Brett Delaney

Brett Delaney
Personal information
Born (1985-10-26) 26 October 1985 (age 39)
Baulkham Hills, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Height188 cm (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Weight102 kg (16 st 1 lb)[1]
PositionSecond-row, Loose forward, Centre
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2005–06 Parramatta Eels 28 4 27 0 70
2007–09 Gold Coast Titans 63 14 19 0 94
2010–18 Leeds Rhinos 212 27 0 0 108
2015(DR) → Hunslet Hawks 1 0 0 0 0
2017(DR) → Featherstone Rovers 1 0 0 0 0
Total 305 45 46 0 272
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2008 NSW City 1 1 0 0 4
Source: [2][3]

Brett Delaney (born 26 October 1985) is an Australian rugby league coach and former professional rugby league footballer who is assistant coach for the Castleford Tigers in the Super League. He played as a centre and second-row forward in the 2000s and 2010s.

He played for Leeds in the Super League and for the Parramatta Eels and Gold Coast Titans in the NRL.

Background

Delaney was born in Baulkham Hills, New South Wales, Australia.

Career

Parramatta Eels

Delaney began his professional career with the Parramatta Eels. He scored a try on his first grade début against St. George Illawarra in 2005 as the club won the Minor Premiership that year. He went on to make 18 appearances in total for the Parramatta club, scoring four tries. His final game for Parramatta was their 12-6 qualifying final loss to Melbourne.[4]

Gold Coast Titans

After limited opportunities at the Parramatta, Delaney joined the newly formed club the Gold Coast Titans for the 2007 NRL season. Delaney scored 14 tries in 62 games during his three seasons with the Titans. In 2009, his final season at the club, he helped the team finish in 3rd place in the regular season ladder, which meant the Gold Coast Titans qualified for the play-offs for the first time. Unfortunately for Delaney, a hamstring injury meant he missed the end of the season. He watched from the stands as the Gold Coast crashed out of the play-offs, 27–2 to eventual finalists, & former club, Parramatta.[5]

Leeds Rhinos

Delaney signed a three-year contract with the Leeds Rhinos, starting in 2010. He was signed as a replacement for Rugby Union bound Lee Smith, who had signed a contract with the London Wasps.

Delaney made his unofficial début for Leeds in Matt Diskin's Testimonial Game at Headingley against the Bradford Bulls. Delaney scored the match winning try in a 12–10 victory. Delaney's official début came on the opening night of the 2010 Super League season against the Crusaders. He scored a try in the 34–6 victory. Delaney made 30 appearances & scored 10 tries during his first season at the Leeds club.

He played in the 2010 Challenge Cup Final defeat by Warrington at Wembley Stadium.[6][7]

New Leeds coach Brian McDermott started Delaney in the back-row for the first time in his Leeds career in the second game of the 2011 season away against Hull F.C. Delaney impressed in his new role but unfortunately suffered an ankle injury which ruled him out for approximately six weeks. Delaney returned from injury and continued to impress in the back row. That year 2011 Delaney went on to win his first Grand final for Leeds playing at second-row forward. His first three years saw him play in three successive Challenge Cup finals (2010, 2011 and 2012) but Leeds lost all three to Warrington (twice) and Wigan.

He played in the 2011 Challenge Cup Final defeat by Wigan at Wembley Stadium.[8][9][10]

Delaney played in the 2011 Super League Grand Final victory over St. Helens at Old Trafford.[11][12] He played in the 2012 Challenge Cup Final defeat by Warrington at Wembley Stadium.[13][14][15][16] Delaney played in the 2012 Super League Grand Final victory over Warrington at Old Trafford.[17][14]

Delaney played in the 2014 Challenge Cup Final victory over the Castleford Tigers at Wembley Stadium.[18]

In 2015, the Leeds side made history by going on to win the treble (the League Leaders' Shield, the Challenge Cup Final[19][20][21] and Grand Final). He played in the 2015 Super League Grand Final victory over Wigan at Old Trafford.[22]

A facial injury sustained while playing in July 2018 required surgery and at the end of the 2018 season Delaney left Leeds to join Championship side Featherstone for whom he was set to play in the 2019 Championship. However a reoccurrence of the injury necessitating further surgery in a pre-season friendly against Halifax prompted Delaney to announce an end to his playing career in February 2019.[23]

Featherstone Rovers

On 7 February 2019, Delaney announced his retirement[24]

Representative career

In 2008, Delaney was selected to represent NSW City in the annual City vs Country Origin Game. He scored a try in the 22–22 draw.[citation needed]

Coaching career

Early career

After retiring from playing in early 2019, Delaney began coaching in the Leeds Rhinos youth system. He spent three years working with the scholarship and academy sides.[25] In 2021, he briefly worked as assistant coach to Brian McDermott when his former Leeds coach joined Oldham in the Championship.[26][27]

Delaney joined the coaching staff at York City Knights in the Championship for the 2022 season, working as an assistant to James Ford.[28][26] Partway through the year, he departed to take up a Super League opportunity at Hull KR.[29]

Hull Kingston Rovers

In July 2022, Delaney joined Hull Kingston Rovers as a forwards coach.[29] He had previously agreed to join from the upcoming 2023 season under Willie Peters, but made the move early following the interim appointment of Danny McGuire.[30][31] In April 2023, Delaney signed a two-year contract extension with Hull KR alongside fellow coach David Hodgson.[32]

