Luke Garner
{{Short description|Australian rugby league footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2015}}
{{Use Australian English|date=March 2015}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
|name = Luke Garner
|fullname =
|image = Luke Garner2.jpg
|imagesize = 285
|caption =
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1995|9|6}}
|birth_place = Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
|height = {{convert|190|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}
|weight = {{convert|99|kg|stlb|abbr=on}}
|position = {{rlp|SR|LK|CE}}
|club1 = Wests Tigers
|year1start = 2018
|year1end = 22
|appearances1 = 75
|tries1 = 23
|goals1 = 0
|fieldgoals1 = 0
|points1 = 92
|club2 = Penrith Panthers
|year2start = 2023
|year2end = present
|appearances2 = 36
|tries2 = 9
|goals2 = 0
|fieldgoals2 = 0
|points2 = 36
|teamA = {{nowrap|NSW Residents}}
|yearAstart = 2018
|yearAend =
|appearancesA = 1
|triesA = 1
|goalsA = 0
|fieldgoalsA = 0
|pointsA = 4
|teamB = {{nowrap|Prime Minister's XIII}}
|yearBstart = 2022
|yearBend =
|appearancesB = 1
|triesB = 0
|goalsB = 0
|fieldgoalsB = 0
|pointsB = 0
|retired =
|source = [http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/luke-garner/summary.html Rugby League Project]
|updated = 19 April 2025
}}
Luke Garner (born 6 September 1995) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a {{rlp|sr}} forward for the Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Background
Garner was born in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.{{cite web | url=https://www.penrithpanthers.com.au/teams/nrl-premiership/penrith-panthers/luke-garner/ | title=Luke Garner }}
He played his junior rugby league for the Bilambil Jets and attended Palm Beach Currumbin State High School before being signed by the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles.{{cn|date=October 2022}}
Playing career
=Early career=
In 2014, Garner played for the Manly-Warringah Holden Cup (Under-20s) team and played in their 2015 Grand Final team.{{cite web|url=https://www.seaeagles.com.au/news/2015/10/01/more-than-just-the-top-17/|title=More than just the top 17|date=30 September 2015|publisher=}} In 2016, he joined the Sydney Roosters playing predominantly for their Intrust Super Premiership feeder club, the Wyong Roos.{{cite web|url=https://www.roosters.com.au/news/2016/06/15/community-catch-up--may/|title=Community Catch Up - May|date=15 June 2016|publisher=}} In 2017, he joined the Western Suburbs Intrust Super Premiership team.
=2018=
Garner was made captain of Western Suburbs for 2018. On 24 June, Garner represented the NSW Residents team, scoring a try in the 36-20 victory.{{cite web| work= NSWRL.com.au| title=NSW Residents Put On A Clinic|author=Matt Buxton | url=https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2018/06/24/nsw-residents-put-on-a-clinic/l}} Days later he was elevated to a full-time contract with the Wests Tigers.{{cite web|url=https://www.weststigers.com.au/news/2018/06/29/wests-tigers-announce-player-movements/|title=Luke Garner joins top squad|date=29 June 2018|publisher=}}{{cite web|url=https://www.weststigers.com.au/news/2018/07/15/luke-garner-caps-off-incredible-rise-with-debut/|title=Luke Garner caps off incredible rise with debut|date=15 July 2018|publisher=}} He made his NRL debut in their Round 18 win over the St. George Illawarra Dragons. He continued on to make 6 appearances, 4 of them victories, before the end of the season.
