Keiron Cunningham(born 28 October 1976) is a professionalrugby leaguecoach and former player. AGreat BritainandWalesinternational representativehooker,he played his entire professional career atSt Helens,making nearly 500 appearances for the club between 1994 and 2010 and winning numerous trophies.[1][2]He has been frequently cited as being among the best players in theSuper Leaguehistory and is widely regarded to be one of St Helens' greatest players of all time.[4][5][6][7]
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| Full name | Keiron Cunningham | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 28 October 1976 St Helens,Merseyside, England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.76 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 16 st 12 lb (107 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Hooker | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The youngest of ten siblings, two of his brothers,Eddie CunninghamandTommy Cunningham,also played for St Helens. Keiron Cunningham was born five months after his brother Eddie won a Rugby LeagueChallenge Cupwinner's medal for St Helens againstWidnes.[8]
Following his retirement as a player, Cunningham remained at St Helens as an assistant coach, and was head coach of the club between 2015 and 2017.[3][9]
Playing career
editIn 1993, on his 17th birthday, Cunningham signed for his hometown clubSt HelensfromWigan St Judes.[10]He made his début in the1994–95 Rugby Football League season,and soon established himself as a world class hooker, renowned for his dynamic running fromdummy halfand ability to poach tries from short distances. He represented bothGreat BritainandWalesin international matches, qualifying for Wales because of a Welsh grandfather.
Keiron Cunningham playedhooker,and scored atryinSt. Helens' 16-25 defeat byWiganin the1995–96 Regal TrophyFinal during the1995–96atAlfred McAlpine Stadium,Huddersfieldon Saturday 13 January 1996.[11]
Cunningham played for St Helens at hooker in the1996 Challenge CupFinal, scoring a try in the second half of the match and helping his team to a 40-32 victory over theBradford Bulls.[12]At the end of 1996'sSuper League I,Cunningham was named at hooker in the 1996Super League Dream Team.Cunningham played for St Helens athookerin their1999 Super League Grand Finalvictory over theBradford Bulls.Also in 1999 he was the only British player voted into the World XIII.[13]
Cunningham played for St Helens athookerin their2000 Super League Grand Finalvictory against theWigan Warriors.AsSuper League Vchampions, St Helens played against2000 NRLPremiers, theBrisbane Broncosin the2001 World Club Challenge.Cunningham played athookerin Saints' victory.
Cunningham played for St. Helens athookerin their2002 Super League Grand Finalvictory against theBradford Bulls.
Over the course of his career, Cunningham rejected offers from theWelsh Rugby Union,England Rugby Union,and from various Australian rugby league clubs, instead choosing to remain with his hometown team. In 2006 Cunningham was named as captain of St. Helens following the persistent injuries and subsequent retirement ofPaul Sculthorpe.Cunningham played for St. Helens athookerin their2006 Challenge CupFinal victory against theHuddersfield Giants.St Helens reached the2006 Super League Grand finalto be contested againstHull FC,and Cunningham played athooker,scoring atryin Saints' 26-4 victory. As 2006 Super League champions, St Helens faced 2006 NRL Premiers theBrisbane Broncosin the2007 World Club Challenge.Cunningham played from the interchange bench in Saints' 18-14 victory.
He played in the2009 Super League Grand Finaldefeat by theLeeds RhinosatOld Trafford.[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]
In 2010, Cunningham announced that he would be retiring from rugby league following the culmination of 2010'sSuper League XV.[26]2010 also marked the last year at St Helens'Knowsley Roadground before moving to a new stadium. It was, in fact, Kieron Cunningham who scored the last try ever at the prestigious ground in his penultimate match. However, despite a memorable 2010 play-offs for Cunningham, there was to be no fairytale ending as his last game ended in defeat against arch rivals theWigan Warriorsin the2010 Super League Grand Final.
He finished his career with 496 appearances for St Helens,[27]scoring 175 tries.
During his career he won five Super League Championships, seven Challenge Cup Winners Medals and two World Club Challenge Winners medals, was named in theSuper League Dream Teamon six occasions,[28]and in July 2007Rugby League Worldmagazine ranked him as the greatest player of theSuper Leagueera.
Following a supporters' poll featuring the likes ofTom van VollenhovenandAlex Murphy,Cunningham was chosen to be cast as a bronze statue outside ofLangtree Park.[29]The statue was unveiled on Chalon Way opposite the Glass House pub in March 2010[30]and was relocated to the stadium following its completion in October 2011.[31]
Coaching career
edit
Following his retirement as a player, Cunningham took up an assistant coaching role in the strength and conditioning department at St Helens. After the sacking ofRoyce Simmonsin 2012 he was appointed assistant head coach of St Helens, working alongside temporary head coach Mike Rush.
