He enjoyed a fairy-tale finish as the Broncos won the 2006 grand final against the Melbourne Storm, days after his 32nd birthday.
Webcke, alongside Glenn Lazarus and Arthur Beetson is considered by many to have been one of the finest post-war Front-rowers to play the game. Post-football, Webcke has gone on to release his successful auto-biography, Warhorse and is now venturing into media with the Seven Network in Australia. Webcke's pub at Leyburn, Queensland - the Royal Hotel - is the longest, continuously licensed premises in Queensland[1].
In February 2008, Webcke was named in the list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players (1908-2007) which was commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia.[1][2]
A few months later the Brisbane Broncos appointed Shane Webcke, along with Allan Langer as full-time assistant coaches to work alongside new head coach Ivan Henjak from the 2009 season. He was also hired by Channel Seven to provide perspectives on Brisbane Broncos and Gold Coast Titans feature matches. He also occasionally fills-in as a Sports Presenter on the Brisbane edition of Seven News.
[edit] Career highlights
- Junior Club: Clifton Wattles
- First Grade Debut: Round 10, Brisbane v. Norths at North Sydney, May 19, 1995
- First Grade Premierships: 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2006 with Brisbane Broncos (played 2000 Grand Final with broken arm)
- Career Stats: 254 career appearances with 18 tries
- State of Origin: 21 games for Queensland between 1998 and 2004
- International: 18 tests for Australia
[edit] External links
[edit] Footnotes
Brisbane Broncos
Queensland
Australia
