Brad Fittler
Personal information
Full name	Bradley Scott Fittler
Nickname	Freddie
Born	5 February 1972 (1972-02-05) (age 37)
	Auburn, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Height	184 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	96 kg (15 st 2 lb)
Position	Five-eighth, Centre, Lock
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1989–95	Penrith Panthers	119	31	5	2	136
1996–04	Sydney Roosters	217	91	9	8	390
	Total	336	122	14	10	526
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1990	City Firsts	1	1	0	0	4
1990–04	New South Wales	31	8	0	2	34
1991–97	City Origin	7	1	0	0	4
1990–01	Australia	40	17	1	1	71
Coaching information
Club
Years	Team	Gms	W	D	L	W%
2007–09	Sydney Roosters	58	25	1	32	43
Source: NRL Stats

Brad "Freddie" Fittler AM (born 5 February 1972) is a former Australian rugby league coach and player. He was the former coach of the Sydney Roosters NRL team. As a player, Fittler captained both New South Wales and Australia, and in 2000 was awarded the Golden Boot award. He retired as the most capped New South Wales State of Origin player and has been named among Australia's finest rugby league footballers of the first century of rugby league in Australia^[1].

[edit] Playing career

[edit] Penrith Panthers

Fittler was born in Auburn, New South Wales. While attending St Dominic's College then later, McCarthy Catholic Senior High School Emu Plains, Fittler played for the Australian Schoolboys team in 1988 and 1989.^[2]

Fittler's first grade career started in 1989 at the Penrith Panthers while he was still attending St. Mary's High School in the western suburbs of Sydney. He played in Penrith's 1990 Grand Final loss, then in the Premiership winning side of 1991. By 1995 Fittler was the world's highest-paid rugby league player, earning $1.05 million for the season.^[3]

[edit] Sydney Roosters

In 1996, he joined the Sydney Roosters where he played nine seasons, captaining them to the 2002 Grand Final victory. Fittler retired as the second most experienced first grader, behind Terry Lamb (349), having played 336 games.

He was selected for Kangaroo Tours in 1990, 1994 and 2001 and played in the World Cups of 1992, 1995 and 2000.

Early in his career Fittler struggled with discipline problems, but he matured into a fine leader. He captained Australia in 20 Tests, winning 17 and losing 3, and in a further 5 victories in the 2000 World Cup. He also captained NSW in 14 State of Origin matches, winning 8 and losing 6. In club competition, he captained the Roosters to their first grand final appearance in twenty seasons in 2000, a Premiership in 2002 and successive grand final appearances in 2003 and 2004, before retiring at the end of 2004.

Two years after Fittler announced his retirement from representative football, NSW coach Phil Gould brought him back to State of Origin for the second and third game. Both he and Gould were farewelled in the last game at Telstra Stadium after he scored the winning try that sealed the NSW victory.

Fittler remains the youngest NSW State of Origin player (18 years 114 days) and was once the youngest Kangaroo representative (18 years 247 days) until Israel Folau made his debut in late 2007. Fittler played more total matches (409 combining club and representative games) than any other player.

As a tribute to Fittler's contribution to the NSW team, the Brad Fittler Medal is named in his honour, awarded to the best NSW player after each series. However, it has not been awarded since 2005 with Queensland having won the last four series (2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009).

[edit] Media career

Fittler presents a weekly footy tipping segment on Today. Fittler also co-hosts NRL Deluxe, a streaming video show on Mondays and Thursdays available via Bigpond TV. It is unknown if his media commitments will continue following his promotion to coach. A year after his retirement, Fittler released his book, Freddy: The Brad Fittler Story. Brad has since starred in 2 Telstra Next G TV advertisement (available for viewing on his website http://www.brad-fittler.com).

