Josh Hannay (born 11 January 1980) is an Australian professional
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...
coach who is an assistant coach of the
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the Sutherland Shire of Southern Sydney, Southern Sydney, New South Wales. Cronulla compete in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australasia's premier rugb ...
in the
NRL
The National Rugby League (also known as the NRL Telstra Premiership for sponsorship reasons) is a professional rugby league competition in Oceania which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria (state), Victoria, the Austral ...
and assistant coach of the
Queensland rugby league team
The Queensland rugby league team represents the Australian state of Queensland in rugby league football. Nicknamed the "Maroons" after the colour of their jersey, they play three times a year against arch-rivals New South Wales rugby league tea ...
. He is also a former professional
rugby league footballer who played as a in the 1990s and 2000s.
A
Queensland
Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
State of Origin representative, Hannay spent nine seasons with the
North Queensland Cowboys
The North Queensland Cowboys is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, the largest city in North Queensland. They compete in Australia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL).
Sinc ...
and was the club's highest point scorer until 2011. He later had stints with the
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the Sutherland Shire of Southern Sydney, Southern Sydney, New South Wales. Cronulla compete in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australasia's premier rugb ...
and
Celtic Crusaders, before moving into coaching.
In 2020, he served as the interim head coach of the
Cowboys
A cowboy is a professional pastoralist or mounted livestock herder, usually from the Americas or Australia.
Cowboy(s) or The Cowboy(s) may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''Cowboy'' (1958 film), starring Glenn Ford
* ''Cowboy'' (1966 film), ...
in the
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League (also known as the NRL Telstra Premiership for sponsorship reasons) is a professional rugby league competition in Oceania which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria (state), Victoria, the Austral ...
.
Background
Born and raised in
Moranbah, Queensland
Moranbah is a coal mining town and locality in the Isaac Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Moranbah had a population of 9,425.
In addition to the permanent population, Moranbah also has a large fly-in fly-out population ...
, Hannay played his junior rugby league for the Moranbah Miners before being signed by the
North Queensland Cowboys
The North Queensland Cowboys is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, the largest city in North Queensland. They compete in Australia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL).
Sinc ...
at 15. In
Townsville
The City of Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 201,313 as of 2024, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland and Northern Australia (specifically, the parts of Australia north of ...
, he attended
Townsville Grammar School.
Playing career
North Queensland Cowboys
In Round 15 of the
1996 ARL season, Cowboys' head coach
Graham Lowe named Hannay to make his first grade debut against the
Western Suburbs Magpies
The Western Suburbs Magpies (legal name: Western Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club Ltd) is an Australian rugby league football club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests, as the club is commonly ...
. At 16 years and 185 days old, Hannay would have been the second youngest player to debut in Australian history after
Ray Stehr, who debuted at 16 years and 85 days in 1929. The selection was ultimately blocked by the
Australian Rugby League
The Australian Rugby League Commission Limited (ARL), formerly the Australian Rugby Football League Limited known as the Australian Rugby League is an Australian rugby league football competition operator. It was founded in 1986 as the Australi ...
(ARL), as Hannay (who was born in 1980), had to turn 17 the year he debuted to be eligible.
In Round 3 of the
1998 NRL season
The 1998 NRL season was the 91st season of professional rugby league football in Australia, and the inaugural season of the newly formed National Rugby League (NRL). After the 1997 season, in which the Australian Rugby League and Super League (Au ...
, almost two years after his vetoed debut, the now 18-year old Hannay made his NRL debut in the Cowboys' 16–15 win over the
Parramatta Eels
The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL).
The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, and ...
, scoring a try. In Round 23, he scored his first NRL hat-trick in a 12–28 loss to the
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Sydney's Northern Beaches. They compete in the National Rugby League (NRL). The Manly club debuted in the 1947 New South Wales Rugby Football League seaso ...
. In his rookie season for the club, he played 21 games, starting at either or , scoring 15 tries, 29 goals and 118 points to finish as the side's top try and point scorer. In 1999, despite playing just 13 games due to injuries, he represented the
Junior Kangaroos alongside his Cowboys teammate
Scott Prince
Scott Prince (born 27 February 1980) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s.
An Australian international and Queensland State of Origin representative, he played club footba ...
.
Over the next two seasons, Hannay was further plagued by injuries, playing only 17 games, including just five in
2000
2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year.
Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
. In 2002, he played his first full season in four years, starting in 19 games for the Cowboys and finishing as their top point scorer.
