Shane Webcke
Webcke training with the Broncos in 2006
Personal information
Nickname	Warhorse
Born	28 September 1974 (1974-09-28) (age 35)
	Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia
Playing information
Height	183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	118 kg (18 st 7 lb)
Position	Prop
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1995–06	Brisbane Broncos	254	18	0	0	72
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1998–04	Queensland	21	1	0	0	4
1998–04	Australia	20	1	0	0	4
Source: Rugby League Project

Shane Webcke (born 28 September 1974 in Toowoomba, Queensland) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer, who spent his entire top-grade career playing for the Brisbane Broncos. His position of choice was at prop forward and at his peak he was renowned as the best front rower in the world.^[1] Webcke represented Queensland in the State of Origin on twenty-one separate occasions and has also captained the side. He also made eighteen test appearances for the Australian national side. Alongside Glenn Lazarus and Arthur Beetson, Webcke is considered by many to have been one of the finest post-war front-rowers to play the game.^[2]

[edit] Playing career

Originally from Clifton, Queensland and having played for Toowoomba, Webcke made his debut for the Queensland Maroons in the first game of the 1998 State of Origin series and was named man-of-the-match in the third and deciding game that year. From his debut until his retirement from representative football following Game III in 2004, no other player wore the number 8 for Queensland.

Webcke was a member of the Australian world champion team that won the 2000 Rugby League World Cup. In 2000 Shane was also awarded the Australian Sports Medal for his contribution to Australia's international standing in the sport of rugby league. He broke his arm during the finals series that season but went on to appear in the Broncos' grand final victory.^[3]

Webcke won the Broncos' best player award for the 2001. In 2001 he refused to tour with the Kangaroos in the wake of the September 11 attacks.^[4]

Webcke again won the award for the Broncos' best player for the 2005 Brisbane Broncos season.

Webcke at the 2006 post grand final celebration parade at Brisbane.

Having won premierships with the Brisbane Broncos club in 1997, 1998 and 2000, Webcke announced on the 26th of April 2006, that he would retire at the end of the 2006 NRL season. He enjoyed a fairy-tale finish as the Broncos won the 2006 grand final against the Melbourne Storm, days after his 32nd birthday.

[edit] Post-playing

Post-football, Webcke has gone on to release his successful auto-biography, Warhorse and is now venturing into media with the Seven Network in Australia. Webcke's pub at Leyburn, Queensland - the Royal Hotel - is the longest, continuously licensed premises in Queensland[1].

In February 2008, Webcke 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.^[5][6]

A few months later the Brisbane Broncos appointed Shane Webcke, along with Allan Langer as full-time assistant coaches to work alongside new head coach Ivan Henjak from the 2009 season. However shortly after the start of the season Webcke quit his post in the wake of controversy surrounding the release of his new book in which he was openly critical of the Broncos administration not standing down star players Darius Boyd, Sam Thaiday and Karmichael Hunt when police were investigating sex assault allegations against them in September 2008.^[7] He also wrote that Andrew Johns should never been included in the Australian rugby league's team of the century after his confessions of illicit drug use during his career.

Webcke was also hired by Channel Seven to provide perspectives on Brisbane Broncos and Gold Coast Titans feature matches. He also occasionally fills-in as a Sports Presenter on the Brisbane edition of Seven News.

[edit] Career highlights

• Junior Club: Clifton Wattles
• First Grade Debut: Round 10, Brisbane v. Norths at North Sydney, May 19, 1995 won
• First Grade Premierships: 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2006 with Brisbane Broncos (played 2000 Grand Final with broken arm)
• Career Stats: 254 career appearances with 18 tries
• State of Origin: 21 games for Queensland between 1998 and 2004
• International: 18 tests for Australia

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] Further reading

• Webcke, Shane; Ian Heads (2006). Warhorse: Life, Football and Other Battles. Australia: Pan Macmillan. ISBN 1405037520, 9781405037525. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=DFllAAAACAAJ&source=gbs_navlinks_s. 
• Shane Webcke, Damien Richards, Glen Hanna (2007). Icons of Australian sport: Shane Webcke. HyperActive Inc.. ISBN 0980301521, 9780980301526. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=AB2lGQAACAAJ&source=gbs_navlinks_s. 
• Shane Webcke, Ian Heads (2009). Hard road. Pan Macmillan. ISBN 140503887X, 9781405038874. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ugBrPgAACAAJ&source=gbs_navlinks_s. 

[edit] External links

• Shane Webcke at the Brisbane Broncos official website. (This link no longer works, please see the template page to change.)
• Shane Webcke at the State of Origin official website.
• Shane Webcke at the Former Origin Greats website.
• Shane Webcke stats at rugbyleagueproject.com
• Queensland representatives at qrl.com.au