Don Furner

Don Furner
Personal information
Born 26 December 1932
Playing information
Position Forward
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1951–53 Souths (Toowoomba)
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
19??–?? Queensland
1956 Australia 1 0 0 0 0
Coaching information
Club
Years Team Gms W D L W%
196569 Queanbeyan
197072 Easts (Sydney) 69 40 2 27 58
197381 Queanbeyan
198287 Canberra Raiders 153 59 3 91 39
Total 222 99 5 118 45
Representative
Years Team Gms W D L W%
198688 Australia
2000 Fiji 3 1 0 2 33
Source: Rugby League Project

Don Furner (born 26 December 1932) is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. As a player he represented Queensland on nine occasions and also toured with the 1956–57 Kangaroos.[1]

He began his coaching career in 1965, with the Queanbeyan Blues (1965–69), the Eastern Suburbs Roosters (1970–72), whom he took to the 1972 NSWRFL season's premiership final, Queanbeyan again from 1973 to 1981, and then became the first coach of the newly formed Canberra Raiders.[2] Furner also coached the Canberra club to the 1987 NSWRL season's Grand Final.[3] He later joined Parramatta for the 1985 NSWRL season.[2] He was appointed the Australian national coach from 1986 to 1988. He coached the NSW Country team as well as 2(now defunct) Group 20 clubs Narrandera Lizards in 1998 and Yanco Wamoon Hawks in 2005 whom he took to the 2005 group 20 grand final which the lost to West Wyalong.

His sons are David Furner who formerly was a player and coach of the Canberra Raiders and Don Furner, Jr. who became the Canberra Raiders' CEO.

References

  1. Sean Fagan (2006). "Kangaroo Tour: 1956–1957". rl1908.com (Australia). Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Lester, Gary, ed. (1984). Rugby League: Action '85. Sydney: Fairfax Publishing. p. 16. ISBN 0-909558-83-3.
  3. ACT Sport Hall of Fame inductees at actsport.com.au
Sporting positions
New creation Canberra Raiders coach
1982–1986
Succeeded by
Himself
and
Wayne Bennett

as co-coaches
Preceded by
Terry Fearnley
Australia coach
1986–1988
Succeeded by
Bob Fulton