Brent Kite

Brent Kite
Brent Kite
Born	March 7, 1981 (age 45); Queanbeyan, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation	Rugby league footballer (retired)
Years active	2002–2015
Known for	Representing Tonga and Australia in rugby league; Clive Churchill Medal winner

Brent Kite (born 7 March 1981) is a retired professional rugby league player who represented both Tonga and Australia at the international level, as well as competing for New South Wales in the State of Origin series. His club career included stints with the St. George Illawarra Dragons, Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, and Penrith Panthers. Kite was awarded the prestigious Clive Churchill Medal for his outstanding performance in the 2008 NRL Grand Final, where he contributed a try to help Manly-Warringah achieve a commanding 40–0 win over the Melbourne Storm.

Background

Hailing from Queanbeyan, New South Wales, Australia, Kite possesses Tongan heritage.

Early career

Kite began his junior rugby league journey with the Queanbeyan Blues and was selected for the Australian Schoolboys squad that toured New Zealand in 1998. Following his graduation from Erindale College, he spent three seasons developing in the lower grades of the Canberra Raiders.

Professional playing career

In late 2000, Kite represented the Tonga national rugby league team alongside teammate Willie Mason during the 2000 World Cup.

St George Illawarra Dragons

Kite made his NRL debut with the St George Illawarra Dragons on 17 March 2002 against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks at Sydney Football Stadium. Originally playing as a , he transitioned to the prop forward role in early 2004 following injuries within the squad. His impressive displays earned him selection for the Country Origin team and all three matches of the 2004 State of Origin series, representing New South Wales. After the conclusion of the 2004 season, salary cap limitations prompted his departure from the Dragons, leading to a move to the Manly Sea Eagles.

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles

Kite signed with Manly for the 2005 NRL season at Brookvale Oval, securing his contract despite interest from clubs such as Canberra. He returned to represent New South Wales in the first two games of the 2006 State of Origin series and featured off the bench for Australia during the 2006 Tri-Nations tournament.

In 2007, Kite played as prop in Australia's victorious ANZAC Test against New Zealand and took part in all three matches of that year’s State of Origin series. He also appeared in the 2007 NRL Grand Final, where Manly was defeated by Melbourne Storm.

Although selected for the Centenary Test against New Zealand at Sydney Cricket Ground, Kite was notably excluded from the 2008 State of Origin series. Nonetheless, he played a pivotal role in Manly's dominant 40–0 triumph over Melbourne in the 2008 NRL Grand Final, scoring a try and earning man-of-the-match honors with the Clive Churchill Medal.

Kite was included in training squads for both Tonga and Australia ahead of the 2008 Rugby League World Cup but ultimately secured a place on Australia's final 24-man roster.

In May 2009, he was named in New South Wales’ squad for Game One of that year’s State of Origin and also selected for Australia's test match against New Zealand. Kite achieved his second premiership title with Manly by defeating the New Zealand Warriors in the 2011 NRL Grand Final.

In April 2013, Kite captained Tonga to a convincing 36–4 win over Samoa in the Pacific Rugby League International. Later that year, he led Tonga as captain throughout their campaign at the 2013 Rugby League World Cup, participating in all three group matches despite Tonga not advancing beyond that stage.

Penrith Panthers

Kite became a member of the Penrith Panthers squad in 2014. During his first year with the club, he played a role in helping the team advance to the preliminary final following a close victory against Eastern Suburbs. However, their campaign ended when they were defeated by Canterbury, preventing them from reaching their first grand final since 2003. In 2015, Kite declared his intention to retire from professional rugby league at the conclusion of that season.

Statistics


Year	Team	Games	Tries	Points
2002	Template:Leagueicon St. George Illawarra Dragons	21	2	8
2003		23	5	20
2004		23	2	8
2005	Template:Leagueicon Manly Warringah Sea Eagles	22	2	8
2006		24	3	12
2007		23	1	4
2008		27	4	16
2009		24	1	4
2010		24
2011		23
2012		27	1	4
2013		27
2014	Template:Leagueicon Penrith Panthers	19
2015	Template:Leagueicon Penrith Panthers	6
	Totals	313	21	84

Coaching career

In 2018, Kite took charge of the Tweed Coast Raiders and guided them to claim the Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League championship, as well as earning the esteemed Clayton Cup awarded by the NSW Country Rugby League.

External links