Dwayne Barker (born 21 September 1983) is an English former professional

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...

footballer. Barker's usual position was , he could also operate in the centres. Barker has previously played for the Leeds Rhinos, Hull Kingston Rovers, and the Castleford Tigers ( Heritage № 867). He has also enjoyed short loan spells with the London Broncos and Hull FC.

Background

Barker was born in

Leeds Leeds () is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the thi ...

, West Yorkshire, England.

Early career

Barker had played much of his early career at or . He captained the Rhinos Academy to Grand Final success in 2001 beating Wigan. He originally signed for the club from local amateur team Milford ARLFC in 1999. A highly versatile player, he has even played as a . He is blessed with good ball skills and pace.

Controversy

Dwayne Barker was ordered to do 150 hours of community service following an incident outside a Leeds nightclub in July 2002. Chev Walker and Ryan Bailey were sent to young offenders institutions for their involvement in a city centre brawl. Walker was sentenced to 18 months whilst his then

teammate Bailey was given nine months' detention after an incident outside a Leeds nightclub in July 2002. Rochdale Hornets player Paul Owen was gaoled for 15 months. All four pleaded guilty to violent disorder at a previous hearing. The court heard how the brawl began after Owen was said to have been tricked into handing over his mobile phone to an unidentified woman outside Creation nightclub. As he tried to recover it, the

players thought she was being assaulted and set about Owen. A four-minute video of the brawl was played which showed the Leeds players trading kicks and blows with Owen. At one point Owen was seen to punch Barker to the ground and as he struggled to regain his feet he was kicked in the head and knocked out. The judge said Barker had played a limited role in the violence.

Harlquins RL

Dwayne Barker signed a 12-month contract with Harlequins RL for 2008's Super League XIII season.

References

External links

Quins profile
*(archived by web.archive.org
Official Player ProfileBBC Sport player profile
*(archived by web.archive.org
Hull Sign Leeds PairDwayne Barker Yearly Statistics
*(archived by web.archive.org
Stats → PastPlayers → B at hullfc.com
*(archived by web.archive.org
Statistics at hullfc.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barker, Dwayne 1983 births Living people Castleford Tigers players Dewsbury Rams players English rugby league players Featherstone Rovers players Halifax R.L.F.C. players Hull F.C. players Hull Kingston Rovers players Hunslet R.L.F.C. players Leeds Rhinos players London Broncos players Rugby league centres Rugby league locks Rugby league players from Leeds Rugby league second-rows