Ellery Hanley
Encyclopedia
Ellery Cuthwyn Hanley MBE
(born 27 March 1961 in Leeds
) is a British former rugby league
footballer of the 1970s, 80s and 90s, and former head coach of Great Britain
, St. Helens and Doncaster. As a player he played most of his games at /, or /. Over a period of nineteen years, he played for Bradford Northern
, Wigan
, Balmain
, Western Suburbs
and Leeds
. He was capped 34 times by Great Britain
and honoured by the Queen
in January 1990 for his services to the game. In 2007, he was voted as the greatest British rugby league player of all time.
in a League Division One match. He helped his club to a 30-18 victory, by scoring a try on his debut. He had to wait his time before gaining a regular first team place but in the early eighties he exploded onto the scene as one of the top try scoring non-wing players in the history of the game.
In the 1981-82, Bradford made it to the Yorkshire Cup final. They lost the match 18-7 to Castleford, with Hanley scoring a goal for Bradford.
In 1984–85, his final season with the club, Hanley became the first man to score more than 50 tries in a season since Billy Boston
and the first non-winger to reach this figure for 70 years. He scored a remarkable 55 tries in only 37 appearances, an achievement made even more remarkable as he switched between the several positions of wing, centre and stand-off. For his achievements in the 1984-85 season, he was awarded the Man of Steel award, which is awarded to the personality judged to have made the biggest impact in the season, as well as the First Division Player of the Year.
In total, Hanley made 126 appearances for the club, scoring 89 tries.
During his second season at Wigan he scored 63 tries playing at centre, stand-off and loose forward, an all-time record for a non-winger. In the 1987 season, Hanley was awarded the Man of Steel award for being voted as the player who made the biggest impact during the season. His achievements that year helped Wigan to their first league title in 27 years. During the 1987–88 Rugby Football League season, he played for defending champions Wigan at loose forward in their 1987 World Club Challenge
victory against the visiting Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
.
In 1988 Hanley was in dispute with the Wigan club and was stripped of the captaincy. He was transfer listed at a then record £350,000. But when Wigan reached the semi-final of the 1988 Rugby League Challenge Cup
against Salford, coach Graham Lowe recalled Hanley to the team. Upon his return Hanley scored a try and was instrumental in the emphatic performance which followed in the final. The 1988 final between Wigan and Halifax was only the second million pound final. Hanley tore Halifax apart with one of the all time great Tries at Wembley
. Ironically it was set up by Joe Lydon - reminiscent of the two tries he scored against Wigan four years earlier. Ray French claimed it was the second greatest ever seen in a final. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/challenge_cup/3423959.stm
In 1989, Hanley helped the club reach the Rugby League Challenge Cup
Final, where they won a 27-0 victory over St Helens in front of a crowd of approximately 78,000 people at Wembley. For his performance in the Final, he was awarded the Lance Todd Trophy
for the man of the match. For his performances throughout the season he was also awarded the Man of Steel award for the second time as a Wigan player, and the third time in his overall career. 1989 was also the year in which Hanley was awarded the Adidas Golden Boot, which was awarded to the world’s most outstanding player. Looking back at the period where he was dubbed the best rugby league player in the world, Hanley remembers that "It was something I always strove for. I wanted to be the best player in the world...Looking back, to be the world’s best player at that time was the biggest honour of my career."
He led Wigan to another two League and Cup doubles. By 1991 though his relationship with the media reached an all time low. Although both Wigan and Great Britain captain, he was not expected to carry out any media role. Hanley was inducted into the Wigan Hall of Fame in 2007.
In total he spent around five years with the club, making 202 appearances and scoring 189 tries. He was the inspiration behind Wigan's domination of the sport in the late 1980s. In his Wigan career, he won a World Club Championship, 4 Challenge Cup winners medals, 3 Championships, 1 Premiership, 4 John Player Trophy Winners medals and 4 Lancashire Cup winners medals. He was also voted Man of Steel twice as a Wigan player.
in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership
competition. In his first season with the club he helped them to the Grand Final in 1988 against Canterbury by defeating Penrith, Manly
, Canberra
as well as Cronulla
in the preliminary finals. The preliminary final against Cronulla was a closely fought battle, until Hanley proved to be the difference setting up the try that would seal the victory for Balmain as they edged out their opponents 9-2, the win sending the club to their first Grand Final since 1969.
