Stacey Jones
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| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Stacey Jones | |
| Date of birth | May 7, 1976 | |
| Place of birth | Auckland, New Zealand | |
| Nickname(s) | The Little General | |
| Club information | ||
| Position(s) | Scrum-Half | |
| Current club | Kicking Coach NZ Warriors | |
| Youth clubs | ||
| Years | Club | |
| Pt Chev Pirates Auckland City Vulcans |
||
| Senior clubs* | ||
| Years | Club | Apps (points) |
| 1995 ‐ 05 2006 ‐ 07 |
 NZ Warriors Catalans Dragons |
246 (654) 39 (117) |
| Representative teams | ||
| 1995 ‐ 06 |  New Zealand |
46 |
|
* Professional club appearances and points |
||
Stacey Jones ONZM (born May 7, 1976 in Auckland, New Zealand) is a former rugby league player, widely considered one of the greatest New Zealand has ever produced. He usually played at halfback, but had also briefly played five-eighth during his distinguished career, which includes 46 Tests for New Zealand (1995-2006). Stacey Jones is the first and only life member of the New Zealand Warriors.
Jones's vision and ability to control the game when his team was on attack earned him the sobriquet "the little general", a reference also to his small stature in comparison to that of most rugby league players. Jones was often able to find players with a high bombing kick at either sides of the field or place a sneaky through ball for oncoming players to pounce on.
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[edit] Playing career
He was born in Auckland, New Zealand, grandson to New Zealand rugby league great Maunga Emery. He made his first grade debut in 1995 against the Parramatta Eels for the then Auckland Warriors in the year of their inception to what is now the National Rugby League (NRL). He started as five-eighth as the Warriors had Penrith great Greg Alexander as halfback, but he soon outshone his counterpart and forced Alexander into the Fullback role. He stuck with the club through turbulent times when not only did the team struggle on the field - not being able to make the NRL's finals series - but also off the field where twice the club liquidated, to be eventually bought by current owner Eric Watson.
It was under the new management where he first became club captain - in 2001 co-captaining with Kevin Campion - and although already considered in the top reaches of halfbacks in the NRL, he now started to show he was on equal par with the games' best halfbacks at the time through a 3 year period in which he led the Warriors to 3 successive finals appearances. He came to a climax in 2002 when the club not only won the minor premiership, but they reached the grand final. He played in a losing side that evening but scored a great try in which he beat 3 Roosters defenders from 30 metres out to go over from dummy half.
In his career, he has also represented his country at two World Cups (1995 and 2000), three Tri Nations series (1999, 2005, 2006), and has played 41 games for the New Zealand Kiwis. He retired from the national team in 2004 while having a disappointing year at club level. However on October 15 2005 Stacey ended 2 years of international retirement, answering an SOS from Kiwis coach Brian McLennan intending only to play the Australasian section of the Tri Nations series. He then went on to play the rest of their round robin matches against Great Britain in England. Stacey Jones was an integral part of the New Zealand Tri Nations campaign. In the first match, he guided the Kiwis to their first win in Sydney in 50 years before being part of their narrow loss to Australia in Auckland. He set up 4 tries in the first match in England which the Kiwis won by 42-26. He then missed the fourth Kiwi game, instead returning to New Zealand to be with his wife for the birth of their son. In the 2005 Rugby League Tri Nations Final, he continually kicked high punts ("bombs") aimed at the Australian wingers that set up three tries in the Kiwis 24-0 victory over Australia. Australia had not lost a series in 27 years.
Jones is widely regarded as the best New Zealand player of his generation. This reputation was strengthened in 2002 when he won the Golden Boot - the award given to the player who the rugby league press considered to have been the best international player for that year. In New Zealand the video game for rugby league is named Stacey Jones' Rugby League after him.
In April 2005 Stacey Jones announced he was leaving the Warriors, then his only professional club, for which he holds the records for most appearances (238 NRL games) and most tries (75), to join the new French addition to the Super League for the 2006 season Les Catalans Dragons. In doing so he became the last foundation member of the Warriors to leave the club.
After the 2006 Rugby League Tri-Nations Final it was announced that Jones was retiring from international football however he returned for a final time against a 'Northern Union' side for New Zealand 'All Golds' to celebrate the centenery of New Zealand's national rugby league team who first toured England in 1907. Jones kicked five goals as the 'All Golds' won 25-18 at Warrington's Halliwell Jones stadium.
In September 2007 Stacey announced his retirement from the game.
Stacey Jones has rejoined the New Zealand Warriors as their goal kicking coach.[1]
[edit] Awards and Achievements
- Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Rugby League
- Rugby League Players’ Association – Best Back Award (2005)
- New Zealand Warriors Life Membership (2005)
- New Zealand Warriors Special Award for 200 NRL games (2004)
- New Zealand Warriors Special Award for 100 NRL games (1999)
- Golden Boot Award – World’s Best Rugby League Player of the Year (2002)
- Halberg Award finalist Sportsman of the Year
- New Zealand Rugby League Player of the Year (2002, 2001, 1999)
- New Zealand Rugby League Annual Player of the Year (2002, 1999, 1997)
- New Zealand Warriors Player of the Year (1997)
- New Zealand Warriors Back of the Year (1999)
- New Zealand Warriors Development Player of the Year (1995)
- New Zealand Rugby League Promising Player of the Year (1995)
- New Zealand Warriors Supporters’ Player of the Year (1999)
- Prime TV Viewers, Choice Award (2001)
- New Zealand Rugby League Personality of the Year (2002)
- New Zealand Warriors Captain 2001-2005
- UTC Les Catalans Dragons Captain 2006-
- New Zealand Kiwis Captain 2002-
- 1995 Rugby League World Cup Semi-finalists
- 1996 Great Britain Tour of New Zealand Series Winner
- 1997 Rugby League World Club Challenge Semi-finalists
- 1998 New Zealand Tour of Great Britain Series Winner
- 1998 New Zealand Tour of Great Britain Player of the Series
- 1999 Rugby League Tri-Nations
- 2000 Rugby League World Cup Finalists (Silver)
- 2002 National Rugby League Minor Premiers
- 2002 National Rugby League Grand Finalists
- 2002 New Zealand Tour of Great Britain Series Draw
- 2002 New Zealand Tour of Great Britain Player of the Series
- 2003 National Rugby League Semi-finalists
- 2005 Rugby League Tri-Nations Champions
- 2007 Rugby League Challenge Cup Finalists
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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