In 2003, Hannay enjoyed a breakout season, playing 23 games and scoring 230 points, second in the NRL only to
Hazem El Masri's 294. On 16 July 2003, he made his
State of Origin debut for
Queensland
Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
, starting at and kicking four goals in a 36–6 Game III win over
New South Wales
New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
at
Suncorp Stadium
Brisbane Stadium (Lang Park), currently known as Suncorp Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium in the suburb of Milton, Queensland, Milton, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Nicknamed The Cauldron, it is a three-tiered rect ...
. In Round 23 of the
2003 season, Hannay set the record for most points (24) and most goals (10) in a single game for the Cowboys in their 60–8 win over the
South Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney District Rugby League Football Club, also known as the South Sydney Rabbitohs, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Maroubra, New South Wales, Maroubra that competes in the Nat ...
. As of 2020, his 10-goal record still stands, while
Johnathan Thurston later equalled his points record in 2006.
In 2004, Hannay started at in all 27 games for the Cowboys as they qualified for the finals for the first time in their history. He scored 228 points that season, finishing second again in the top point scorers list to El Masri, who scored 342. In 2005, he started at in the Cowboys' maiden
NRL Grand Final
The NRL Grand Final is an annual rugby league match to determine the premiers of every National Rugby League season. It is a major sport event in Australia and regarded as the biggest showcase of rugby league football in the world. Since 1999 ...
appearance, a 16–30 loss to the
Wests Tigers
The Wests Tigers is an Australian professional rugby league football team, based in the Inner West of Sydney and South Western Sydney. The Tigers have competed in the National Rugby League (NRL) since being formed at the end of the 1999 N ...
.
In 2006, Hannay fell out of favour at the Cowboys, playing just nine games. In July, he was told by the club he would not be re-signed when his contract ended that season. Despite this, Hannay earned a recall to the
Queensland
Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
side, starting at centre in their series-deciding 16–14 win over New South Wales at the
Telstra Dome
Docklands Stadium, known by naming rights sponsorship as Marvel Stadium, is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment stadium in the suburb of Docklands in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Construction started in October 1997 and was completed ...
in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
. On 26 July 2006, he signed a two-year deal with the
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the Sutherland Shire of Southern Sydney, Southern Sydney, New South Wales. Cronulla compete in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australasia's premier rugb ...
.
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
In Round 1 of the
2007 NRL season
The 2007 NRL season was the one hundredth season of professional rugby league football club competition in Australia, and the tenth run by the National Rugby League. Sixteen teams contested the NRL's 2007 Telstra Premiership, and with the inclusi ...
, Hannay made his debut for the Sharks in an 18–0 win over the
Penrith Panthers
The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Greater Western Sydney suburb of Penrith, New South Wales, Penrith that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL). The team is based west of the cen ...
. He would play just two more games before being dropped to
NSW Cup
The NSW Cup, currently known as the Knock-On Effect NSW Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a rugby league competition for clubs in New South Wales. The competition has a history dating back to the NSWRFL's origins in 1908, starting off as a reserve ...
by head coach
Ricky Stuart
Ricky John "Sticky" Stuart (born 7 January 1967) is an Australian professional rugby league football coach who is the head coach of Canberra in the National Rugby League (NRL) and a former rugby league footballer who played as a in the 1980 ...
. In June 2007, he was dropped from the Sharks' NSW Cup side and began playing for the
Gymea Gorillas in the local
Cronulla-Sutherland District competition before being granted a release by the club.
Celtic Crusaders
In August 2007, Hannay signed the
Celtic Crusaders, who were playing in the
National League Two, helping them to promotion to the
National League One. In 2008, he was a member of the Crusaders' side who lost to
Salford City in the National League One Grand Final. Despite losing the Grand Final, the Crusaders finished second and earned promotion to the
Super League
Super League (also known as the Betfred Super League for sponsorship reasons, and legally Super League Europe Ltd.) is a professional rugby league competition, and the highest level of the British rugby league system, which consists of twelve t ...
for the first time. In 2009, he played 17 Super League games for the Crusaders, finishing as the club's top point scorer.
Hannay did not get to finish the season, as he, along with Australian teammates
Jace Van Dijk,
Tony Duggan,
Damien Quin,
Darren Mapp and
Mark Dalle Cort were deported after the
UK Border Agency
The UK Border Agency (UKBA) was the border control agency of the Government of the United Kingdom and part of the Home Office that was superseded by UK Visas and Immigration, Border Force and Immigration Enforcement in April 2013. It was forme ...
ruled they breached visa regulations. Hannay was banned from entering the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
for 10 years and his Crusaders' contract was cancelled with immediate effect.
Later career
In November 2009, Hannay returned to
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, joining the
Mackay Cutters in the
Queensland Cup
The Queensland Cup, currently known as the Hostplus Cup for sponsorship reasons, is the highest-level regional rugby league, rugby league football competition in Queensland, Australia. It is run by the Queensland Rugby League, Queensland Rugby ...
for the 2010 season.