The first half of the Grand Final was a tight contest as Balmain
led 6-4 with the Tigers scoring thanks to a mistake from Canterbury fullback Jason Alchin. In the 26th minute, Hanley was wrapped up low by Andrew Farrar
and as he want to offload the ball, Terry Lamb hit Hanley with a high shot that went unnoticed by the referee. He hit the ground in an awkward position and was concussed. He played no further part in the match. His side went on to lose the game 24-12. Many people claim to this day that Lamb intentionally took out Hanley as a ploy for the Bulldogs to win the Grand Final. Lamb said he was only looking to wrap the ball up and there was no intention. Lamb commented in his 1992 book that Balmain had key players such as Wayne Pearce
, Ben Elias, Paul Sironen
and Garry Jack
that there was no chance to target one individual.
Speaking to Inside Sport Magazine in August 2005, Hanley was asked:
The New South Wales Rugby League
despite all the media pressure backed up Lamb's version of events and deemed he had no case to answer.
. He played a total of thirteen games, scoring four tries for a total of sixteen points in his one and only season for the club. 1989 was also the year in which Hanley was awarded the Adidas Rugby League World Golden Boot Award
, which was awarded to the world’s most outstanding player.
He was selected to go on the 1992 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand, but his appearances were restricted by injury. Also in 1992 he played from the bench in Great Britain's loss to Australia in the World Cup final at Wembley.
The 1993-94 season saw Hanley play in the Challenge Cup final for the first time with Leeds. In the previous game, the Challenge Cup semi-final, Leeds faced St Helens at Central Park. Having absorbed a terrific pounding from marshalling heroic last ditch defence, Hanley capped off a magnificent game with two great tries to put the club back on the big stage for the first time in sixteen years. In the Final, the clubs opponents were Hanley's former club Wigan. In front of an official attendance at Wembley of 78,348 Leeds were defeated at the hands of Wigan by 26 points to 16.
In the 1994-95 season, Hanley set a new world record for a forward, scoring an incredible 41 tries in a season. During that season, Hanley helped the club reach the Challenge Cup final at Wembley for the second consecutive year. Ironically it was the same opponent that they faced a year earlier in the same competition final. In front of an attendance of 78,550 they were defeated, just as they had been a year earlier by their opponents, this time going down 30-10.
Whilst playing for Leeds, the World League of American football
was formed in 1991. It was reported that Hanley would play for the London Monarchs
but this never materialised.
while at Bradford Northern in 1984 against Wales, while at Leeds in 1992 against Wales, and won caps for Great Britain
while at Bradford Northern in 1984 against France (sub), France, Australia (3 matches), New Zealand (3 matches), and Papua New Guinea, in 1985 against France (2 matches), while at Wigan in 1985 against New Zealand (3 matches), in 1986 against France, and Australia, in 1987 against France (2 matches), and Papua New Guinea, in 1988 against France (2 matches), Papua New Guinea, Australia (3 matches), and New Zealand, in 1989 against France (2 matches), in 1990 against France, and Australia (3 matches), in 1991 against France (2 matches), while at Leeds in 1992 against Australia, in 1993 against France.
in Avignon
. He was selected in the Great Britain squad in 1984 to tour to Australia, for the Ashes series. He was one of the stars of the 1984 Ashes series, scoring a remarkable twelve tries.
In 1988, he became a regular member of the Great Britain squad and was also appointed as the captain of the Great Britain squad. In the 1988 Ashes series, he led his side to victory over Australia for the first time in 10 seasons. Along the way he also scored eight tries.
Hanley also toured to Australia in 1992 for the Ashes series. But despite arriving as captain of the British squad, on the field he made only one appearance and played less than fifteen minutes in a minor tour match against Newcastle.
In total he was capped 34 times by Great Britain.
