Craig Field
{{short description|Australian RL coach and former rugby league footballer}}
{{About|the rugby league player|the airport in Selma, Alabama|Craig Field (airport)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2013}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
|name = Craig Field
|image = Craig Field outside Wagga Wagga Court House.jpg
|caption =
|fullname = Craig Steven Field
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1972|12|12|df=yes}}
|birth_place = Paddington, New South Wales, Australia
|death_date =
|death_place =
|height = {{convert|169|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}
|weight = {{convert|78|kg|stlb|abbr=on}}
|imagesize =
|position = {{Rlp|HB}}
|club1 = South Sydney
|year1start = 1990
|year1end = 96
|appearances1 = 84
|tries1 = 22
|goals1 = 83
|fieldgoals1 = 0
|points1 = 254
|club2 = Manly Sea Eagles
|year2start = 1997
|year2end = 99
|appearances2 = 54
|tries2 = 7
|goals2 = 44
|fieldgoals2 = 3
|points2 = 119
|club3 = Balmain Tigers
|year3start = 1999
|year3end =
|appearances3 = 17
|tries3 = 2
|goals3 = 1
|fieldgoals3 = 2
|points3 = 12
|club4 = Wests Tigers
|year4start = 2000
|year4end = 01
|appearances4 = 28
|tries4 = 4
|goals4 = 7
|fieldgoals4 = 3
|points4 = 33
| club5 = {{nowrap|Baroudeurs de Pia XIII}}
| year5start = 2002
| year5end = 03
| appearances5 = 0
| tries5 = 0
| goals5 = 0
| fieldgoals5 = 0
| points5 = 0
| coachteam1 = {{nowrap|Baroudeurs de Pia XIII}}
| coachyear1start = 2003
| coachyear1end =
| coachgames1 = 0
| coachwins1 = 0
| coachdraws1 = 0
| coachlosses1 = 0
|retired = yes
|source = [http://203.166.101.37/NRL08/playercareer.asp?lplayer=382 NRL Stats]{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}[http://rugbyleagueproject.com/players/Craig_Field.html Craig Field at the Rugby League Project]
| module = {{infobox person
| embed = yes
| father =
| mother =
| spouse =
| education =
| alma_mater =
| relatives = Matt Seers (cousin)
}}
}}
Craig Field (born 12 December 1972) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. Field played for South Sydney, Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, Balmain Tigers and Wests Tigers. His primary position was at {{rlp|hb}}. His talent and leadership on the field was hampered by off-field incidents throughout his career. He served a jail term for the manslaughter of a 50-year-old man in 2012.
Craig Field is the cousin of former Norths and Wests Tigers fullback and NSW Origin representative Matt Seers.
Playing career
Field made his debut with South Sydney as a seventeen-year-old in 1990, playing one game from the bench. By 1993, with his flashes of brilliance on-field, he had earned himself a position in the first-grade team on a regular basis and in 1994 he was promoted to captain.{{cite book|author=Alan Whiticker & Glen Hudson|title=The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players|year=2007|publisher=Gary Allen Pty Ltd|location=Wetherill Park, New South Wales|isbn=978-1-877082-93-1|pages=158}}
In 1995, Field was stripped of the captaincy and fined $10,000 for missing training and at the end of the 1996 season he left the Rabbitohs for Manly-Warringah. Both Cliff Lyons and Geoff Toovey were in the Manly team and Field had to compete against the two test halves for the halfback position. Field was a member of the 1997 Manly side which lost the Grand Final to the Newcastle Knights.
Early in 1999, Field requested a release from the Manly club and he played his last game with the team in round 5. In round 7, he steered his new club, Balmain, to a win over Manly.
Field became a Wests Tiger in 2000 when Balmain and Western Suburbs merged at the end of the 1999 season. After only four games of the 2001 season, Field and teammate, Kevin McGuinness, were suspended by the National Rugby League (NRL) for six months after testing positive for stimulants.{{cite news|format=fee required|publisher=The Mirror (London)|title=Drugs pair hit by ban|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-72421513.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021075924/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-72421513.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-10-21|accessdate=2008-08-16|date=2001-03-29}}{{cite news|format=fee required|publisher=AAP Sports News (Australia)|title=Six months for both Field and McGuinness|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-43017995.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110516214153/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-43017995.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2011-05-16|accessdate=2008-08-16|date=2001-03-23}} Field did not participate in any other first-grade games in Australia.
In 2002, Field moved to the south-west of France to play for the Pia Donkeys in the French Rugby League Championship. Following the sacking of coach John Elias in February, 2003, Field took over coaching duties and led Pia in the club's 16–14 loss in the French Cup final. On his return to Australia in May, 2003, Field joined the Newtown Jets in the premier-league competition, captaining the side for the remainder of the season.{{cite news|author=Brad Walter|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|title=Field a Jet but no chance for Souths|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/06/04/1054700278872.html|accessdate=2008-08-16|date=2003-06-05}}
From 2005 till 2009, Field was captain-coach of Wagga Brothers in the Group 9 competition.{{cite news|author=Les Muir|publisher=The Daily Advertiser (Wagga Wagga)|title=Captain defies CRL with Field choice|url=http://dailyadvertiser.yourguide.com.au/news/local/sport/general/captain-defies-crl-with-field-choice/1245447.aspx|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120713074303/http://dailyadvertiser.yourguide.com.au/news/local/sport/general/captain-defies-crl-with-field-choice/1245447.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-07-13|accessdate=2008-08-16|date=2008-08-15 }} In 2010, he joined the Cudgen Hornets in the Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League, along with his cousin Matt Seers.{{cite news|publisher=Tweed Daily News|title=Hornets confident of top placing|author=Jamie Gallagher|url=http://www.tweednews.com.au/story/2010/02/04/following-a-formidable-off-season-in-which-recruit/|accessdate=21 February 2010|date=4 February 2010}} After two seasons with the Hornets, Field retired as a player but remained with the club as coach.
