Chris Anderson (rugby)

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Chris Anderson
Personal information
Full nameChristopher Anderson
Born (1952-05-02) 2 May 1952 (age 72)
Playing information
PositionWing
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1971–84 Canterbury-Bankstown 230 94 0 0 303
1974–75 Widnes 19 18 0 0 54
1984–87
Halifax
 92 22 0 0 88
Total 341 134 0 0 445
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
Rugby league
Club
Years Team Gms W D L W%
1984–88
Halifax
1990–97
Canterbury Bulldogs
 		181 110 4 67 61
1998–01 Melbourne Storm 89 53 2 34 60
2002–03 Cronulla Sharks 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 25 22 0 3 88
Rugby union
Club
Years Team Gms W D L W%
2004–05
Newport Gwent Dragons
 		20 11 0 9 55
Source: [1][2][3]

Christopher Anderson (born 2 May 1952) is an Australian former professional

Halifax
to both League and Cup success.

As a coach, Anderson took Australia to victory in the 2000 World Cup victory and coached both Canterbury-Bankstown and Melbourne Storm to premiership wins. He is also a member of the Halifax Hall of Fame.[citation needed] His nickname was "Opes".[4]

Playing career

Anderson was a

Peter Moore from Forbes, New South Wales, where he attended Red Bend Catholic College. As a flankman for the Canterbury side, Anderson gave the club a vital tryscoring power which had been quite absent from Belmore throughout the 1950s and 1960s.[5] In 1974, when Canterbury-Bankstown reached the Grand Final, Anderson broke Morrie Murphy's 1947 record of sixteen tries for the club.[citation needed
]

He also played in England for Widnes. Anderson played left wing in

1975 Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 10 May 1975.[6]

Anderson surpassed Eddie Burns' club record for Canterbury-Bankstown of 65 tries in 1978.[citation needed]

Anderson represented

1978 and 1982. He also represented New South Wales in the experimental 1980 State of Origin game. In the third Origin encounter of 1983 (his last representative match), Anderson became the first ever player to score a hat-trick of tries in a State of Origin match, although the Blues lost 22–43. That season Anderson scored nineteen tries for the Bulldogs, a club record until Nigel Vagana scored twenty-three in 2002.[5]

After struggling with a broken arm during 1984, and being dropped to reserve grade for the latter part of the NSWRL season, Anderson became

Halifax
.

Coaching career

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-Bankstown Bulldogs Under 21s team for the 1989 season.[citation needed]

Anderson was quickly appointed as Canterbury's first grade coach for

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
.

The formation of the Melbourne Storm saw Anderson become their inaugural coach. His son, Ben, played 17 games for Melbourne. Anderson was appointed coach of the Australian national team in March 1999, replacing Wayne Bennett.[7] Then he guided the Storm to Premiership success when they defeated the St. George Illawarra Dragons in the 1999 NRL Grand Final. Anderson was coach of the Australian team to compete in the end of season 1999 Rugby League Tri-Nations tournament. In the final against New Zealand the Kangaroos won 22–20.

After seven rounds (and only two wins) of the

JJB Stadium. He had suffered a non-fatal myocardial infarction but made a full recovery.[citation needed
]

Anderson was appointed coach of the

Ashes series. After five successful seasons Anderson's tenure as coach of Australia came to a halt following the successful 2003 whitewash of Great Britain
.

In July 2004, Anderson was appointed coach of the

Celtic League that season, his one-year contract was not renewed.[citation needed
]

Anderson accepted a two-year contract with the

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles.[citation needed] He was replaced by former Sydney Roosters five-eighth Brad Fittler
.

Anderson currently coaches the Mullumbimby Giants 1st Grade side on the NSW Far North Coast in the NRRRL (Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League) competition.

Recognition

Anderson is a Halifax Hall of Fame Inductee[10] and was awarded the Australian Sports Medal on 24 October 2000 for his contribution to Australian rugby league.[11]

References

  1. ^ NRL Stats[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ Rugby League Project
  3. ^ Rugby League Project Coaches
  4. Sydney Morning Herald
    . Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  5. ^ a b Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs season summary
  6. ^ "Chris Anderson". rugby.widnes.tv. Widnes Vikings. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
  7. ^ "Chris Anderson". BBC Sport 2001 Ashes squad guide. UK: BBC. 2001. Archived from the original on 18 July 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  8. ^ news.bbc.co.uk (2 April 2001). "Angry Anderson leaves Storm". BBC Sport Online. BBC. Retrieved 7 October 2009.
  9. ^ "Anderson's code switch". The Age. 30 July 2004. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  10. ^ "Halifax RLFC Hall of Fame". halifaxrlfc.co.uk. 31 December 2011. Archived from the original on 10 September 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  11. ^ "Christopher Anderson". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 31 December 2011.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chris_Anderson_(rugby)&oldid=1224213037"