In 1999, he was appointed as the coach of St. Helens as the successor to Shaun McRae
. In his first season as coach, he managed to lead his side to the Super League
Grand Final. His side successfully defeated the Bradford Bulls
, the club he began his professional playing career at, by 8-6 in October of that year. Whilst he harboured a strong desire to win, he could appear aloof and had several acrimonious disagreements with the St. Helens board of directors, which led to his suspension and eventual sacking as the manager of St Helens Rugby League Football Club in 2000. Ian Millward
was appointed as his successor for the role of the St Helens coach.
He switched to rugby union coaching and took up posts with Bristol Rugby
and in the England national set-up. He also got involved in the sport of squash before returning to rugby league as a coaching consultant with Castleford Tigers
in 2004. He worked with the Tigers for just two months before leaving.
On 14 December 2007 Hanley was unveiled as the coach of National League Two Club Doncaster.http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/7144151.stm He resigned from that rolé on September 28, 2008, following Doncasters successful promotion play-off campaign.
.
that Hanley would be one of thirteen celebrities taking part in the new series
of Dancing On Ice
, partnered with Frankie Poultney
. He was the sixth person to be eliminated from the show, after falling on the ice during the final dance off. He was referred to disparagingly by judge Jason Gardiner
, who likened him to Mr Potato Head.
Hanley is also the uncle of British Professional boxer Jonathan Oakey
.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 27 March 1961 in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
) is a British former 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...
footballer of the 1970s, 80s and 90s, and former head coach of Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
, St. Helens and Doncaster. As a player he played most of his games at /, or /. Over a period of nineteen years, he played for Bradford Northern
Bradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the European Super League and are currently joint 10th in the league....
, Wigan
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
, Balmain
Balmain Tigers
The Balmain Tigers are a rugby league football club based in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Balmain. They were a founding member of the New South Wales Rugby League and one of the most successful in the history of the premiership, with eleven titles...
, Western Suburbs
Western Suburbs Magpies
The Western Suburbs Magpies are an Australian rugby league football club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests, as they are commonly referred to, were one of the nine foundation clubs of the first New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia...
and Leeds
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
. He was capped 34 times by Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
and honoured by the Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
in January 1990 for his services to the game. In 2007, he was voted as the greatest British rugby league player of all time.
Bradford Northern
In 1978, Ellery Hanley signed for Bradford Northern from the junior club Corpus Christi. On the 26th November 1978, he made his professional debut for Bradford against the Rochdale HornetsRochdale Hornets
Rochdale Hornets RLFC is an English professional rugby league club from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. They currently play in Championship One...
in a League Division One match. He helped his club to a 30-18 victory, by scoring a try on his debut. He had to wait his time before gaining a regular first team place but in the early eighties he exploded onto the scene as one of the top try scoring non-wing players in the history of the game.
In the 1981-82, Bradford made it to the Yorkshire Cup final. They lost the match 18-7 to Castleford, with Hanley scoring a goal for Bradford.
In 1984–85, his final season with the club, Hanley became the first man to score more than 50 tries in a season since Billy Boston
Billy Boston
William John "Billy" Boston MBE is a former Wales and Great Britain professional Rugby League World Cup winning footballer. Boston is a member of the Rugby League Hall of Fame, Welsh Sports Hall of Fame and was, along with Shaun Edwards the first to be voted into the Wigan Hall Of Fame...
and the first non-winger to reach this figure for 70 years. He scored a remarkable 55 tries in only 37 appearances, an achievement made even more remarkable as he switched between the several positions of wing, centre and stand-off. For his achievements in the 1984-85 season, he was awarded the Man of Steel award, which is awarded to the personality judged to have made the biggest impact in the season, as well as the First Division Player of the Year.
In total, Hanley made 126 appearances for the club, scoring 89 tries.