In 2013, at age 40, Field was playing A-grade park football for Moore Park club in the South Sydney junior league competition.{{cite news|last=Proszenko|first=Adrian|title=Field reveals new purpose and perspective on life after jail stint|url=http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/field-reveals-new-purpose-and-perspective-on-life-after-jail-stint-20130330-2h06a.html|accessdate=1 April 2013|newspaper=Brisbane Times|date=31 March 2013}}
Personal life
=2007 Armed Robbery=
After claiming to be the victim of an armed robbery on the night of 18 February 2007 at a hotel in Wagga Wagga, of which he was manager at the time, it was alleged that the robbery had been staged and Field was subsequently charged with recruiting a child to participate in a criminal activity, making a false statement to police and three counts of stealing after a robbery.{{cite news|title = Former NRL star in court over fake robbery|work = The Australian|date = 27 September 2007|url = http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22494323-5006784,00.html|accessdate = 12 August 2009}}{{dead link|date=March 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} On 11 August 2009, after a four-day trial at Wagga Wagga Court House, Field was acquitted of all charges by a majority (11–1) jury verdict.{{cite news|last=Holliday|first=Rebekah|title=Field found not guilty|publisher=Fairfax Digital|work=Brisbane Times|date=12 August 2009|url=http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/league/field-found-not-guilty-20090812-ehcf.html|accessdate=12 August 2009|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090813223643/http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/league/field-found-not-guilty-20090812-ehcf.html|archivedate=13 August 2009}}
=2012 Kelvin Kane case=
On 15 July 2012, Field was arrested and charged with assault occasioning grievous bodily harm after allegedly punching 50-year-old Kelvin Kane outside a hotel in Kingscliff, New South Wales. Kane was knocked unconscious and required cardiopulmonary resuscitation when paramedics arrived at the scene. He later died in hospital, prompting the charges against Field to be upgraded to murder.{{cite news|last=Kwek|first=Glenda|title=Former NRL star Craig Field facing murder charge|url=http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/former-nrl-star-craig-field-facing-murder-charge-20120716-224s4.html|accessdate=16 July 2012|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=16 July 2012}}{{cite news|title=Former Rabbitoh Craig Field to stand trial for murder|url=http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/former-rabbitoh-craig-field-to-stand-trial-for-murder-20131126-2y87o.html|accessdate=26 November 2013|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=26 November 2013}} Field was released from prison on 18 December 2012 after a {{A$|10,000}} bail bond was posted, with strict reporting conditions.{{cite news|title=Strict bail for accused killer Craig Field|url=http://www.dailyadvertiser.com.au/story/1210176/strict-bail-for-accused-killer-craig-field/?cs=148|accessdate=31 December 2012|newspaper=The Daily Advertiser|date=30 December 2012}} The murder trial, in which Field pleaded not guilty, began in November 2014.{{cite news|last=Hall|first=Louise|title=One-punch death: Craig Field pleads not guilty to murder|url=http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/onepunch-death-craig-field-pleads-not-guilty-to--murder-20140307-34bj2.html|accessdate=7 March 2014|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=7 March 2014}} On 9 December 2014, Field was found not guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter over the death of Kane. He was sentenced to a maximum of 10 years and a minimum of 7½ years. Field was released from prison on 3 January 2022.{{cite news|last1=Chambers|first1=Geoff|title=Craig Field has been found guilty of the manslaughter of cattle farmer Kelvin Kane at Kingscliff Hotel in 2012|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/craig-field-has-been-found-guilty-of-the-manslaughter-of-cattle-farmer-kelvin-kane-at-kingscliff-hotel-in-2012/story-fni0cx12-1227149957926|accessdate=9 December 2014|work=The Daily Telegraph (Australia)|date=9 December 2014}}
In 2023 it was reported Field was living on the Gold Coast working in construction. He was invited to speak with the Manly Sea Eagles about his experiences on and off the field.{{cite news|url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/teams/sea-eagles/nrl-2023-former-nrl-star-craig-field-talks-to-manly-sea-eagles-jailed-for-manslaughter-news/news-story/bd996e121a7145befef4c6e3249530f8|website=Fox Sports|title=‘Don’t be like me’: Jailed ex-NRL star leaves Sea Eagles awed with ‘brutally honest’ talk|first=Zac|last=Rayson|date=23 February 2023}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080718221803/http://brothers.com.au/profiles/ Craig Field at Wagga Brothers]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080727230152/http://www.nrlstats.com/archive/players.cfm?PlayerID=386 Craig Field at NRL Stats.com]
{{Inaugural Wests Tigers side}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Field, Craig}}
Category:Articles containing video clips
Category:Australian people convicted of manslaughter
Category:Australian rugby league coaches
Category:Australian rugby league players
Category:Australian sportspeople convicted of crimes
Category:Balmain Tigers players
Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen
Category:Baroudeurs de Pia XIII coaches
Category:Baroudeurs de Pia XIII players
Category:Manly Warringah Sea Eagles players
Category:New South Wales City Origin rugby league team players
Category:Rugby league halfbacks
Category:Rugby league players from Sydney
Category:South Sydney Rabbitohs captains