Glenn Patrick Lazarus (born 11 December 1965 in Queanbeyan, New South Wales) is an Australian senator and former professional rugby league footballer. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative prop forward, Lazarus won premierships with the Canberra Raiders, Brisbane Broncos and Melbourne Storm, whom he also captained. After his retirement he entered politics with the Palmer United Party and was elected to the Australian Senate at the 2013 federal election. He was the Palmer United Party leader in the Senate[3] until he quit the party on 13 March 2015, becoming an independent.
Education
Lazarus attended Queanbeyan South Primary School and Karabar High. He excelled at swimming, AFL and rugby league.[4]
Rugby league career
Lazarus achieved a formidable reputation in prop forward position at club, state (NSW), and international levels. He was the first player in the history of the game to win premierships with three different clubs: Canberra Raiders, Brisbane Broncos and Melbourne Storm.[2] Lazarus was also named Players' Player for two consecutive Kangaroo Tours: 1990 and 1994. In addition, Lazarus scored the first ever rugby league try at the MCG during a State of Origin game.
Canberra
Lazarus began his first-grade career with the Canberra Raiders in 1987, and was selected to make his debut for New South Wales in the 1989 State of Origin series. He played a starring role in the club's victory over the Balmain Tigers in the 1989 grand final. He travelled with the Raiders to England for the 1989 World Club Challenge which was lost to Widnes.
Lazarus played in the Raiders' victory over the Penrith Panthers in the 1990 grand final. At the end of the 1990 NSWRL season, he went on the 1990 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France. He also played for Canberra in their grand final loss to Penrith in 1991.
Brisbane
In the summer preceding the 1992 season, Lazarus was recruited from Canberra by his former coach at the Raiders, Wayne Bennett[5] and joined the Brisbane Broncos, with whom he played the largest portion of his career. During the 1992 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand, he helped Australia retain The Ashes. He played for the Broncos at prop forward in the 1992 grand final victory over the St. George Dragons, following which he travelled with the Broncos to England, where he played at prop forward in the 1992 World Club Challenge against British champions Wigan, helping Brisbane become the first NSWRL club to win the match in Britain. He then played for Australia at prop forward in the World Cup final victory over Great Britain at Wembley Stadium.
Lazarus played for the Broncos at prop forward in the 1993 grand final victory again over the St. George Dragons. This constituted a remarkable feat of playing in five consecutive grand finals.[6]
During the 1994 NSWRL season, Lazarus played at prop forward for defending premiers Brisbane when they hosted British champions Wigan for the 1994 World Club Challenge and lost. He was selected to go on the 1994 Kangaroo Tour, although his appearances were restricted due to injuries. It was only a broken (dislocated) ankle suffered during a 1997 World Club Championship match that prevented Lazarus from also playing in that year's Super League grand-final-winning Brisbane side.
Melbourne
Lazarus was recruited to the newly established Melbourne Storm by his former CEO (John Ribot) and teammate (Chris Johns) from the Broncos, both then working in the Storm's administration, for the National Rugby League's inaugural season in 1998. He was named as the club's first captain and was also given a newspaper column to write in The Herald Sun.[7] He went on to lead the Melbourne Storm at prop forward in their 1999 grand final victory. Lazarus announced his retirement from the game with five premierships for three different clubs (Canberra 1989–90, Brisbane 1992–93 and Melbourne 1999), a unique achievement.
Post-playing
In 2000, Lazarus was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for his contribution to Australia's international standing in rugby league.[8] In 2003, he was one of the first four former players inducted into the Broncos' official Hall of Fame.[9] In 2005, the western grandstand of Olympic Park Stadium was named the Glenn Lazarus stand in his honour.[10] Lazarus spent time on the Brisbane Broncos coaching staff until a major cleanout by head coach Wayne Bennett at the end of 2005 saw him removed.[11]
In February 2008, Lazarus was named in the list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players (1908–2007) which was commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia.[12] Lazarus has been 612 ABC Brisbane Breakfast rugby league tipster since 2008. In 2008 New South Wales announced their rugby league team of the century, naming Lazarus at prop.[13]
At the end of the 2008 Queensland Cup season, Lazarus, who served as assistant coach at the Ipswich Jets club under the departing Kevin Walters, was named as head coach of the club from the 2009 season. In 2010, he stepped down from the role to pursue business interests.
Personal life
Lazarus is married to Tess and together they have three children.
Political career
In 2013, Lazarus was selected to head the Palmer United Party (PUP) Senate ticket in Queensland at the 2013 Australian Federal Election and was elected on 9.89% of the primary vote and a favourable preferential tally from group voting tickets. His term as a Palmer United Party senator commenced on 1 July 2014 when he was the Palmer United Party leader in the Senate.[3] On 13 March 2015 he announced on Facebook that he resigned from the Palmer United Party, and now serves as an independent Senator. He wrote: "I have a different view of team work. Given this, I felt it best that I resign from the party and pursue my senate role as an independent senator."[14]
References
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