Wigan
In 1985 he signed for Wigan for a fee of £150,000, with Steve Donlan and Phil Ford moving to Bradford in exchange for Hanley as part of the deal. Hanley finished his first season for the club with 35 tries.During his second season at Wigan he scored 63 tries playing at centre, stand-off and loose forward, an all-time record for a non-winger. In the 1987 season, Hanley was awarded the Man of Steel award for being voted as the player who made the biggest impact during the season. His achievements that year helped Wigan to their first league title in 27 years. During the 1987–88 Rugby Football League season, he played for defending champions Wigan at loose forward in their 1987 World Club Challenge
1987 World Club Challenge
The 1987 World Club Challenge was only the second game of its kind to be played between Britain's and Australia's respective domestic rugby league champions...
victory against the visiting Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League's Telstra Premiership, the premier rugby league competition of Australasia...
.
In 1988 Hanley was in dispute with the Wigan club and was stripped of the captaincy. He was transfer listed at a then record £350,000. But when Wigan reached the semi-final of the 1988 Rugby League Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
against Salford, coach Graham Lowe recalled Hanley to the team. Upon his return Hanley scored a try and was instrumental in the emphatic performance which followed in the final. The 1988 final between Wigan and Halifax was only the second million pound final. Hanley tore Halifax apart with one of the all time great Tries at Wembley
Wembley
Wembley is an area of northwest London, England, and part of the London Borough of Brent. It is home to the famous Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena...
. Ironically it was set up by Joe Lydon - reminiscent of the two tries he scored against Wigan four years earlier. Ray French claimed it was the second greatest ever seen in a final. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/challenge_cup/3423959.stm
In 1989, Hanley helped the club reach the Rugby League Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
Final, where they won a 27-0 victory over St Helens in front of a crowd of approximately 78,000 people at Wembley. For his performance in the Final, he was awarded the Lance Todd Trophy
Lance Todd Trophy
The Lance Todd Trophy is awarded to the Man-of-the-Match in rugby league football's Challenge Cup Final.The trophy was introduced in 1946, in memory of Lance Todd, the New Zealand-born player and administrator, who was killed in a road accident during the Second World War...
for the man of the match. For his performances throughout the season he was also awarded the Man of Steel award for the second time as a Wigan player, and the third time in his overall career. 1989 was also the year in which Hanley was awarded the Adidas Golden Boot, which was awarded to the world’s most outstanding player. Looking back at the period where he was dubbed the best rugby league player in the world, Hanley remembers that "It was something I always strove for. I wanted to be the best player in the world...Looking back, to be the world’s best player at that time was the biggest honour of my career."
He led Wigan to another two League and Cup doubles. By 1991 though his relationship with the media reached an all time low. Although both Wigan and Great Britain captain, he was not expected to carry out any media role. Hanley was inducted into the Wigan Hall of Fame in 2007.
In total he spent around five years with the club, making 202 appearances and scoring 189 tries. He was the inspiration behind Wigan's domination of the sport in the late 1980s. In his Wigan career, he won a World Club Championship, 4 Challenge Cup winners medals, 3 Championships, 1 Premiership, 4 John Player Trophy Winners medals and 4 Lancashire Cup winners medals. He was also voted Man of Steel twice as a Wigan player.
Balmain (1988)
Hanley was lured to Australia in 1988 to sign for the Balmain TigersBalmain Tigers
The Balmain Tigers are a rugby league football club based in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Balmain. They were a founding member of the New South Wales Rugby League and one of the most successful in the history of the premiership, with eleven titles...
in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership
New South Wales Rugby League premiership
The New South Wales Rugby League premiership was the first rugby league football club competition established in Australia. Run by the New South Wales Rugby League from 1908 until 1994, the premiership was the state's and later the country's elite rugby league competition...
competition. In his first season with the club he helped them to the Grand Final in 1988 against Canterbury by defeating Penrith, Manly
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League's Telstra Premiership, the premier rugby league competition of Australasia...
, Canberra
Canberra Raiders
The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership since 1982...
as well as Cronulla
Cronulla Sharks
The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are Australian professional Rugby league team based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales...
in the preliminary finals. The preliminary final against Cronulla was a closely fought battle, until Hanley proved to be the difference setting up the try that would seal the victory for Balmain as they edged out their opponents 9-2, the win sending the club to their first Grand Final since 1969.
