Rick Stone
Encyclopedia
Rick Stone is a professional rugby league football coach and former player. He is currently an assistant coach to Wayne Bennett at the Newcastle Knights
of the National Rugby League
.
Stone previously played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs
, appearing in a handful of first-grade games in the 1989 Winfield Cup premiership.
Before joining the Knights, Stone coached Queensland Cup
side Burleigh
for 13 seasons, winning three premierships during that time. He started at Newcastle as assistant coach to Michael Hagan
. During the 2009 NRL season, Stone's fourth at the Newcastle Knights, the head coach, Brian Smith
, resigned. Stone, then assistant coach to Smith, was appointed to the position of coach for the remainder of the season. He enjoyed victory in his first game as head coach of the Knights with a win against the eventual grand final winners Melbourne Storm
.
With the signing of supercoach Wayne Bennett at the Knights for the next four years starting in 2012, Stone re-signed with the Knights for another 4 years to be assistant coach to Bennett and take over after Bennett leaves.
Newcastle Knights
The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
of the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
.
Stone previously played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs
South Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...
, appearing in a handful of first-grade games in the 1989 Winfield Cup premiership.
Before joining the Knights, Stone coached Queensland Cup
Queensland Cup
The Queensland Cup is the premier rugby league football competition in the State of Queensland, Australia.It is a statewide competition with the majority of teams based in South East Queensland but also including sides based in Cairns, Mackay and Rockhampton.The competition began in 1996 as a...
side Burleigh
Burleigh Bears
The Burleigh Heads Rugby League Football Club are one of the oldest rugby league football clubs on the Gold Coast, Australia. Originally formed in 1934 playing out of Rudd Park, the club relocated to Pizzey Park in 1971, their current home ground....
for 13 seasons, winning three premierships during that time. He started at Newcastle as assistant coach to Michael Hagan
Michael Hagan
Michael Hagan is an Australian rugby league football coach and former player. He currently works as assistant coach under Mal Meninga for the record-breaking Queensland rugby league team...
. During the 2009 NRL season, Stone's fourth at the Newcastle Knights, the head coach, Brian Smith
Brian Smith (rugby league)
Brian Smith is an Australian coach and former player of rugby league football. He is the current head coach at the Sydney Roosters of the NRL. Smith played for St. George and South Sydney Rabbitohs , appearing in a total of 31 first grade games...
, resigned. Stone, then assistant coach to Smith, was appointed to the position of coach for the remainder of the season. He enjoyed victory in his first game as head coach of the Knights with a win against the eventual grand final winners Melbourne Storm
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
.
With the signing of supercoach Wayne Bennett at the Knights for the next four years starting in 2012, Stone re-signed with the Knights for another 4 years to be assistant coach to Bennett and take over after Bennett leaves.