Steve Folkes
{{Short description|Australian rugby league player and coach (1959–2018)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2013}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
|name = Steve Folkes
|image =
|caption =
|birth_date = {{birth date|1959|01|30|df=yes}}
|birth_place = Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
|death_date = {{death date and age|2018|02|27|1959|01|30|df=yes}}
|death_place = Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
|height = {{convert|178|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}
|weight = {{convert|85|kg|stlb|abbr=on}}
|position = {{rlp|SR}}
|club1 = Canterbury Bulldogs
|year1start = 1978
|year1end = 89
|appearances1 = 235
|tries1 = 45
|goals1 = 0
|fieldgoals1 = 0
|points1 = 159
|club2 = Hull FC
|year2start = 1989
|year2end = 90
|appearances2 = 24
|tries2 = 6
|goals2 = 0
|fieldgoals2 = 0
|points2 = 24
|club3 = Canterbury Bulldogs
|year3start = 1991
|year3end =
|appearances3 = 10
|tries3 = 1
|goals3 = 0
|fieldgoals3 = 0
|points3 = 4
|teamA = New South Wales
|yearAstart = 1986
|yearAend = 88
|appearancesA = 9
|triesA = 0
|goalsA = 0
|fieldgoalsA = 0
|pointsA = 0
|teamB = Australia
|yearBstart = 1986
|yearBend = 88
|appearancesB = 5
|triesB = 2
|goalsB = 0
|fieldgoalsB = 0
|pointsB = 8
|coachteam1 = {{nowrap|Canterbury Bulldogs}}
|coachyear1start = 1998
|coachyear1end = 08
|coachgames1 = 288
|coachwins1 = 162
|coachdraws1 = 7
|coachlosses1 = 119
|coachteamA = Australia Women
|coachyearAstart = 2014
|coachyearAend = 16
|coachgamesA = 3
|coachwinsA = 1
|coachdrawsA = 0
|coachlossesA = 2
|retired = yes
|source = [http://www.rugbyleagueproject.com/players/Steve_Folkes.html Rugby League Project][http://www.yesterdayshero.com.au/PlayerProfile_Steve-Folkes_3032.aspx Yesterday's Hero] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120803060740/http://www.yesterdayshero.com.au/PlayerProfile_Steve-Folkes_3032.aspx |date=3 August 2012 }}[http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/coaches/steve-folkes/summary.html Rugby League Project Coaches]
}}
Steven John Folkes (30 January 1959 – 27 February 2018) was an Australian professional rugby league footballer and coach of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the National Rugby League. He represented both New South Wales and Australia
Playing career
Folkes, who was Captain of Punchbowl Boys' High School, came from the Bankstown Sports Junior Rugby League Club. He played 245 first grade games and 308 grade games for the Bulldogs between 1978 and 1991, as well as 24 games for Hull FC in England.
He also represented New South Wales on nine occasions in State of Origin football. At the end of the 1986 NSWRL season, he went on the 1986 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France. He played a total of five Tests between 1986 and 1988. As a player, Folkes played in 6 Grand Finals (1979, 80, 84, 85, 86 and 88) winning on four occasions.
Coaching career
After serving as reserve grade coach of Canterbury between 1996 and 1997, Folkes was appointed coach of Canterbury-Bankstown to succeed Chris Anderson. In his first year as coach, Canterbury made the 1998 NRL grand final, where they lost to Wayne Bennett's Brisbane Broncos.
Canterbury-Bankstown appeared poised to claim the 2002 NRL premiership but were disqualified and stripped 37 premiership points after a major salary cap breach was uncovered. Folkes claimed his premiership two seasons later with a 16-13 victory over the Sydney Roosters in the grand final.
Steve Folkes was awarded Dally M Coach of the Year in 2004.
The 2004 grand final victory continued a unique tradition at the Bulldogs: Every coach appointed by the club since 1978 (Ted Glossop, Warren Ryan, Phil Gould, Chris Anderson and Folkes) has won a premiership. At the end of the 2007 season, Folkes' win record with the Bulldogs was 60%.
On 7 April 2008, Canterbury-Bankstown announced that Folkes tenure as would end with the 2008 season. To date, he remains the club's longest serving coach{{cite news|publisher=News.com.au|title=Folkes to call it quits|url=http://www.news.com.au/story/0,,23498064-23209,00.html|access-date=2008-10-04|date=2008-04-07}}
Following his departure from the Canterbury club, Folkes took up a position as strength and conditioning coach for the West Indies cricket team.{{cite news| url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/cricket/steve-folkes-joins-west-indies/2008/10/30/1224956181300.html| work=The Sydney Morning Herald| title=Steve Folkes joins West Indies| date=2008-10-30}} In October 2009, Folkes returned to rugby league, accepting the role of strength and conditioning coach for the Wests Tigers.{{cite news| url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/folkes-set-to-return-with-tigers/story-e6frg7mo-1225773260491| first=Brent| last=Read| title=Folkes set to return with Tigers| date=2009-09-15| work=The Australian}} In 2011, he was an assistant coach with the club.