The first half of the Grand Final was a tight contest as Balmain
Balmain Tigers
The Balmain Tigers are a rugby league football club based in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Balmain. They were a founding member of the New South Wales Rugby League and one of the most successful in the history of the premiership, with eleven titles...
led 6-4 with the Tigers scoring thanks to a mistake from Canterbury fullback Jason Alchin. In the 26th minute, Hanley was wrapped up low by Andrew Farrar
Andrew Farrar
Andrew Farrar is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. He played for the Canterbury Bulldogs, Western Suburbs Magpies, Wigan Warriors and Illawarra Steelers. Farrar also played for New South Wales in the State of Origin on several occasions and played for Australia in the 1988...
and as he want to offload the ball, Terry Lamb hit Hanley with a high shot that went unnoticed by the referee. He hit the ground in an awkward position and was concussed. He played no further part in the match. His side went on to lose the game 24-12. Many people claim to this day that Lamb intentionally took out Hanley as a ploy for the Bulldogs to win the Grand Final. Lamb said he was only looking to wrap the ball up and there was no intention. Lamb commented in his 1992 book that Balmain had key players such as Wayne Pearce
Wayne Pearce
Wayne John Pearce OAM is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. An athletic Lock Forward for the Balmain Tigers, he was affectionately known as 'Junior'...
, Ben Elias, Paul Sironen
Paul Sironen
Paul Sironen is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who was a prominent second rower for the Balmain Tigers during the late 1980s and early 1990s...
and Garry Jack
Garry Jack
Garry Jack is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. He was a representative in the Australian national team and star player with the Balmain Tigers. Jack was a for the Tigers during the late 1980s and early 1990s, under the captaincy of Wayne Pearce and the coaching of Warren Ryan...
that there was no chance to target one individual.
Speaking to Inside Sport Magazine in August 2005, Hanley was asked:
What do you remember about that infamous tackle by Terry Lamb?
"I don’t know if it was caused by Terry Lamb, or if it was just my head hitting the ground. I couldn’t tell you because I have never looked at it since. Some people have said Terry got a good shot on me. I suspect, however, it was more a case of my head hitting the ground. I like to think it was accidental. Afterwards, I was concussed and didn’t know where I was. I didn’t regain all my faculties immediately so, from a safety point of view, I had to come off the football field. It was a shame, but it is a physical game and sometimes things like that happen."
Have you spoken to Lamb since then?
"No, I never have. I have never bumped into him. I have to say I respect him as a footballer. I don’t know him as a person, but by all accounts he is a good guy. Let me be clear that I have no malice towards him, none at all, regardless of the incident being deliberate or accidental."
The New South Wales Rugby League
New South Wales Rugby League
The New South Wales Rugby League is the governing body of rugby league in New South Wales and is a member of the Australian Rugby League. It was formed in Sydney on 8 August 1907 and was known as the New South Wales Rugby Football League until 1984 when forward thinking marketing managers decided...
despite all the media pressure backed up Lamb's version of events and deemed he had no case to answer.
Western Suburbs
In 1989, Hanley moved from Balmain to the Western Suburbs MaggiesWestern Suburbs Magpies
The Western Suburbs Magpies are an Australian rugby league football club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests, as they are commonly referred to, were one of the nine foundation clubs of the first New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia...
. He played a total of thirteen games, scoring four tries for a total of sixteen points in his one and only season for the club. 1989 was also the year in which Hanley was awarded the Adidas Rugby League World Golden Boot Award
Rugby League World Golden Boot Award
The Rugby League World Golden Boot Award is a rugby league award handed out annually for achievements in rugby league by Rugby League World magazine...
, which was awarded to the world’s most outstanding player.
Leeds
In September 1991 at the age of 30, he joined Leeds as a player and coach for £250,000, (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £493,000 in 2009). Upon his arrival at the club, he was immediately appointed captain. In his time at Leeds, he not only gave them great service as a player, but he also was a great mentor for the younger players at the club.He was selected to go on the 1992 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand, but his appearances were restricted by injury. Also in 1992 he played from the bench in Great Britain's loss to Australia in the World Cup final at Wembley.
