Neil Henry

Neil Henry (born 23 January 1961) is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and former player. Since 2009 he has been head coach for the North Queensland Cowboys of the National Rugby League. Henry previously played for, then coached the Canberra Raiders.

Henry was a foundation player of the Raiders, having played for the club from 1982 and 1984 in the lower grades. After a succession of player-coach positions at local clubs in the Canberra competition, he was made coach of the Western Reds' Under 19 team in 1997, before coaching Raiders lower-grade teams between 1999 and 2002.

He was previously the assistant coach of the North Queensland Cowboys between 2002 and 2006, and assistant to Mal Meninga in the Queensland State of Origin team. Henry was assistant from 2006-2009 and was regarded as the main man to turn Queensland back into a winning team.

Neil Henry incurred a fine of $10,000 for the Raiders by questioning the impartiality of the referee following a round 19 loss to Melbourne Storm in 2007.^[1]

Henry was named Dally M Coach of the Year for 2008, ahead of other nominees Craig Bellamy, Ricky Stuart and Des Hasler.^[2]

Henry was rewarded Dally M coach of the year for achieving the impossible. Raiders were tipped to finsh last in 2008 but Neil Henry got the team of then unknowns into the top 6 and into the finals.

In October, 2008, Henry returned to Townsville, Queensland to take over from Ian Millward as head coach of the North Queensland Cowboys. He got the job instead of Wayne Bennet.

He was also coach of the Indigenous All Stars. And Dream Time coach. In 2010 Neil Henry was assistant of the PM XIII team that played PNG. In 2010 Henry was in danger of lossing his job as the cowboys won only 5 games. In 2011 Neil Henry was able to turn it around and won 14 of 24 games and the Cowboys madeit to the finals for the first time in 3 seasons.

Neil Henry was a finalist for Dally M coach of the year in 2011. ^[3]

Footnotes