[edit] Coaching career

On 9 July 2007, Rooster's coach Chris Anderson quit the club, just 48 hours after the team lost 56–0 to the Manly Sea Eagles, their second worst ever loss. Fittler took over the coaching from Round 18, in what was initially for a short term until the end of the 2007 season. The Roosters, who were sitting near the bottom of the competition and struggling with form, turned a corner with Fittler as coach as they went on to post some impressive wins. His first match was against his former mentor, Ricky Stuart coaching the Cronulla Sharks. The Roosters won the match 23–12. His second match was against the Newcastle Knights and again the team was successful 20–17.

On 27 July 2007, Fittler's coaching career took a massive leap. The Roosters side defeated the Melbourne Storm (front runners of the Premiership) 26–16, with the two late consolation tries to the Storm. Former Roosters coach, Phil Gould remarked after the Melbourne game "I've always had great confidence that "Freddie" would be successful at anything he turned his mind to. If he truly wants to be a coach, he'll be a bloody good one... I think in the end he was drawn to it and, to me, that's a coach. You don't wake up one day and say, 'I want to be a coach'. You are drawn to it. It compels you. I see and hear this in Freddie these days."^[4]

Following the win over the Melbourne Storm, the Roosters went up against the New Zealand Warriors with the match resulting in the first draw since 2005 after a hard fought golden point period which ended with the score 31–31. The result was good enough to keep Fittler undefeated as coach.

That run was extended against the Wests Tigers on 10 August, with the second golden point game in a row for the club after a late field goal attempt from Braith Anasta hit the cross bar with 15 seconds to go. The game ended in a 26–22 win after Anasta broke the line and passed to Amos Roberts who then set up Joel Monaghan for the winning try.

Unfortunately, Fittler's winning streak as a coach was broken on the 19 August 2007 when the Roosters played the Gold Coast Titans, losing 22–18. The following week, in the penulitmate round of the regular season, the Roosters lost to the eventual 2007 wooden spooners, the Penrith Panthers, 28–22.

On 21 August 2007, the Sydney Roosters signed Brad Fittler as their full time Head Coach until the 2010 season.

On 20 June 2009, it was reported in the Townsville Bulletin that, a day earlier, a drunken Fittler had tried to gain access to the wrong hotel room while wearing only shorts. The incident occurred at the Holiday Inn in Townsville at 3am.^[5] Fittler consequently fined himself AUD $10,000 and apologised for his behaviour at a televised press conference.^[6]

On 18 July 2009, the media was informed that in 2010 Brad Fittler will not be part of the coaching staff at the Sydney Roosters.^[7]

Fittler has been linked with a move to English Super League giants Wigan.^[8]

[edit] Legacy

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2009)

Brad Fittler was an influential five-eighth. His ability to work under pressure and get his team back on the board was exemplary. Throughout his career he often displayed tremendous speed and strength. He was also known to throw devastating cut-out passes and kick towering bombs.

Brad Fittler was a strong leader of the Sydney Roosters outfit. With his influence as a player the Roosters were a dominant team, finishing in the top eight every year he was present. With Brad Fittler absent as a player, the Roosters failed to reach the top eight for three years. With him as coach they reached the 2008 Finals Series finishing fourth in the regular season.

[edit] Outside rugby league

In 2000 Fittler was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for his contribution to Australia's international standing in rugby league. His autobiography, Freddy: The Brad Fittler Story, was published in 2005. He was named a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia in the 2006 Queen's Birthday Honours List.

In February 2008, Fittler was named in the list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players (1908–2007) which was commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia.^[10]

Fittler has a long time partner, Marie Liarris. They have two children together, a daughter, Demi, and a son, Zach.

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

• Fittler, Brad; Richard Sleeman (2005). Freddy: the Brad Fittler story. HarperCollins. ISBN 0732281512, 9780732281519. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ZUdYHAAACAAJ&source=gbs_navlinks_s. 

[edit] External links

• BradSpace - The Brad Fittler Website
• Brad Fittler at the State of Origin official website.
• 2001 Ashes profile
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