=2019=
In the 2019 NRL season, Garner played 14 games and scored 7 tries as the Wests Tigers finished 9th on the table. On 19 November, he signed a two-year contract extension to stay with the club until the end of the 2022 NRL season.{{cite web|url=https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/11/04/2020-nrl-rosters-official-squads-announced-for-all-teams/|title=Tigers re-sign young gun Talau|website=NRL|date=3 November 2020}} He said, "It's awesome. I debuted here at the club and to be honest I couldn't see myself playing anywhere else. I love the boys. I love Madge, I love the coaches, so very happy to stay. I look back in the off-season and came to the realisation of what happened. I was very happy with how my year went."{{cite web| work= nrl.com| title='Eat dirty': Wests Tigers' message to underweight Garner|author=Margie McDonald| date=5 December 2019| url=https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/12/05/eat-dirty-wests-tigers-message-to-underweight-garner/}}
=2020=
In round 10, Garner scored two tries as Wests Tigers defeated Brisbane 48-0 at Leichhardt Oval.{{cite web|url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/teams/tigers/nrl-2020-wests-tigers-v-brisbane-broncos-kevin-walters-commentary-of-billy-walters-try/news-story/1d6152781b0d5add3fe251b9ab89ed2f/|title=Billy Walters scores first try|website=www.foxsports.com|date=17 July 2020}} He scored another double in round 14 against Canterbury-Bankstown,{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-16/nrl-wests-tigers-beat-canterbury-newcastle-defeats-manly/12563746/|title=Wests Tigers edge Canterbury 29-28, Manly's NRL finals hopes take a hit with loss to Newcastle|newspaper=ABC News|date=16 August 2020}} and finished with 6 tries from 17 games. His 7 line-breaks were the most of any forward at the club.{{cite web| work= nrl.com| title=Stats | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002092901/https://www.nrl.com/stats/players/?competition=111&season=2020&stat=30|archivedate=2 October 2020| url=https://www.nrl.com/stats/players/?competition=111&season=2020&stat=30}}
=2021=
His two tries in the first 30 minutes in round 11 against the New Zealand Warriors{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-21/nrl-sharks-beat-dragons-warriors-defeat-wests-tigers/100149396/|title=Sharks beat Dragons 13-12 in NRL golden point, Warriors defeat Wests Tigers 30-26|newspaper=ABC News|date=21 May 2021}} was the third double of his career. It also equalled the club record of 15 tries for a backrower.{{cite web| work= Rugby League Project| title=Luke Garner| url=https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/luke-garner/summary.html}}
On 27 July, it was announced that Garner would be ruled out for an indefinite period after suffering a syndesmosis injury.{{cite web|url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/nrl-2021-casualty-ward-injury-list-return-dates-addin-fonuablake-finger-warriors/news-story/95085422ba1bf715b3a2636b1741d780/|title=Johnson's Sharks career on the brink as Panthers lose To'o in double blow: Casualty Ward|website=www.foxsports.com.au|date=27 July 2021}}
Garner played 18 matches for the Wests Tigers in the 2021 NRL season as the club finished 13th and missed the finals.{{cite news|url=https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/wests-tigers-fans-savage-the-clubs-newlook-logo/news-story/83f356c5f7c0d336d950d750f4e054b5/|title=Wests Tigers fans savage the club's new-look logo|newspaper=News.com.au|date=6 October 2021|last1=Conrad|first1=Alex}}
=2022=
On 24 June, Garner signed a two-year deal with Penrith starting in the 2023 NRL season.{{cite web|url=https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/nrl-penrith-bolster-forward-pack-084400253.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmluZy5jb20v&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAGVKMHAIVPaLNNKrgf-SSsS-MP7bQ_FVLBHvgSjxgbIIeZljpqfP21LGbWlA0jMSuC1zvozIxaVXZHfDlZsPuUQ9kXD89PGGye63J-WeIQNlf6VnM_-zkSC4zhraLxH64nViXS8_J4zLZUNWL1FkAsKndI0-T4h_zkP2LLLwUB0-/|title=Penrith bolster forward pack & Cowboys sign Leilua|website=www.uk.sports.yahoo.com|date=24 June 2022}}
