Will Chambers

Will Chambers
Personal information
Full name William Chambers
Born 26 May 1988
Gove, Northern Territory, Australia
Height 190 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Weight 101 kg (15 st 13 lb)
Playing information
Rugby league
Position Centre, Wing
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2007–09 Melbourne Storm 42 16 0 0 64
2012– Melbourne Storm 65 41 1 0 166
Total 107 57 1 0 230
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2014 Queensland 1 0 0 0 0
2015 Indigenous All Stars 1 1 0 0 4
Rugby union
Position Outside Centre
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2010–11 Queensland Reds 23 5 0 0 25
2011–12 Munster 8 1 0 0 5
Total 31 6 0 0 30
Source: RLP

Will Chambers (born 26 May 1988 in Gove, Northern Territory) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Melbourne Storm of the National Rugby League. A Queensland State of Origin representative three-quarter back, he has played his entire NRL career to date at the Storm, winning the 2009 and 2012 Grand Finals with them. Chambers also played rugby union for the Queensland Reds and for Irish province Munster.

Rugby league career

Chambers began playing football as a junior for Nhulunbuy in the Northern Territory Rugby League competition.[1] He then went onto playing schoolboy footy for St Joseph's College, Nudgee and commenced his senior career with Melbourne Storm of the NRL a few years after. His usual position is as a centre or wing. Chambers also played for Brisbane Norths in the Queensland Cup. When Matt King departed the Melbourne Storm after their 2007 NRL Grand Final victory, he nominated rookie Melbourne Storm centre Will Chambers as the man to take his place.[2]

Chambers played for the Storm in the 2009 NRL Grand Final win against the Parramatta Eels.

Rugby union

Queensland Reds

Chambers switched to rugby union from 2010 after signing a 2-year deal with the Queensland Reds to play in the Super 14.[3] However, following a disappointing 2011 season - where he only started six of the Reds' 18 matches - Chambers was released by the club after missing a place in their thirty-man 2012 squad.[4] He was named on the bench for the Reds Super 15 final victory over the Crusaders in 2011 — which featured fellow league-turned-union player Sonny Bill Williams on the opposing side — but did not play in the match.[5]

Munster

Chambers signed for RaboDirect Pro12 side and former European Champions Munster in September 2011 on a short-term deal.[6] He arrived to join up with Munster in October 2011.[7] He played for Munster A against Connacht A on 21 October 2011.[8] He made his full Munster debut against Aironi on 28 October 2011.[9] He made his Heineken Cup debut for Munster against Northampton Saints on 12 November 2011.[10][11] Chambers scored his first try for Munster exactly a week later, in their second Pool One game away to Castres Olympique.[12] He was named in the Munster A team to play Ulster Ravens in the British and Irish Cup on 20 January 2012.[13] This was announced to be Chambers last appearance for Munster, as he was returning to Australia to take up a contract with rugby league team Melbourne Storm.[14] Munster A won the game 9–20, securing a spot in the semi-finals.[15] In his four months with Munster, Chambers made 8 appearances for the senior Munster team, including 3 Heineken Cup caps, and scored 1 try. He also made 3 appearances for Munster A.

Return to Rugby league

He re-joined the Melbourne Storm in 2012, and played his first game on 25 March 2012 against the Sydney Roosters, in which he scored a try. A successful return was exclaimed by scoring a hat-trick against The Warriors.

By being part of the 2012 NRL Grand Final winning team, Chambers joined Peter Ryan, Brad Thorn and Sonny Bill Williams in winning both NRL and Super Rugby titles (though he did not play in the Super Rugby final). Chambers won his in consecutive years after winning with the Queensland Reds in 2011.

In 2013, he played in Storm's World Club Challenge victory over Leeds Rhinos.

Chambers in was called into the Queensland team for the 2014 State of Origin series as 18th man for the first two games. However, with Brent Tate being injured in game two, it left vacant the wing position for Chambers to make his Origin debut at Suncorp Stadium in Game Three.

References

  1. Donaghy, Dave (16 March 2008). "Israel Folau, Will Chambers power Melbourne Storm". Courier Mail (Australia). Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  2. Donaghy, Dave (7 December 2007). "Matt King anoints Will Chamers as his Melbourne Storm successor". Herald Sun (Australia). Retrieved 29 December 2007.
  3. Reds sign Melbourne Storm star Chambers 16 February 2009 – 8:56 pm
  4. http://www.rugby.com.au/superrugby/News/Article/tabid/959/ArticleID/4133/Default.aspx
  5. Will Chambers released by Reds, by AAP, dated 8 November 2011.
  6. "Queensland Red For Munster". munsterrugby.ie. 8 September 2011. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
  7. "Chambers Arrives". munsterrugby.ie. 12 Oct 2011. Retrieved 12 Oct 2011.
  8. "Chambers In For 'A' Game". munsterrugby.ie. 19 October 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2011.
  9. "Munster Master The Conditions". munsterrugby.ie. 29 October 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
  10. "Cometh The Hour, Cometh The Men". munsterrugby.ie. 13 November 2011. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  11. "A Day Of Firsts". munsterrugby.ie. 14 November 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  12. "Same Again Thanks Rog". munsterrugby.ie. 20 November 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
  13. "Holland Leads The British & Irish Side". munsterrugby.ie. 19 January 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
  14. "Chambers Signs Off This Evening". munsterrugby.ie. 20 January 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
  15. "Munster Upset The Odds". munsterrugby.ie. 21 January 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2012.

External links