The 1993-94 season saw Hanley play in the Challenge Cup final for the first time with Leeds. In the previous game, the Challenge Cup semi-final, Leeds faced St Helens at Central Park. Having absorbed a terrific pounding from marshalling heroic last ditch defence, Hanley capped off a magnificent game with two great tries to put the club back on the big stage for the first time in sixteen years. In the Final, the clubs opponents were Hanley's former club Wigan. In front of an official attendance at Wembley of 78,348 Leeds were defeated at the hands of Wigan by 26 points to 16.
In the 1994-95 season, Hanley set a new world record for a forward, scoring an incredible 41 tries in a season. During that season, Hanley helped the club reach the Challenge Cup final at Wembley for the second consecutive year. Ironically it was the same opponent that they faced a year earlier in the same competition final. In front of an attendance of 78,550 they were defeated, just as they had been a year earlier by their opponents, this time going down 30-10.
Whilst playing for Leeds, the World League of American football
NFL Europe
NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
was formed in 1991. It was reported that Hanley would play for the London Monarchs
London Monarchs
The London Monarchs were a professional American football team in NFL Europe and its predecessor league, the World League of American Football . The Monarchs played their final season in 1998 as the England Monarchs...
but this never materialised.
Balmain (1996-97)
In 1996 and well past his prime, Hanley returned to the Australian club Balmain on his second spell with the club. Ellery Hanley looks back at the time he spent in Australia and remembers that "I wanted to be respected by the Australians as well, because their game is so superior to ours."Representative career
Ellery Hanley won caps for EnglandEngland national rugby league team
The England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football...
while at Bradford Northern in 1984 against Wales, while at Leeds in 1992 against Wales, and won caps for Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
while at Bradford Northern in 1984 against France (sub), France, Australia (3 matches), New Zealand (3 matches), and Papua New Guinea, in 1985 against France (2 matches), while at Wigan in 1985 against New Zealand (3 matches), in 1986 against France, and Australia, in 1987 against France (2 matches), and Papua New Guinea, in 1988 against France (2 matches), Papua New Guinea, Australia (3 matches), and New Zealand, in 1989 against France (2 matches), in 1990 against France, and Australia (3 matches), in 1991 against France (2 matches), while at Leeds in 1992 against Australia, in 1993 against France.
Great Britain
He made his Great Britain debut as a substitute, whilst still a Bradford Northern player, in January 1984 against FranceFrance national rugby league team
The France national rugby league team represent France in international rugby league tournaments. They are also sometimes referred to as "Les Tricolores" or more commonly "Les Chanticleers"...
in Avignon
Avignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
. He was selected in the Great Britain squad in 1984 to tour to Australia, for the Ashes series. He was one of the stars of the 1984 Ashes series, scoring a remarkable twelve tries.
In 1988, he became a regular member of the Great Britain squad and was also appointed as the captain of the Great Britain squad. In the 1988 Ashes series, he led his side to victory over Australia for the first time in 10 seasons. Along the way he also scored eight tries.
Hanley also toured to Australia in 1992 for the Ashes series. But despite arriving as captain of the British squad, on the field he made only one appearance and played less than fifteen minutes in a minor tour match against Newcastle.
In total he was capped 34 times by Great Britain.
Coaching career
In 1994, Hanley was appointed coach of the Great Britain national rugby league team during the Ashes series of 1994, which was held in Great Britain. His appointment in the coaching role of the Great Britain squad meant he had become the first black person to coach or manage a major national team in Great Britain.In 1999, he was appointed as the coach of St. Helens as the successor to Shaun McRae
Shaun McRae
Shaun McRae is a rugby league coach, who is currently the director of rugby at hull fc after a spell with the Salford City Reds.-Career:...
. In his first season as coach, he managed to lead his side to the Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
Grand Final. His side successfully defeated the Bradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the European Super League and are currently joint 10th in the league....