During Delaney's time at Hull KR, the team's defensive record improved from 22.52 points conceded per game in 2022, to 12.07 in 2024.[33] In October 2024, he was linked with a move to Castleford,[34] and his exit from Hull KR was announced on 23 October.[35][33]

Castleford Tigers

On 29 October 2024, the Castleford Tigers confirmed that Delaney had been appointed assistant coach, working under new head coach Danny McGuire.[36] He would be reunited with McGuire, whom he had played and coached alongside previously, and would lead on defensive coaching and structures.[37][38]

Honours

Club

References

  1. ^ a b "Brett Delaney Leeds Rhinos". superleague.co.uk. Rugby Football League. 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  2. ^ loverugbyleague
  3. ^ Rugby League Project
  4. ^ "Official Player Numbers". Parramatta Eels.
  5. ^ "THROWBACK The 2009 run to a grand final". www.parraeels.com.au.
  6. ^ Scott, Ged (28 August 2010). "Leeds 6–30 Warrington". BBC. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  7. ^ Wilson, Andy (28 August 2010). "Chris Hicks hat-trick leads Warrington to Challenge Cup triumph over Leeds". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 31 August 2010. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  8. ^ Wilson, Andy (27 August 2011). "Leeds Rhinos 18-28 Wigan Warriors – Challenge Cup final match report". The Guardian. London.
  9. ^ Brown, Oliver (27 August 2011). "Challenge Cup final: Leeds Rhinos 18 Wigan Warriors 28". The Telegraph. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  10. ^ Henson, Mike (27 August 2011). "Challenge Cup final – as it happened". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  11. ^ "Leeds claim Grand Final glory as inspired Rob Burrow sinks St Helens". The Guardian. 8 October 2011. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  12. ^ "St Helens 16 Leeds 32". The Daily Telegraph. London. 8 October 2011. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  13. ^ "Warrington's battered Brett Hodgson recovers to see off Leeds in final". The Guardian. UK. 25 August 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  14. ^ a b "Leeds' Kevin Sinfield stars in Grand Final triumph against Warrington". The Guardian. 6 October 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  15. ^ "Leeds Rhinos 18–35 Warrington Wolves". BBC Sport. 25 August 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  16. ^ "Warrington Wolves Are Challenge Cup Winners 2012!". Warrington Wolves Official Site. 25 August 2012. Archived from the original on 17 December 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  17. ^ "Grand Final: Warrington 18-26 Leeds". BBC Sport. 6 October 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  18. ^ "Leeds lift Challenge Cup after Ryan Hall's double stuns Castleford". The Guardian. 23 August 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  19. ^ "Leeds emphatically shut out Hull KR to lift Challenge Cup". The Guardian. 29 August 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  20. ^ "Scoreboard". Rugby Leaguer & League Express. No. 2982. 31 August 2015. p. 31.
  21. ^ "Challenge Cup final: Hull KR 0-50 Leeds Rhinos". BBC Sport. 29 August 2015. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
  22. ^ "Leeds pip Wigan to seal treble after brilliant, breathless Grand Final". The Guardian. 10 October 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  23. ^ "Multiple Super League winner Brett Delaney calls time on playing career". Total RL. 6 February 2019. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  24. ^ "Brett Delaney announces retirement". featherstonerovers.co.uk. 7 February 2019. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  25. ^ Walker, Callum (1 February 2022). "Exclusive: Brett Delaney reveals his route to joining York Knights". Serious About Rugby League. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  26. ^ a b Smith, Peter (10 November 2021). "Brett Delaney: Leeds Rhinos legend joins York City Knights coaching staff". Yorkshire Evening Post. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  27. ^ "York City Knights appoint Brett Delaney as Assistant Coach". The RFL. 11 November 2021. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  28. ^ Kilbride, Jacob (10 November 2021). "Brett Delaney joins York City Knights as assistant coach". The York Press. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  29. ^ a b Darbyshire, Drew (6 July 2022). "Brett Delaney leaves York for Super League opportunity with Hull KR". Love Rugby League. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  30. ^ O'Brien, James (6 July 2022). "Interim Hull KR head coach Danny McGuire enlists support of former Leeds Rhinos team-mate". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  31. ^ "Delaney joins Robins coaching staff". Super League. 6 July 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  32. ^ Appleyard, Joe (22 April 2023). "Hull KR tie down pivotal coaching staff members with key traits explained". Hull Daily Mail. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  33. ^ a b Rej, Arindam (23 October 2024). "Brett Delaney's Hull KR exit is a loss but paves way for close friends' reunion". Hull Daily Mail. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  34. ^ Bower, Aaron (21 October 2024). "Castleford Tigers eye up Hull KR coaching swoop as Craig Lingard succession plans emerge". Love Rugby League. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  35. ^ Darbyshire, Drew (23 October 2024). "Hull KR confirm Brett Delaney departure ahead of Danny McGuire reunion at Castleford Tigers". Love Rugby League. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  36. ^ Harber, Tony (29 October 2024). "Castleford Tigers: Brett Delaney teams up again with Danny McGuire after being appointed assistant head coach". Wakefield Express. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  37. ^ Darbyshire, Drew (29 October 2024). "Castleford Tigers confirm Leeds Rhinos icon to join coaching staff in 2025". Love Rugby League. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  38. ^ Smith, Peter (29 October 2024). "Why Danny McGuire thinks his new No 2 at Castleford Tigers is one of the best in the business". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 29 October 2024.