Craig Fitzgibbon
Craig Fitzgibbon | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 16, 1977 Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Rugby league coach, former professional rugby league player |
| Years active | 1998–2011 (player), 2015–present (coach) |
| Known for | Coaching Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks; playing for Sydney Roosters, Illawarra Steelers, St. George Illawarra Dragons, Hull F.C.; representing New South Wales and Australia |
Craig Fitzgibbon (born 16 June 1977) is an Australian professional rugby league coach, currently leading the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the NRL. He is also a former elite player whose career spanned from the 1990s through to the 2010s.
As a goal-kicking forward, Fitzgibbon represented New South Wales in the State of Origin and played internationally for Australia. His NRL playing tenure included stints with the Illawarra Steelers, the merged St. George Illawarra Dragons, and most notably the Sydney Roosters, where he was part of the squad that won the 2002 NRL Premiership. He subsequently competed in England’s Super League with Hull F.C.. Fitzgibbon also held the position of final coach for the Country New South Wales rugby league team.
Early years
Craig Fitzgibbon is the son of Allan Fitzgibbon, who was both a professional rugby league player and coach. He began his junior football journey with Dapto’s under-9 team. Among his early role models were Gavin Miller, Bradley Clyde, and Andrew Ettingshausen.
National Rugby League
Fitzgibbon launched his professional playing career in 1998 with the Illawarra Steelers, where he achieved recognition as both their leading point-scorer and rookie of the year. Following the merger between Illawarra Steelers and St. George Dragons, he joined the new entity, St. George Illawarra Dragons, and competed in the 1999 NRL Grand Final.
In 2000, Fitzgibbon moved to the Sydney Roosters, taking on the role of second-row forward. He scored during their 2000 Grand Final defeat but triumphed with a premiership win in 2002, earning the prestigious Clive Churchill Medal as best player on the field. He played a key role in the Roosters’ 2003 World Club Challenge success against St Helens R.F.C., contributing a try and nine goals.
Fitzgibbon featured in additional grand finals in 2003 and 2004. He was selected for Australia’s squad on the 2003 Kangaroo tour and participated in the victorious 2004 Rugby League Tri-Nations campaign, which included a commanding win over Great Britain.
In 2006, he was appointed captain of the Sydney Roosters and surpassed David Furner’s record by becoming the highest-scoring forward in premiership history with over 1,218 points. Fitzgibbon was named in Australia’s preliminary squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup and secured a place in the final 24-man roster. In May 2009, he agreed to a one-year deal with Hull F.C. in the Super League, with an option to extend for another season.
Super League
While playing in England, Fitzgibbon was selected for the Exiles squad for the Rugby League International Origin Match against England at Headingley on 10 June 2011. On 3 September that year, he sustained an ankle fracture accompanied by ligament damage and subsequently announced his retirement at age 34. By 26 September, he had returned to Australia to join the Sydney Roosters coaching staff for the 2012 season.
Career highlights
- Competed in five Grand Finals (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 & 2004), accumulating three tries and nine goals totaling 30 points
- Awarded the Clive Churchill Medal following his standout performance in the 2002 Grand Final
- Represented New South Wales eight times between 2003 and 2005, scoring one try and kicking sixteen goals (36 points)
- Played fifteen matches for Australia from 2002 to 2005, registering three tries and thirty-nine goals (90 points)
- Featured in four Country vs. City matches (2002, 2004–2006)
- Holds record as highest point-scoring forward with a total of 1,560 points
- Appeared in 239 first-grade games, scoring thirty-nine tries and successfully kicking seven hundred goals
- Achieved over six hundred goal kicks specifically for the Sydney Roosters
- Amongst final players remaining from the Illawarra Steelers era alongside Trent Barrett and Luke Patten
Coaching career
On 24 August 2015, Fitzgibbon was appointed as the coach of the Country New South Wales rugby league team, succeeding Trent Barrett for the 2016 campaign. In April 2021, he committed to a three-year deal to lead the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks beginning with the 2022 season. Due to COVID-19 isolation protocols, Fitzgibbon was unable to attend the Sharks' opening match of the 2022 NRL season, with assistant coach Steve Price stepping in as acting head coach while Fitzgibbon managed duties remotely.
During his debut year at the helm, Fitzgibbon steered Cronulla to a second-place finish on the ladder, securing a spot in the finals. Nevertheless, the Sharks were eliminated in consecutive matches by North Queensland and South Sydney.
On 14 February 2023, Fitzgibbon extended his tenure by signing a five-year contract that will keep him as head coach through the conclusion of the 2027 season. That year, he led Cronulla to sixth position in the 2023 NRL season, though their finals campaign ended prematurely with a first-round defeat to the Sydney Roosters.
In the 2024 NRL season, Fitzgibbon guided Cronulla to finish fourth on the table. The team was defeated in the Qualifying Final by the Melbourne Storm but bounced back with a semi-final victory over the North Queensland Cowboys. Their season concluded in the preliminary finals following a loss to the Penrith Panthers.