Chris Anderson (rugby league)

Chris Anderson

Personal information
Full name	Christopher Anderson
Born	2 May 1952 (1952-05-02) (age 59)
Playing information
Position	Wing
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1971–84	Canterbury Bulldogs	230	94	0	0	303
1984–85	Widnes
	Hull Kingston Rovers
1985–88	Halifax
	Total	230	94	0	0	303
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1975–82	Australia	12	1	0	0	3
1980–83	New South Wales	4	3	0	0	12
Coaching information
Club
Years	Team	Gms	W	D	L	W%
1985–88	Halifax
1990–97	Canterbury Bulldogs	181	110	4	67	61
1998–01	Melbourne Storm	89	53	2	34	60
2002–03	Cronulla-Sutherland	51	24	0	27	47
2007	Sydney Roosters	16	5	0	11	31
	Total	337	192	6	139	57
Representative
Years	Team	Gms	W	D	L	W%
1999–03	Australia	24	21	0	3	88
Source: NRL Stats, Rugby League Project

Chris Anderson (born 2 May 1952) is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 80s and coach of the 1990s and 2000s. An Australian Kangaroos and New South Wales Blues representative Wing, he featured in Canterbury-Bankstown's third grand final win and captained Halifax to a Challenge Cup victory.

As a coach, Anderson took Australia to World Cup victory and coached both the Canterbury Bulldogs and Melbourne Storm to premiership wins. He is also a member of the Halifax Hall of Fame.

Playing career

Anderson was a Wing who was recruited by Peter Moore from Forbes, New South Wales. He played 232 first grade games for the Canterbury Bulldogs between 1971–84 and was also a member of the Widnes Rugby League Challenge Cup winning side in 1974–75.

Anderson represented Australia in 8 Tests, the 1975 World Cup and two Kangaroos Tours in 1978 and 1982. He also represented New South Wales, selected at wing in the experimental 1980 State of Origin game, and became the first ever player to score a hat-trick of tries in a State of Origin match.

Anderson was also captain-coach of Halifax between 1985–88 where he enjoyed great success, including the 1985-86 Rugby Football League Championship and the 1986–87 Rugby League Challenge Cup victory against St Helens.

Challenge Cup final appearances

Chris Anderson played Stand-off/Five-eighth, i.e. number 6, and was captain in Halifax’s 19–18 victory over St Helens in the 1987 Challenge Cup final at Wembley Stadium on 2 May 1987.

Coaching career

Chris Anderson is one of the few people to play and coach competition winning sides in both Australia and England. He is also one of the few people to coach two different clubs to NRL/NSWRL Premiership success.

Anderson returned to Australia after playing/coaching in the British 1987–88 season and was appointed coach of the Canterbury Bulldogs Under 21's team for the 1989 season. He was quickly appointed first grade coach for 1990 and enjoyed eight fruitful seasons at Canterbury, including the 1995 Premiership triumph over the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles.

The formation of the Melbourne Storm saw Anderson become their first coach and he guided the team to Premiership success in 1999 when they defeated the St George Illawarra Dragons.

Anderson was appointed coach of the Australian national team in March 1999, replacing Wayne Bennett.^[1] He enjoyed five successful seasons before his tenure came to a halt after the successful 2003 whitewash of Great Britain.

He quit as Melbourne Storm coach after seven rounds (and only two wins) of the 2001 NRL season.^[2]

On the 2001 Kangaroo Tour when coaching Australia, Anderson, was taken to a Wigan hospital after complaining of chest pains during the first half of the deciding third test match against Great Britain at the JJB Stadium. He had suffered a non-fatal myocardial infarction and thankfully made a full recovery.

Anderson was also coach of the Cronulla Sharks for two controversial seasons in 2002 and 2003 getting them one game short of the Grand Final in 2002. Anderson was sacked in dramatic circumstances over disagreements with the club's management on the future direction of the team, largely centred around his decision to replace the existing Scrum-half/Halfback, Preston Campbell with new signing Brett Kimmorley in the starting side. He also continually picked his son, Jared, at the expense of Matt King, who ended up moving to the Melbourne Storm where his career blossomed.

In July 2004 Anderson was appointed coach of the Newport Gwent Dragons – a Welsh Rugby Union team. Despite finishing fourth in the Celtic League that season, his one year contract was not renewed. Anderson was overlooked for the signing of Canberra Rugby League football club and many have linked it with his choosing to coach a Rugby Union side.

Anderson had accept a 2 year contract with the Sydney Roosters as their first grade coach for the 2007–08 NRL seasons. However late in the season after just five wins from sixteen matches, including a horrific 56–0 loss to Manly Sea Eagles, Anderson stepped down from the job. Former Roosters five eighth Brad Fittler was his replacement.

Honoured at Halifax

Chris Anderson is a Halifax Hall Of Fame Inductee.^[3]

References

1. ^ "Chris Anderson". BBC Sport 2001 Ashes squad guide (UK: BBC). 2001. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport/hi/english/static/in_depth/rugby_league/2001/ashes/default.stm. Retrieved 2010-09-14. 
2. ^ news.bbc.co.uk (2001-04-02). "Angry Anderson leaves Storm". BBC Sport Online. BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/low/rugby_league/1256477.stm. Retrieved 2009-10-07. 
3. ^ "Halifax RLFC Hall of Fame". halifaxrlfc.co.uk. 2008-12-31. http://www.halifaxrlfc.co.uk/page.php?id=213. Retrieved 2009-01-01. 

External links

• Player Details at stateoforigin.com.au
• Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org

Preceded by Colin Dixon	Coach Halifax RLFC 1985 ‐ 88	Succeeded by Graham Eadie
Preceded by Phil Gould 1988 ‐ 89	Coach Canterbury Bulldogs 1990 ‐ 97	Succeeded by Steve Folkes 1998 ‐
Preceded by team created	Coach Melbourne Storm 1998–2001	Succeeded by Mark Murray 2001–2002
Preceded by Wayne Bennett 1998	Coach Australia 1999–2003	Succeeded by Wayne Bennett 2004–2005
Preceded by John Lang 1994–2001	Coach Cronulla Sharks 2002–2003	Succeeded by Stuart Raper 2004–2006
Preceded by Ricky Stuart 2002–2006	Coach Sydney Roosters 2007	Succeeded by Brad Fittler 2007–2009

Persondata
Name	Anderson, Chris
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1953-05-02
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death