In 2011, he returned to Moranbah to play for his junior club, the Moranbah Miners, in the Mackay and Districts A-Grade competition. In 2012, he
captain-coached the club to premiership success in the competition. In 2013, he retired from playing and solely focused on coaching the Miners.
Coaching career
Souths Logan Magpies
On 9 October 2013, Hannay was appointed head coach of the
Souths Logan Magpies in the
Queensland Cup
The Queensland Cup, currently known as the Hostplus Cup for sponsorship reasons, is the highest-level regional rugby league, rugby league football competition in Queensland, Australia. It is run by the Queensland Rugby League, Queensland Rugby ...
for the
2014 season. Over three seasons with the club, Hannay's highest place finish with the Magpies was 7th in 2016, missing the finals on points differential. He coached 70 games, winning 28, for a 40% winning percentage. In 2016 and 2017, he coached the
Queensland under-18 rugby league team
The Queensland Under-18 rugby league team, also known as Queensland Under-18s or Queensland U18, represents Queensland in the sport of rugby league at an under-18 age level. Since 2008, the team has played an annual fixture against the New Sout ...
, losing both games to New South Wales.
North Queensland Cowboys
In 2017, he returned to the
North Queensland Cowboys
The North Queensland Cowboys is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, the largest city in North Queensland. They compete in Australia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL).
Sinc ...
as an assistant coach to
Paul Green. In his first season on the coaching staff, the Cowboys qualified for the
NRL Grand Final
The NRL Grand Final is an annual rugby league match to determine the premiers of every National Rugby League season. It is a major sport event in Australia and regarded as the biggest showcase of rugby league football in the world. Since 1999 ...
, losing to the
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm is a rugby league football club based in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia that participates in the National Rugby League (NRL). The club plays its home games at AAMI Park, and wears a purple and navy blu ...
. In 2018, he joined the
Queensland
Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
coaching staff as an assistant to
Kevin Walters
Kevin David Walters (born 20 October 1967) is an Australian former professional rugby league player and coach, as well as a pundit (2017–2018, 2025) for Fox League.
As a first-grade player for the Canberra Raiders and the Brisbane Broncos c ...
, spending just one year in the role.
On 20 July 2020, Hannay was named as the interim head coach of the
North Queensland Cowboys
The North Queensland Cowboys is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, the largest city in North Queensland. They compete in Australia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL).
Sinc ...
following the resignation of
Paul Green. In Round 17 of the
2020 NRL season
The 2020 NRL season was the 113th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 23rd season run by the National Rugby League.
Teams
The lineup of teams remained unchanged for the 14th consecutive year.
; Notes
:
:
:
Pre-season
...
, after five straight losses, Hannay earned his first win as an NRL head coach after the Cowboys defeated the
St George Illawarra Dragons
The St. George Illawarra Dragons are an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing both the Illawarra and St George regions of New South Wales. The club has competed in the National Rugby League (NRL) since 1999 after a j ...
23–22 in
golden point
The golden point, a sudden death overtime system, is used to resolve drawn matches in a number of sports. The term is borrowed from soccer's now-defunct golden goal.
Rugby league Australia
The golden point is used to determine a winner (where a ...
. On 22 September 2020, after being overlooked as full-time head coach of the Cowboys, Hannay announced he would leave the club, despite being under contract for the 2021 season.
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
On 17 November 2020, Hannay joined the
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the Sutherland Shire of Southern Sydney, Southern Sydney, New South Wales. Cronulla compete in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australasia's premier rugb ...
as an assistant coach. On 14 April 2021 Hannay was named as caretaker head coach following the sacking of
John Morris
In round 11 of the
2021 NRL season
The 2021 NRL season was the 114th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 24th season run by the National Rugby League.
Teams
The lineup of teams remained unchanged for the 15th consecutive year.
Regular season
Ladd ...
, he earned his first win as Cronulla-Sutherland interim coach as the club defeated fierce rivals
St. George Illawarra 13–12.
Hannay is currently an assistant coach with the Queensland State of Origin Team.
Statistics
NRL
Super League
State of Origin
Coaching
Footnotes
External links
FOGS profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hannay, Josh
1980 births
Living people
Australian rugby league players
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks coaches
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks players
Crusaders Rugby League players
Mackay Cutters players
North Queensland Cowboys coaches
North Queensland Cowboys players
Queensland Rugby League State of Origin players
Rugby league centres
Rugby league players from Queensland
People from Moranbah
People educated at Townsville Grammar School
Australian rugby league coaches
21st-century Australian sportsmen