Steve Linnane
{{short description|Australian RL coach and former rugby league footballer}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2016}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
|name = Steve Linnane
|fullname =
|image =
|imagesize =
|caption =
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1965|03|05|df=y}}
|birth_place = Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
|death_date =
|height =
|weight =
|position = {{rlp|HB}}
|club1 = St. George Dragons
|year1start = 1984
|year1end = 90
|appearances1 = 100
|tries1 = 23
|goals1 = 1
|fieldgoals1 = 19
|points1 = 113
|club2 = Newcastle Knights
|year2start = 1991
|year2end =
|appearances2 = 18
|tries2 = 2
|goals2 = 0
|fieldgoals2 = 0
|points2 = 8
|coachteam1 = Rochdale Hornets
|coachyear1start = 1999
|coachyear1end = 00
|coachgames1 =
|coachwins1 =
|coachdraws1 =
|coachlosses1 =
|coachteam2 = Halifax Blue Sox
|coachyear2start = 2001
|coachyear2end = 02
|coachgames2 = 28
|coachwins2 = 9
|coachdraws2 = 0
|coachlosses2 = 19
|coachteam3 = {{nowrap|Hull Kingston Rovers}}
|coachyear3start = 2002
|coachyear3end = 04
|coachgames3 = 21
|coachwins3 = 12
|coachdraws3 = 0
|coachlosses3 = 9
|updated = 6 February 2019
| module = {{infobox person
| embed = yes
| father =
| mother =
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| education =
| alma_mater =
| relatives = Mark Kheirallah (nephew)
}}
}}
Steve Linnane (born 5 March 1965) is an Australian former rugby league player who played in the 1980s and 1990s, and coached in the 2000s. After playing club football in the Winfield Cup for the St. George Dragons and the Newcastle Knights, he moved to England where he became coach of Super League clubs Halifax Blue Sox and Hull Kingston Rovers.
Playing career
As a young {{rlp|hb}}, Linnane was signed to the St. George Dragons in 1985. He was named Dally M Rookie of the year and was also the 1985 NSWRL season's top try scorer with 16 tries.[http://www.yesterdayshero.com.au/PlayerProfile_Steve-Linnane_4947.aspx Steve Linnane at yesterdayshero.com.au] Also playing in that year's Grand Final, he narrowly missed out on a premiership in his debut season as the Bulldogs beat the Dragons by just one point.
In 1987 Linnane was suspended for 20 weeks by the NSWRL judiciary for eye gouging Penrith Panthers's Greg Alexander. He stayed with the St. George Dragons until 1990 when he was sacked as a disciplinary action, then moved to the Newcastle Knights for the 1991 NSWRL season. During the 1992 Great Britain Lions tour of Australasia Linnane was selected to play for the Country New South Wales team against the tourists.{{cite web|url=https://www.newcastleknights.com.au/about/club-history/official-debut-numbers/|title=OFFICIAL DEBUT NUMBERS|website=Newcastle Knights}}
Coaching career
Linnane was later player-coach with Kurri Kurri from 1992 to 1996 before retiring as player in 1996. He was assistant coach at the Newcastle Knights to Mal Reilly and Warren Ryan from 1997 to 1999, and then became head coach at English club the Rochdale Hornets in December 1999. He quit in June 2000 to join the Super League club, Halifax Blue Sox as assistant coach to Gary Mercer. Following Mercer's resignation in 2001 he was in temporary charge but was later appointed head coach of Halifax Blue Sox on a two-year contract. He was sacked in August 2002, the morning after a 64–0 loss to St. Helens which came after nine losses from ten games which put the club at risk of relegation. Linnane then became Hull Kingston Rovers' first overseas coach. Under him, the club came within eighty minutes of their first grand final appearance in 2002, after a largely successful end to the season. In 2004 he resigned.
References
{{reflist}}
{{S-start}}
{{S-sport}}
{{Succession box
| before = {{nowrap|Gary Wilkinson}}
2000–2002
| after = {{nowrap|Martin Hall}}
2003–2004
| title = Coach
{{leagueicon|hull kingston rovers|size=18}}
{{nowrap|Hull Kingston Rovers}}
| years = 2002–2004
}}
{{Succession box
| before = {{nowrap|Gary Mercer}}
1999-2000
| after = {{nowrap|Tony Anderson}}
2002
| title = Coach
{{leagueicon|halifax|size=18}}
{{nowrap|Halifax RLFC}}
| years = 2001–2002
}}
{{Succession box
| before = {{nowrap|Bob Eccles}}
1999
| after = {{nowrap|Steve Deakin}}
2000
| title = Coach
{{leagueicon|rochdale|size=18}}
{{nowrap|Rochdale Hornets}}
| years = 1999–2000
}}
{{S-end}}
External links
- [http://www.nrlstats.com/archive/players.cfm?PlayerID=200 Steve Linnane at nrlstats.com]
- [http://rugbyleagueproject.com/players/Steve_Linnane.html Steve Linnane stats at rugbyleagueproject.com]
- [http://www.showroom.com.au/dragons/dragonshistory/history_players_l.htm Dragons Players at showroom.com.au]
{{National Rugby League top try scorers}}
{{Navboxes
|title= Coaching positions
|list1=
{{Halifax Panthers coaches}}
{{Hull KR coaches}}
{{Rochdale Hornets coaches}}
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Linnane, Steve}}
Category:Australian expatriate rugby league players in England
Category:Australian rugby league coaches
Category:Halifax Panthers coaches
Category:Hull Kingston Rovers coaches
Category:Kurri Kurri Bulldogs players
Category:Newcastle Knights players
Category:Rochdale Hornets coaches
Category:Rugby league halfbacks
Category:Rugby league players from Sydney
Category:Sportsmen from New South Wales