Robbie Kearns

Robbie Kearns

Personal information
Full name	Robert Kearns
Born	(1971-12-12)12 December 1971 Sydney,New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Height	185 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	100 kg (15 st 10 lb)
Position	Prop
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1992–95 Cronulla-Sutherland 76 9 2 0 40 1996–97 Western Reds 37 4 0 0 16 1998–05 Melbourne Storm 169 18 0 0 72 Total 282 31 2 0 128 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1998–03 New South Wales 8 0 0 0 0 1998–03 Australia 20 0 0 0 0 2002–03 City NSW 2 0 0 0 0 1997 Australia(SL) 3 1 0 0 4 1997 New South Wales(SL) 1 0 0 0 0
Source:

Robbie Kearns(born 12 December 1971) is an Australian former professionalrugby leaguefootballer who played in the 1990s, and 2000s. AnAustralia internationalandNew South WalesState of Originrepresentative forward, he played for theCronulla-Sutherland Sharks,Western Redsand theMelbourne Storm.

Early life

Born inSydney, New South Wales.Kearns was educated atSt John Bosco College, Engadine.

Robbie played junior football for theEngadine DragonsandSt John Bosco Bulldogs.He then signed with the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.

Playing career

In March 1992, Kearns made his first grade debut for Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in round 1 against theBrisbane BroncosatLang Park,becoming a regular in the Cronulla side during the 1992 season. He was a member of the Sharks reserve grade premiership victory in 1993.

Kearns signed with theWestern Redsfor the1996 ARL season.He would go on to win Player of the Year honours for the Reds in 1996, also taking out the club Chairman's Player of the Year award in both 1996 and 1997.

Selected by New South Wales for theSuper League Tri-seriesfinal against Queensland during the1997 Super League season,Kearns would make his international representative debut after he was selected to play forAustraliafrom the interchange bench in all three matches of theSuper League Test seriesagainstGreat Britain.

Kearns signed on with the newly createdMelbourne Stormfor the1998 NRL season.That year he was named the club's Player of the Year award, also winning the Chairman's Award.He would also make hisState of Origindebut forNew South Wales,playing in game 3 of the1998 State of Origin series.Kearns would be selected again for NSW in 1999, but fell off a horse at a training camp, breaking his collarbone in three places. He would be ruled out of the entire1999 State of Origin seriesand would be restricted to only 13 matches for the entire 1999 season, with a thigh injury keeping him out of the Storm team that would go on to win the1999 NRL Grand Final.

Having won the 1999 Premiership, theMelbourne Stormtravelled to England to contest the2000 World Club ChallengeagainstSuper LeagueChampionsSt Helens R.F.C.,with Kearns captaining at prop forward in the victory. In 2000 Kearns was awarded theAustralian Sports Medalfor his contribution to Australia's international standing in rugby league. Kearns captained the Melbourne Storm from 2000 to 2002 and again in 2005. At the end of the2001 NRL season,he went on the2001 Kangaroo tour.He was again named the Storm's player of the season in 2003 and he went on the2003 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France,helping Australia to victory overGreat Britainin what would be the last time the two nations contested anAshes series.

He retired at the conclusion of the 2005 season after a 13-year career,but remained with the Melbourne Storm in a marketing and business development capacity.

Melbourne Storm released a 'team of the decade' as part of their 10-year celebrations in 2007, with Kearns named at prop.

Representative career

• State of Origin:Played 8 games in total forNew South Walesbetween 1998 and 2003
• International:Played 23 tests for Australia including the 2000 World Cup

Honours

• Western/Perth RedsPlayer of the Year: 1996, 1997
• Melbourne StormPlayer of the Year:1998,2003

External links

• Robbie Kearns at stateoforigin.com
• Robbie Kearns at melbournestorm.com.au
• 2001 Ashes profile