Darrell Williams (rugby league)

Darrell Christopher Williams[4] is a New Zealand rugby league selector and NRL Judiciary member and a former footballer and coach. A New Zealand international representative outside back, he played his club football in the Auckland Rugby League for Mt Albert and in Sydney's NSWRFL Premiership for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (with whom he won the 1987 NSWRL Grand Final) and the Parramatta Eels.[1] He later coached the Samoan national team.

Darrell Williams
Personal information
Full nameDarrell Christopher Williams
Playing information
PositionFullback, Centre, Wing
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
Mount Albert
1987–93 Manly Sea Eagles 93 15 0 0 60
1994 Parramatta Eels 5 0 0 0 0
Total 98 15 0 0 60
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
Auckland
1985–90 New Zealand 21 4 0 0 16
Coaching information
Representative
Years Team Gms W D L W%
Samoa
Source: [1][2][3]

Playing career

Williams started his playing career in the Auckland Rugby League competition where he played with the Mt Albert club.[5] His form for Mt Albert also saw selected to play for the Auckland representative side against touring national sides Great Britain (1984) and Australia (1985).

Between 1985 and 1990, Williams gained selection for New Zealand on 21 occasions. He was selected for the 1985 New Zealand Tour of Great Britain and France and would make his test debut playing on the wing in the third test against Great Britain at the Elland Road ground in Leeds which ended in a 6-all draw.[6] His final test appearance for NZ came on 19 August 1990 when he played in the centres against Australia at the Athletic Park stadium in Wellington, with the Australians winning the game 24–6.[7] He scored 5 tries in his test career including scoring a double in the third game of the 1986 Trans-Tasman Test series against Australia at Lang Park in Brisbane, though Australia would win the game 32–12 and the series 3–0.

In the third test of the 1989 Trans-Tasman series against Australia in Auckland, Williams was on the receiving end of a famous hit from Australian captain; Wally Lewis. This tackle was later described by commentator Ray Warren as easily the biggest he's ever seen.[8]

Williams moved to Australia to play in the NSWRL premiership for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles at the start of the 1987 NSWRL season. He made his debut for the Sea Eagles in the wing in a 4-all draw with St George in the opening round of the season. He would go on to play in Manly's Grand Final winning team that year, becoming the first Kiwi to play in an Australian grand final-winning team.[9] Following the grand final victory he travelled with Manly to England for the 1987 World Club Challenge against their champions, Wigan.

On 21 July 1987, Williams played fullback for NZ in their shock 13-6 win over Australia at Lang Park. It would be the only time he would be on the winning side in 9 tests against the Australians.[10]

Later years

Following his retirement from playing at the end of the 1994 NSWRL season, Williams was appointed a National Rugby League judiciary member.[11] He was later appointed coach of the Samoa national rugby league team for their 2000 World Cup campaign.[12] Samoa reached the quarter finals where they faced eventual champions Australia and were knocked out. Williams has also been a selector for the New Zealand national side.[13] During the lead up to the 2008 NRL grand final Williams, at the time the longest-serving member of the NRL Judiciary, threatened legal action against the Melbourne Storm for criticism levelled at the judiciary over their controversial suspension of Storm captain Cameron Smith.[14] This led to Storm coach Craig Bellamy and then-CEO Brian Waldron paying out $105,000 plus legal costs to Williams and the other judiciary panellists in late 2010.[15]

References
  1. "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  2. "Coach Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  4. WILLIAMS, Darrell Christopher 1985 – 90 – Kiwi #586 Archived 24 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine nzleague.co.nz
  5. NZPA (23 September 2008). "Former Sea Eagle backs Warriors". tvnz.co.uk. Television New Zealand Limited. Retrieved 30 May 2009.
  6. 1985 Great Britain vs New Zealand
  7. 1990 New Zealand vs Australia
  8. Webster, Andrew (April 2004). "A few Drinks with Ray Warren". Inside Sport. Archived from the original on 20 September 2009. Retrieved 3 July 2009.
  9. Fagan, Sean (2002). "New Zealand Rugby League Players". New Zealanders in Premiership Grand Finals. rl1908.com. Retrieved 30 May 2009.
  10. Australia vs New Zealand 1987 at Rugby League Project
  11. "Player Profile: Darrell Williams". Biography & Career Highlights. yesterdayshero.com.au. Retrieved 30 May 2009.
  12. Coffey, John; Wood, Bernie (2008). 100 years: Māori rugby league, 1908–2008. Huia Publishers. p. 320. ISBN 978-1-86969-331-2.
  13. NZPA (30 April 2008). "League: Marshall out of Anzac test". nzherald.co.uk. APN Holdings NZ Limited. Retrieved 30 May 2009.
  14. Santow, Simon (2 October 2008). "NRL grand final build-up dominated by legal talk". The World Today. Retrieved 30 May 2009.
  15. "Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy and former CEO Brian Waldron pay $105,000 over judiciary comments". The Daily Telegraph. Australia: Herald and Weekly Times. 18 October 2010. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
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