Aaron Payne

Aaron Payne
Personal information
Nickname Payney[1]
Born 18 November 1982 (1982-11-18) (age 29)
Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Height 175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight 85 kg (13 st 5 lb)
Playing information
Position Hooker
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2002– North Queensland 194 24 0 1 97
As of 22 October 2011
Source: Herald Sun, RLP

Aaron Payne (born 18 November 1982) is an Australian rugby league player. He has played for the North Queensland Cowboys in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition throughout his professional career. His preferred position is hooker.[2]

Born in Townsville, Queensland, Payne played as a junior for the Centrals Tigers club and attended Kirwan State High School. His father represented Queensland in 1979.[2][3][4]

Payne started his first-grade career with the Cowboys in 2002.[5] During the 2005 North Queensland Cowboys season, he was the only player to have played every game that year. He played at hooker in the 2005 NRL Grand Final, the Cowboys' first, which they lost to the Wests Tigers.

In 2006 and 2008, he was named as the Cowboys' Player of the Year. He joined that award with the Cowboys' players' player of the year and club person of the year in 2008.[6][2][7] He is also the Cowboys' vice captain.[8]

Payne is often considered an underrated player, operating in the shadows of high-profile Cowboys players such as Johnathan Thurston and Matt Bowen. Former Australian captain Gorden Tallis has described Payne as the "glue" that holds the Cowboys together.[9][10]

References

  1. ^ Riddle, Eddie (23 October 2009). "Hooker payney hooks a biggie". Townsville Bulletin (News Limited). http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2009/10/23/88451_fishing.html. Retrieved 20 September 2010. 
  2. ^ a b c "Player profile: Aaron Payne". www.cowboys.com.au. North Queensland Cowboys. Archived from the original on 22 October 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/62dP3PQwa. Retrieved 22 October 2011. 
  3. ^ Marshall, Matt (21 September 2007). "Aaron Payne is a north Queenslander to his bootstraps". The Courier-Mail (News Limited). http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/the-quintessential-cowboy/story-e6frep5x-1111114462965. Retrieved 20 September 2010. 
  4. ^ Stewart, Antony (7 March 2008). "Payne out to regain authority". Townsville Bulletin (News Limited). http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2008/03/07/11202_cowboys.html. Retrieved 20 September 2010. 
  5. ^ Stewart, Antony (15 December 2007). "Payne's flag pledge". Townsville Bulletin (News Limited). http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2007/12/15/9122_sport.html. Retrieved 20 September 2010. 
  6. ^ "Honours: North Queensland Cowboys". www.cowboys.com.au. North Queensland Cowboys. Archived from the original on 30 October 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/62pOF6fxf. Retrieved 30 October 2011. 
  7. ^ Davis, Greg (11 October 2008). "Sam Thaiday Broncos best; Aaron Payne No.1 at Cowboys". The Sunday Mail (News Limited). http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/thaidays-triple-treat/story-e6frep76-1111117729194. Retrieved 20 September 2010. 
  8. ^ McDonald, Margie (20 September 2010). "Scott tipped to replace Thurston". The Australian (News Limited). http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/scott-tipped-to-replace-thurston/story-e6frg7mf-1225926443063. Retrieved 20 September 2010. 
  9. ^ Walshaw, Nick (8 September 2007). "The forgotten Cowboy". The Daily Telegraph (News Limited). http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/the-forgotten-cowboy/story-e6frexnr-1111114370427. Retrieved 20 September 2010. 
  10. ^ Tallis, Gorden (25 August 2009). "Cowboys season over when Aaron Payne injured". The Courier-Mail (News Limited). http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/cowboys-season-over-when-aaron-payne-injured/story-e6frepbf-1225765781044. Retrieved 20 September 2010.