Garner played a total of 20 matches for the Wests Tigers in the 2022 NRL season as the club finished bottom of the table and claimed the Wooden Spoon for the first time.{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-04/nrl-knights-sharks-tigers-raiders/101402294/|title=Canberra Raiders hand out 56-10 NRL drubbing to Wests Tigers as Cronulla beats Newcastle Knights 38-16|newspaper=ABC News|date=4 September 2022 }}
=2023=
On 18 February, Garner played in Penrith's 13-12 upset loss to St Helens RFC in the 2023 World Club Challenge.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/64692630/|title=St Helens: World Club Challenge win 'seismic for British rugby league'|work=BBC Sport |date=19 February 2023 }}
Garner played 12 games for Penrith in the 2023 NRL season including the clubs 26-24 victory over Brisbane in the 2023 NRL Grand Final as Penrith won their third straight premiership.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2023/oct/01/nrl-grand-final-2023-penrith-panthers-vs-brisbane-broncos-live-updates-scores-results-teams-squads-kick-off-time-accor-stadium-sydney/|title=NRL grand final 2023: Penrith Panthers defeat Brisbane Broncos – as it happened|newspaper=The Guardian|date=October 2023 |last1=Howcroft |first1=Jonathan }}
=2024=
On 24 February, Garner played in Penrith's 2024 World Club Challenge final loss against Wigan.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/68337685/|title=World Club Challenge: Wigan Warriors 16-12 Penrith Panthers - Cherry and Whites crowned world champions for fifth time|work=BBC Sport |date=24 February 2024 }}
In round 9 of the 2024 NRL season, Garner scored two tries for Penrith in a 42-12 victory over South Sydney.{{cite web|url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/nrl-2024-south-sydney-rabbitohs-vs-penrith-panthers-live-blog-live-stream-teams-scores-videos-cody-walker-jarome-luai/news-story/efd8da702bb39180dbfb39ee8faefb3e/|title=Panthers make sloppy Souths pay for blunders amid double injury blow in rout: What we learned|website=www.foxsports.com.au|date=2 May 2024 }}
In June, Garner re-signed for a further two years at the Penrith Panthers. In the qualifying final, Garner scored two tries for Penrith in their 30-10 victory over the Sydney Roosters.{{cite web|url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/nrl-2024-penrith-panthers-vs-sydney-roosters-live-blog-live-stream-supercoach-scores-videos-teams-james-tedesco-nathan-cleary/news-story/e545462c6a786f697e3082d4d53fd2c9/|title=Perfect Panthers cook Chooks to book fifth straight prelim berth after historic first half|website=www.foxsports.com.au}}
Garner played a total of 17 matches for Penrith in the 2024 NRL season including the clubs 2024 NRL Grand Final victory over Melbourne.{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-06/nrl-grand-final-2024-quick-hits-biting-bunker-penrith-panthers/104422068/|title=NRL grand final 2024 quick hits: Biting allegation, Panthers halves swansong and a controversial bunker decision|website=www.abc.net.au}}
Statistics
| class="wikitable"
|+ !Year !Team !Games !Tries !Pts |
| 2018
| rowspan="5" |{{leagueicon|Wests Tigers|16}} Wests Tigers |6 | | |
| 2019
|14 |7 |28 |
| 2020
|17 |6 |24 |
| 2021
|18 |5 |20 |
| 2022
|20 |5 |20 |
| 2023
| rowspan="3" |{{leagueicon|Penrith|16}} Penrith Panthers |12 |1 |4 |
| 2024
|17 |7 |28 |
| 2025
|1 | | |
| |Totals
|105 |31 |124 |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20221026163109/https://www.weststigers.com.au/teams/telstra-premiership/wests-tigers/luke-garner/ Wests Tigers profile]
{{Penrith Panthers squad}}
{{Penrith Panthers squad 2023 NRL premiership}}
{{Penrith Panthers squad 2024 NRL premiership}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Garner, Luke}}
Category:Australian people of Polish descent
Category:Australian rugby league players
Category:New South Wales Residents rugby league team players
Category:Penrith Panthers players
Category:Prime Minister's XIII players
Category:Rugby league players from the Gold Coast, Queensland
Category:Rugby league second-rows