On Monday 20 October 2014, Cunningham was appointed ashead coachofSt Helens.He appointed former Saints teammateSean Longto assist him for his role.[32]On 10 April 2017 it was announced on the BBC North West Today lunchtime bulletin that Cunningham had been sacked after 24 years associated with the club.
References
edit- ^ab"Profile at loverugbyleague.com".loverugbyleague.com. 31 December 2017.Retrieved1 January2018.
- ^ab"Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org".rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017.Retrieved1 January2018.
- ^ab"Coach Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org".rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017.Retrieved1 January2018.
- ^Cunningham finds permanent place with his Saints.Theguardian.com (8 February 2009). Retrieved on 2016-01-31.
- ^Robbie Paul hails Saint Helens Keiron Cunningham the best.BBC News (1 March 2010). Retrieved on 2016-01-31.
- ^Keiron Cunningham.Saints.org.uk. Retrieved on 31 January 2016.
- ^Burke, David (10 October 2007)Keiron Cunningham was born to play for Saints.Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved on 31 January 2016.
- ^"Big brother rules out Keiron claim".BBC.co.uk.BBC Sport.8 August 2001.Retrieved22 November2010.
- ^Keiron Cunningham: St Helens part company with head coach
- ^"Cunningham backs league cause".BBC Sport.7 August 2001.Retrieved10 December2014.
- ^"13th January 1996: St Helens 16 Wigan 25 (Regal Trophy Final)".wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2014. Archived fromthe originalon 7 October 2018.Retrieved1 January2015.
- ^"steveprescottfoundation.co.uk".Steve Prescott Stats.Steve Prescott Foundation. Archived fromthe originalon 8 August 2012.Retrieved3 June2012.
- ^"World Cup Star - Keiron Cunningham".sportinglife.com.sportinglife.com. 2000.Retrieved4 February2010.
- ^"Rhinos Take Super League Title".Sky News. 11 October 2009.Retrieved22 November2019.
- ^Burke, David (11 October 2009)."Smith's Crisp".The Daily Mirror.Retrieved22 November2019.
- ^AFP (11 October 2009)."Leeds makes it Super League hat-trick".ABCNews.Retrieved22 November2019.
- ^AAP(11 October 2009)."Leeds claim third successive Grand Final".nrl.Archived fromthe originalon 3 October 2012.Retrieved22 November2019.
- ^Linfoot, Ben (10 October 2009)."Grand Final: Leeds Rhinos 18 St Helens 10".Sky Sports.Retrieved22 November2019.
- ^"Potter refuses to blame video ref".Liverpool Echo.12 October 2009.Retrieved22 November2019.
- ^Fletcher, Paul (10 October 2009)."St Helens 10-18 Leeds Rhinos".BBC Sport.Retrieved22 November2019.
- ^"Third time unlucky as Saints fail to halt Rhinos' charge to title".Liverpool Daily Post.12 October 2009.Retrieved22 November2019.
- ^"Sinfield hails winning culture".The Daily Mirror.11 October 2009.Retrieved22 November2019.
- ^Stewart, Rob (12 October 2009)."Lee Smith targets place in England rugby union team after Grand Final victory".The Telegraph.Retrieved22 November2019.
- ^"Sinfield hails historic title win".BBC Sport.11 October 2009.Retrieved22 November2019.
- ^"Leeds Rhinos fans in homecoming welcome".Yorkshire Evening Post.12 October 2009.Retrieved22 November2019.
- ^"Cunningham looking to end on a high".BBC. 26 January 2010.Retrieved26 February2010.
- ^Slater, Gary (3 October 2010)."Michael Maguire plots new Wigan dynasty following Grand Final win over St Helens".The Telegraph.Retrieved10 December2014.
- ^"2008 engage Super League Dream Team".Super League. 15 September 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 21 July 2010.Retrieved26 September2008.
- ^"Cunningham statue moves to new stadium".St Helens Star.18 October 2011.Retrieved25 October2012.
- ^Kilmurray, Andrew (4 March 2010)."Saints' Keiron Cunningham 'humbled' by bronze statue".St Helens Star.Retrieved14 January2014.
- ^"Keiron Cunningham statue moves to new Saints rugby league stadium".St Helens Star.18 October 2011.Retrieved14 January2014.
- ^Sean Long returns to St Helens as Keiron Cunningham’s assistant coach| Sport.The Guardian (17 November 2014). Retrieved on 2016-01-31.
External links
edit
- (archived by web.archive.org)St Helens profile
- (archived by web.archive.org)Keiron's Korner
- Profile at saints.org.uk