It was announced in May 2011 that Folkes would join the St George Illawarra Dragons as the assistant coach to Steve Price from 2012.{{cite news| url=http://www.theleader.com.au/news/national/national/sport/folkes-leaves-tigers-for-dragons/2160033.aspx| work=The Leader| title=Folkes leaves Tigers for Dragons| date=2011-05-11}}
In 2014, Folkes was appointed head coach for the Australia women's national rugby league team.{{Cite web|url=http://www.nrl.com/folkes-appointed-as-jillaroos-head-coach/tabid/10874/newsid/80753/default.aspx|title = Folkes appointed as Jillaroos Head Coach|date = 4 August 2014}}
Personal life
Folkes was of English descent. He was married to Karen Moore, the daughter of Bulldogs 'godfather', Peter Moore. She died on 2 June 2013 from cancer.{{cite news|format=fee required|publisher=AAP Sports News (Australia)|title=Family reunion in Melbourne|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-29774822.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110516210208/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-29774822.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2011-05-16|access-date=2007-11-01|date=2000-07-07}}
Death
Folkes died at his home on 27 February 2018, reportedly of a heart attack, at the age of 59.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/bulldogs-legend-steve-folkes-found-dead/news-story/561b418e50de0bc481476fd6f1a087c1|title=Bulldogs legend Steve Folkes found dead|date=27 February 2018}} An autopsy found that he had been suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a neurodegenerative disease caused by repeated head injuries.{{cite news |url=https://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/114909303/rugby-codes-will-cease-to-exist-within-a-generation-says-medical-pioneer |title=Rugby codes will 'cease to exist' within a generation, says medical pioneer |work=stuff |date=11 August 2019 |access-date=11 August 2019}}
Coaching record
| class="wikitable" | |||||||
| border=1 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=0 | |||||||
| align=center style="background:#EFEFEF;" | |||||||
| colspan="8"| Steve Folkes – Coaching Results by Season{{ cite web| url=http://www.bulldogs.com.au/main.php?page=coach&grade=nrl&id=30| archive-url=https://archive.today/20120722101250/http://www.bulldogs.com.au/main.php?page=coach&grade=nrl&id=30| url-status=dead| archive-date=2012-07-22| title=Bulldogs profile| access-date=2007-11-01}} | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| width="150"|NRL Team
! width="20"|Year ! width="20"|Games ! width="20"|Wins ! width="20"|Losses ! width="20"|Draws ! width="20"|Win % ! width="250"|Finals Series | |||||||
| align=center | |||||||
| align=center style="background:#FFCCCC;" | |||||||
| align=center style="background:#CCCCCC;"
| rowspan="11"| Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | 1998 | 29 | 17 | 12 | 0 | 58.62% | Grand Final: 12-38 v Brisbane |
| align=center style="background:#CCCCCC;"
| 1999 | 26 | 16 | 9 | 1 | 61.53% | Semi Final: 22-24 v Melbourne | |
| align=center style="background:#CCCCCC;"
| 2000 | 26 | 10 | 15 | 1 | 38.46% | ||
| align=center style="background:#CCCCCC;"
| 2001 | 28 | 17 | 8 | 3 | 60.71% | Semi Final: 10-52 v Cronulla | |
| align=center style="background:#CCCCCC;"
| 2002 | 24 | 20 | 3 | 1 | 83.3% | ||
| align=center style="background:#CCCCCC;"
| 2003 | 27 | 17 | 10 | 0 | 62.96% | Preliminary Final: 18-28 v Sydney Roosters | |
| align=center style="background:#CCCCCC;"
| 2004 | 28 | 22 | 6 | 0 | 78.57% | Grand Final: 16-13 v Sydney Roosters | |
| align=center style="background:#CCCCCC;"
| 2005 | 24 | 9 | 14 | 1 | 37.5% | ||
| align=center style="background:#CCCCCC;"
| 2006 | 26 | 17 | 9 | 0 | 65.38% | Preliminary Final: 20-37 v Brisbane | |
| align=center style="background:#CCCCCC;"
| 2007 | 26 | 12 | 14 | 0 | 46.15% | Semi Final: 6-25 v Parramatta | |
| align=center style="background:#CCCCCC;"
| 2008 | 24 | 5 | 19 | 0 | 20.83% | ||
| align=center style="background:#EFEFEF;"
| rowspan="1"| Career | 288 | 162 | 119 | 7 | 56.3% | at 30 September 2008 |
Footnotes
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://thebulldogs.com.au/sportal.php?page=player&id=432 Canterbury Bulldogs profile]
- [https://archive.today/20120722101250/http://www.bulldogs.com.au/main.php?page=coach&grade=nrl&id=30 Steve Folkes Official Bulldogs profile]
{{Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs squad 1980 NSWRFL premiership}}
{{Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs squad 1984 NSWRL premiership}}
{{Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs squad 1985 NSWRL premiership}}
{{Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs squad 1988 NSWRL premiership}}
{{Bulldogs squad 2004 NRL premiership}}
{{Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs coaches}}
{{1986 Kangaroo Tour squad}}
{{Australia squad - 1988 World Cup Final winners}}
{{Dally M Coach of the Year}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Folkes, Steve}}
Category:Australia national rugby league team players
Category:Australia women's national rugby league team coaches
Category:Australian rugby league coaches
Category:Australian rugby league players
Category:Australian people of English descent
Category:Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs coaches
Category:Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs players
Category:New South Wales City Origin rugby league team players
Category:New South Wales Rugby League State of Origin players
Category:Rugby league players from Sydney