Wally Lewis

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Wally Lewis (born December 1, 1959 in Brisbane, Australia) is a former rugby league footballer who was one of the most pre-eminent players of the 1980s. In his school days, he also played representantive rugby union. Lewis is perhaps best known for his State of Origin performances, spearheading Queensland's dominance in that competition throughout the 80s.

Nicknamed The King and also The Emperor of Lang Park, he represented Queensland in 31 games from 1980 to 1991 and was captain from 1981 to 1991. He also represented Australia in 33 international matches from 1981 to 1991 and was national team captain from 1984 to 1989. Wally played for English First Division side Wakefield Trinity for a short spell in 1983/84 and is still considered a hero in West Yorkshire today.

Several rugby league clubs attempted to lure him to Sydney during the 1980s but he signed with the Brisbane Broncos on their inception in 1988. Injuries and disputes during his time with the Broncos saw him go to the Gold Coast Seagulls in 1991. He played both his last test match and his last State of Origin match in 1991. He captained and coached Gold Coast for two seasons in the 1990s. Lewis also coached the State of Origin side but never won a series.

Lewis is remembered for his football and great confrontations during State of Origin, particularly with Mark Geyer. A statue was raised in his honour at Suncorp Stadium.

[edit] Later Career

Following his retirement from sport, Lewis became a sports presenter for Channel Nine news in his home town, taking over the nightly presentation slot following Chris Bombolas' move into state politics.

During the November 16 2006 broadcast of the news, Lewis previewed the sports segment but was not onscreen when the program returned from an ad break, with newsreader Bruce Paige instead presenting the sports segment. A similar event occurred two weeks later, on November 30, when Lewis appeared onscreen and began to read the autocue, saying "Good evening" before seeming distressed. A scheduled report was then played, with Paige delivering the rest of the bulletin. Following these events, Lewis was given medical leave for the rest of the year.[1] On December 1, 2006, Lewis revealed that he suffered from epilepsy. It is as yet unknown whether his on-air disorientation was caused by the condition.[2]

He has become a high-profile supporter of the Hear And Say Centre, as his daughter was born profoundly deaf.

Preceded by: Mal Clift

Coach Gold Coast Seagulls 1992-1993

Succeeded by: John Harvey 1994-1995

Preceded by: Graham Lowe 1991-1992

Coach Queensland State of Origin 1993-1994

Succeeded by: Paul Vautin 1995-1997

Brisbane Broncos
The Club Representatives | History | Records | Honours | Players | Venues
Seasons 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007
Stadiums Lang Park/Suncorp Stadium | ANZ Stadium
Captains Wally Lewis (1988-1989) | Gene Miles (1990-1991) | Allan Langer (1992-1999) Kevin Walters (1999-2000) | Gorden Tallis (2001-2004) | Darren Lockyer (2005-present)
Coaches Wayne Bennett (1988-present)