, the club he began his professional playing career at, by 8-6 in October of that year. Whilst he harboured a strong desire to win, he could appear aloof and had several acrimonious disagreements with the St. Helens board of directors, which led to his suspension and eventual sacking as the manager of St Helens Rugby League Football Club in 2000. Ian Millward
Ian Millward
Ian Millward is an Australian rugby league coach and former player. Millward is currently the head coach at Super League side Castleford....
was appointed as his successor for the role of the St Helens coach.
He switched to rugby union coaching and took up posts with Bristol Rugby
Bristol Rugby
Bristol Rugby is a rugby union club based in Bristol, England. The club currently plays in the RFU Championship and competes in the British and Irish Cup. They rely in large part on the many junior rugby clubs in the region, particularly those from 'the Combination'...
and in the England national set-up. He also got involved in the sport of squash before returning to rugby league as a coaching consultant with Castleford Tigers
Castleford Tigers
Castleford Tigers are a professional rugby league club based in Castleford in West Yorkshire, England. They participate in the professional European competition Super League. They are sometimes known as 'Cas', 'Cas Tigers', 'Classy Cas' or the 'Black & Amber'...
in 2004. He worked with the Tigers for just two months before leaving.
On 14 December 2007 Hanley was unveiled as the coach of National League Two Club Doncaster.http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/7144151.stm He resigned from that rolé on September 28, 2008, following Doncasters successful promotion play-off campaign.
Recognition
In January 1990 he was honoured with an MBE by the Queen for his services to rugby league. Fifteen years later, in October 2005, he was inducted into the British Rugby League Hall of FameBritish Rugby League Hall of Fame
The British Rugby League Hall of Fame was established by the Rugby Football League in 1988 to commemorate the greatest ever players in British rugby league...
.
Outside of rugby
On 5 January 2009, it was announced on This MorningThis Morning (TV series)
This Morning is a British daytime television programme broadcast on ITV. As of September 2011, its main presenters are Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, and Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, with various other presenters standing in for illness or contributing to sections of the programme.The...
that Hanley would be one of thirteen celebrities taking part in the new series
Dancing on Ice (Series 4)
The fourth series of Dancing on Ice began on ITV on Sunday 11 January 2009. The series features legendary skaters Christopher Dean and Jayne Torvill, presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, and judges Karen Barber, Nicky Slater, Jason Gardiner, Ruthie Henshall and Robin Cousins.The...
of Dancing On Ice
Dancing on Ice (UK)
Dancing on Ice is a British television show co-hosted by Christine Bleakley and Philip Schofield, in which celebrities and their professional partners figure skate in front of a panel of judges. The format, devised by LWT and Granada Television, has been a prime-time hit in eight different...
, partnered with Frankie Poultney
Frankie Poultney
Frankie Poultney is a professional British adagio ice skater, who is a long standing member of the Dancing on Ice professional team.-Early years:...
. He was the sixth person to be eliminated from the show, after falling on the ice during the final dance off. He was referred to disparagingly by judge Jason Gardiner
Jason Gardiner
-Theatre:*1987- Cats – Australian Cast - Theatre Royal Sydney*1988- 42nd Street – Original Australian Cast – Her Majesty’s Theatre*1991- West Side Story – USA National Tour – Dance Captain*1992- Kizmet – Miami – Jackie Gleeson Theatre USA...
, who likened him to Mr Potato Head.
Hanley is also the uncle of British Professional boxer Jonathan Oakey
Jonathan Oakey
Jonathan 'JayJay' Oakey is a British professional boxer. He is currently one of the youngest professional boxers in the UK.Oakey, who is nephew of professional rugby player and england coach Ellery Hanley , is mostly known for his huge professional classification change, after beginning his...
.
External links
- Ellery Hanley Wigan Career Page on the Wigan RL Fansite.
- Profile from 100 Great Black Britons
- Ellery Hanley at rugbyleaguehistory.co.uk
- Ellery Hanley at eraofthebiff.com
- International Statistics at englandrl.co.uk
- Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org
- When Britain defeated the Aussies
- The Millennium Masters - Forwards
- Bull Masters - Ellery Hanley MBE
- Wembley Stadium profile
- Profile at leedsrugby.dnsupdate.co.uk