Les Kiss
Encyclopedia
Les Kiss is an Australian former professional rugby league
player in the New South Wales Rugby League
, former rugby league coach and current rugby union
coach.
between 1986 and 1993. A handy goalkicker, he had an injury-restricted career, and retired in 1993. Les Kiss' career is nostalgically linked with the Wendy Matthews
song "Let's Kiss", which was released in 1990 at the height of his playing days at North Sydney.
Les Kiss scored only 29 tries for Norths in his 100 games but despite not being the fastest winger, and with a best haul of 9 tries in a season (1986), he was considered to be one of the best defensive wingers in the Sydney competition. He also kicked 38 goals from 64 attempts (59.38%) for the Bears with his best season again being his debut year (1986) when he kicked 23/38 at 60.53%.
, first gained selection for The Maroons
in Game 2 of the 1986 State of Origin series at the Sydney Cricket Ground
. Playing on the wing, Kiss scored a try on debut in a losing side (NSW won the 1986 series 3-0) and he scored another in Game 3 at Lang Park
.
Kiss was then selected to play for Australia in the second test
against New Zealand
at the Cricket Ground and retained his spot for the final game in Brisbane
. Kiss' good form continued for the Bears and he was an easy selection for the 1986 Kangaroo Tour
. Before the actual tour got underway in England
, the Australians played a test against Papua New Guinea
in Port Moresby
. There Kiss scored his only two test tries in a 62-12 win. He was then selected for the first Ashes test against Great Britain
at Old Trafford
with the Aussie's winning 38-16 before an injury in a tour match put an end to his tour before the 2nd Test.
Les Kiss then had a wait of four years before he tasted representative football again. He was selected for games 1 and 2 of the 1990 Origin series. Queensland lost both games and Kiss was one of the players dropped for Game 3 (replaced by Willie Carne
). In what turned out to be a brief representative career, Les Kiss played in 4 games for Queensland (all losses) and 4 games for Australia (all wins) scoring a total of 3 Origin and 2 Test tries.
under head coach Declan Kidney
and is being given much of the credit for improving their defensive abilities and masterminding their successful Grand Slam
assault in 2009
. Kiss' appointment was announced on 27 June 2008 and was initially for three years but there is speculation that it may be extended after this inaugural success.
Kiss previously worked as an assistant rugby league coach for the London Broncos Super League
club and then as joint head coach with former North Sydney team mate Tony Rea
. In rugby union Kiss was prior to his current coaching position in Ireland an assistant coach with the New South Wales
Waratahs
and also worked as a defence coach in South Africa
.
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...
player in 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...
, former rugby league coach and current rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
coach.
Playing career
Kiss was a Past Brothers junior who went on to play 100 first grade games in the NSWRL Premiership for the North Sydney BearsNorth Sydney Bears
The North Sydney Bears are an Australian rugby league football club based in North Sydney, New South Wales. They currently compete in the New South Wales Cup, having exited the National Rugby League following the 1999 NRL season after 92 years of top-grade competition. The Bears are based on...
between 1986 and 1993. A handy goalkicker, he had an injury-restricted career, and retired in 1993. Les Kiss' career is nostalgically linked with the Wendy Matthews
Wendy Matthews
Wendy Joan Matthews is an Australian adult alternative pop singer originally from Canada who has been a member of Models and Absent Friends and is a solo artist...
song "Let's Kiss", which was released in 1990 at the height of his playing days at North Sydney.
Les Kiss scored only 29 tries for Norths in his 100 games but despite not being the fastest winger, and with a best haul of 9 tries in a season (1986), he was considered to be one of the best defensive wingers in the Sydney competition. He also kicked 38 goals from 64 attempts (59.38%) for the Bears with his best season again being his debut year (1986) when he kicked 23/38 at 60.53%.
Representative Career
Les Kiss, originally from QueenslandQueensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, first gained selection for The Maroons
Queensland rugby league team
The Queensland rugby league team have represented the Australian state of Queensland in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1908...
in Game 2 of the 1986 State of Origin series at the Sydney Cricket Ground
Sydney Cricket Ground
The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...
. Playing on the wing, Kiss scored a try on debut in a losing side (NSW won the 1986 series 3-0) and he scored another in Game 3 at Lang Park
Suncorp Stadium
Lang Park is the original name of the site located in the Brisbane suburb of Milton, Queensland, Australia, now occupied by the major sports facility known by its sponsorship name, Suncorp Stadium...
.
Kiss was then selected to play for Australia in the second test
Test match (rugby league)
A Test match in rugby league football is a representative match between teams representing members of the Rugby League International Federation.The definition of a Test match differs from that of an international match...
against New Zealand
New Zealand national rugby league team
The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
at the Cricket Ground and retained his spot for the final game in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. Kiss' good form continued for the Bears and he was an easy selection for the 1986 Kangaroo Tour
1986 Kangaroo Tour of Great Britain and France
The 1986 Kangaroo tour was the sixteenth Kangaroo Tour where the Australian side plays a number of matches against British and French rugby league teams, in additions to the Test matches...
. Before the actual tour got underway in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, the Australians played a test against Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea national rugby league team
The Papua New Guinea national rugby league team represents Papua New Guinea internationally in the sport of rugby league football.In Papua New Guinea, Rugby league is highly popular and is regarded as the country’s national sport. The national side are known as the Kumuls...
in Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
. There Kiss scored his only two test tries in a 62-12 win. He was then selected for the first Ashes test against 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"....
at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
with the Aussie's winning 38-16 before an injury in a tour match put an end to his tour before the 2nd Test.
Les Kiss then had a wait of four years before he tasted representative football again. He was selected for games 1 and 2 of the 1990 Origin series. Queensland lost both games and Kiss was one of the players dropped for Game 3 (replaced by Willie Carne
Willie Carne
William Carne is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played for the Brisbane Broncos from 1990 to 1996, as well as representing both Queensland and Australia...
). In what turned out to be a brief representative career, Les Kiss played in 4 games for Queensland (all losses) and 4 games for Australia (all wins) scoring a total of 3 Origin and 2 Test tries.
Coaching career
Kiss is currently the defensive coach with the Ireland national rugby union teamIreland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
under head coach Declan Kidney
Declan Kidney
Declan Kidney is an Irish rugby union coach.-Early life:Kidney played rugby for UCC and later for Dolphin RFC....
and is being given much of the credit for improving their defensive abilities and masterminding their successful Grand Slam
Grand Slam (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, a Grand Slam occurs when one team in the Six Nations Championship manages to beat all the others during one year's competition...
assault in 2009
2009 Six Nations Championship
The 2009 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2009 RBS 6 Nations because of the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the tenth Six Nations Championship, an annual rugby union competition contested by the six major Northern Hemisphere rugby union national teams...
. Kiss' appointment was announced on 27 June 2008 and was initially for three years but there is speculation that it may be extended after this inaugural success.
Kiss previously worked as an assistant rugby league coach for the London Broncos 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...
club and then as joint head coach with former North Sydney team mate Tony Rea
Tony Rea
Tony Rea is an Australian rugby football coach and former rugby league administrator and player. He was the relief head coach of the Brumbies in the Super Rugby competition, following the dismissal of Andy Friend....
. In rugby union Kiss was prior to his current coaching position in Ireland an assistant coach with the New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
Waratahs
New South Wales Waratahs
The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition...
and also worked as a defence coach in South Africa
Rugby union in South Africa
Rugby union is a popular team sport played in South Africa. Along with cricket and football it is one of the most popular ball sports in South Africa...
.