25 Facts About Graham Murray

Graham Ernest Murray was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s, and coached in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s.

Graham Murray coached the Fiji national rugby league team, the City New South Wales rugby league team and the Australian women's team.

Graham Murray was named Dally M Coach of the Year in 1992.

Graham Murray was born in Peak Hill, New South Wales to James Graham Murray and Shirley Gallagher.

Graham Murray was regarded as too skilful for reserve grade rugby league, owing to his great organisational ability, which had him known as "little Artie" after Arthur Beetson.

Graham Murray moved to Souths in 1981 and played fairly regularly in first grade until he left at the end of 1983 to play in the country.

Graham Murray began his coaching career with appointments as reserve grade coach at Penrith, where he won a premiership in 1987 and helped develop many of the future 1991 first-grade premiership team, and Balmain.

Graham Murray was made coach of the Illawarra Steelers for the 1991 Winfield Cup season.

Graham Murray then took Illawarra to its first finals appearance in that season's Winfield Cup competition.

Graham Murray was dismissed as head coach in April 1995 after he facilitated negotiations between Steelers players and representatives of the rebel Super League organisation.

Graham Murray was the only person out of the hundreds of players, coaches and administrators involved with the Super League saga to lose his job as a direct consequence of the brewing war.

Graham Murray was the coach of the Fiji team in the 1995 World Cup, winning one game and losing two.

Graham Murray signed a deal to coach the North Sydney Bears for the 2000 NRL season.

Graham Murray was the NSW City Origin coach from 2001 to 2005.

Graham Murray coached City to victory in the annual contest against Country Origin in 2002,2003 and 2005.

In 2006, Graham Murray was named coach of the Illawarra Steelers' "Team of Steel", celebrating the club's 25th anniversary.

Graham Murray was appointed coach of the New South Wales rugby league team for the 2006 State of Origin series; despite winning the first game, the Blues lost the series to Queensland by two games to one.

Graham Murray was re-appointed as New South Wales coach in 2007, with the full support of the North Queensland Cowboys board.

On 19 May 2008, Graham Murray resigned as coach of the North Queensland Cowboys.

In 2010, Graham Murray was appointed as the head coach of the Australia women's national rugby league team, the Australian Jillaroos.

Graham Murray was appointed the Newcastle Knights' High Performance Unit Director of Coaching for the 2012 season.

On 30 November 2012, Graham Murray was appointed head coach of the Wynnum Manly Seagulls.

Graham Murray stood down as the Seagulls coach due to ill health.

In March 2013, Graham Murray was comatose for a week following a heart attack.

Graham Murray had another heart attack in July 2013, and was hospitalised at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Woolloongabba, Brisbane.