Stacey Jones
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Stacey Jones ONZM (born
May 7,
1976 in
Auckland, New Zealand) is a
rugby league player for
Les Catalans Dragons in the European
Super League competition. He usually plays
halfback, but has briefly played
five-eighth during his distinguished career, which includes 41 Tests for
New Zealand (1995-2006).
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Playing career
He was born in
Auckland,
New Zealand, grandson to
New Zealand rugby league great
Maunga Emery. He made his first grade debut in 1995 against the
Parramatta Eels for the then
Auckland Warriors in the year of their inception to what is now the
National Rugby League (NRL). He started as five-eighth as the Warriors had Penrith great
Greg Alexander as halfback, but he soon outshone his counterpart and forced Alexander into the Fullback role. He stuck with the club through turbulent times when not only did the team struggle on the field - not being able to make the NRL's finals series - but also off the field where twice the club liquidated, to be eventually bought by current owner
Eric Watson.
It was under the new management where he first became club captain - in 2001 co-captaining with
Kevin Campion - and although already considered in the top reaches of halfbacks in the NRL, he now started to show he was on equal par with the games' best halfbacks at the time through a 3 year period in which he led the Warriors to 3 successive finals appearances. He came to a climax in 2002 when the club not only won the minor premiership, but they reached the grand final. He played in a losing side that evening but scored a great try in which he beat 3 Roosters defenders from 30 metres out to go over from dummy half.
In his career, he has also represented his country at two World Cups (1996 and 2000), three
Tri Nations series (1999, 2005, 2006), and has played 41 games for the New Zealand Kiwis. He retired from the national team in 2004 while having a disappointing year at club level. However on October 15 2005 Stacey ended 2 years of international retirement, answering an SOS from Kiwis coach
Brian McLennan intending only to play the
Australasian section of the Tri Nations series. He then went on to play the rest of their round robin matches against Great Britain in
England. Stacey Jones was an integral part of the New Zealand Tri Nations campaign. In the first match, he guided the Kiwis to their first win in
Sydney in 50 years before being part of their narrow loss to Australia in Auckland. He set up 4 tries in the first match in England which the Kiwis won by 38-12. He then missed the fourth Kiwi game, instead returning to New Zealand to be with his wife for the birth of their son. In the
2005 Rugby League Tri Nations Final, he continually kicked high punts("bombs") aimed at the Australian wingers that set up three tries in the Kiwis 24-0 victory over Australia. Australia had not lost a series in 27 years.
Jones is widely regarded as the best New Zealand player of his generation. This reputation was strengthened in 2002 when he won the
Golden Boot - the award given to the player who the rugby league press considered to have been the best international player for that year. In New Zealand the video game for rugby league is named
Stacey Jones' Rugby League after him.
Stacey Jones is the first and only life member of the New Zealand Warriors.
In April 2005 Stacey Jones announced he was leaving the Warriors, then his only professional club, for which he holds the records for most appearnces (238 NRL games) and most tries (75), to join the new French addition to the Super League for the 2006 season
Les Catalans Dragons. In doing so he became the last foundation member of the Warriors to leave the club.
Jones's vision and ability to control the game when his team was on attack earned him the sobriquet "the little general", a reference also to his small stature in comparison to that of most rugby league players. Jones was often able to find players with a high bombing kick at either sides of the field or place a sneaky through ball for oncoming players to pounce on.
Jones is well respected by both fans and players as a humble hard working leader.
After the 2006
Rugby League Tri-Nations Final it was announced that Jones was retiring from international football.
Awards and Achievements
- Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Rugby League
- Rugby League Players Association Best Back Award (2005)
- New Zealand Warriors Life Membership (2005)
- New Zealand Warriors Special Award for 200 NRL games (2004)
- New Zealand Warriors Special Award for 100 NRL games (1999)
- Golden Boot Award Worlds Best Rugby League Player of the Year (2002)
- Halberg Award finalist Sportsman of the Year
- New Zealand Rugby League Player of the Year (2002, 2001, 1999)
- New Zealand Rugby League Annual Player of the Year (2002, 1999, 1997)
- New Zealand Warriors Player of the Year (1997)
- New Zealand Warriors Back of the Year (1999)
- New Zealand Warriors Development Player of the Year (1995)
- New Zealand Rugby League Promising Player of the Year (1995)
- New Zealand Warriors Supporters Player of the Year (1999)
- Prime TV Viewers, Choice Award (2001)
- New Zealand Rugby League Personality of the Year (2002)
- 1995 Rugby League World Cup Semi-finalists
- 1996 Great Britain Tour of New Zealand Series Winner
- 1997 Rugby League World Club Challenge Semi-finalists
- 1998 New Zealand Tour of Great Britain Series Winner
- 1998 New Zealand Tour of Great Britain Player of the Series
- 1999 Rugby League Tri-Nations
- 2000 Rugby League World Cup Finalists (Silver)
- 2002 National Rugby League Minor Premiers
- 2002 National Rugby League Grand Finalists
- 2002 New Zealand Tour of Great Britain Series Draw
- 2002 New Zealand Tour of Great Britain Player of the Series
- 2003 National Rugby League Semi-finalists
- 2005 Rugby League Tri-Nations Champions
