David Furner
David Furner | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 6, 1971 Queanbeyan, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Rugby league player, coach |
| Years active | 1991–2005 (player), 2006–present (coach) |
| Known for | Rugby league player for Canberra Raiders, Wigan Warriors, Leeds Rhinos; head coach of Canberra Raiders and Leeds Rhinos; assistant coach for South Sydney Rabbitohs, North Queensland Cowboys, Newcastle Knights, Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs |
David Furner (born 6 February 1971) is a former Australian rugby league player turned professional coach. He has held head coaching roles at both the Leeds Rhinos and Canberra Raiders, and currently serves as an assistant coach for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the NRL. Throughout his playing career in Australia, Furner remained loyal to the Raiders, distinguishing himself as a goal-kicking second-row forward for New South Wales in State of Origin and for the Australian national team. Upon retiring, he ranked as the third highest point-scoring forward in NRL history before extending his playing tenure in England with the Wigan Warriors and later the Leeds Rhinos.
Background
Born on 6 February 1971 in Queanbeyan, New South Wales, David Furner is the son of Don Furner, a former coach of Eastern Suburbs and Canberra Raiders as well as an Australian Kangaroos player. He completed his education at St Edmund's College in Canberra and began his sporting journey as a junior rugby union player with Queanbeyan Whites. Furner also represented Australia at under-17 and under-21 levels in rugby union before transitioning to rugby league.
Canberra Raiders
Furner's professional rugby league career commenced with the Canberra Raiders in 1991, making his first-grade debut a year later. He played a pivotal role in Canberra’s 1994 premiership victory, earning the Clive Churchill Medal for best on ground. This standout season led to his selection on the 1994 Kangaroo tour, where he made his only official test appearance for Australia during the Ashes series at Wembley Stadium. By 2000, Furner had amassed 1,218 points, becoming the highest point-scoring forward at that time and was honored with the Australian Sports Medal for his international achievements.
Wigan Warriors
Following his tenure at Canberra, Furner moved to England to join the Wigan Warriors in the Super League. During his stint there, he contributed to Wigan’s Challenge Cup triumph and participated in the 2001 Super League Grand Final, which ended in defeat to the Bradford Bulls.
Leeds Rhinos
Subsequently, Furner signed with Leeds Rhinos and was part of their successful campaign culminating in victory over Bradford Bulls in the 2004 Super League Grand Final.
Canberra Raiders
Upon returning to Australia in 2006, Furner took on an assistant coaching position with the Canberra Raiders before being promoted to head coach ahead of the 2009 season following Neil Henry’s exit. His brother, Don Furner Jr., assumed the CEO role at Canberra in 2007.
Furner’s debut season as head coach yielded just nine wins and drew criticism due to a shift away from the team’s traditional attacking style; Canberra finished 13th on the ladder. The following year started slowly with only six wins from seventeen matches but saw improvement mid-season leading to Canberra’s first finals victory in nearly ten years before narrowly losing to Wests Tigers.
The 2011 season carried high expectations for a top-four finish; however, after securing just one win in their opening nine games and enduring an unprecedented eight-game losing streak—the worst in club history—Furner faced significant backlash from supporters despite retaining management support. The Raiders ended second last with six wins, marking their poorest performance since 1982. Furner was ultimately relieved of his duties three rounds prior to concluding the 2013 season.
North Queensland Cowboys
In November 2013, Furner joined the coaching staff of the North Queensland Cowboys as an assistant under head coach Paul Green. He was part of the coaching team that guided North Queensland to a narrow 17-16 victory over the Brisbane Broncos in the 2015 Grand Final on 4 October 2015.
South Sydney Rabbitohs
Following a three-year tenure with the Cowboys, Furner took on the role of assistant coach at the South Sydney Rabbitohs in 2017.
Leeds Rhinos
In September 2018, Furner committed to a three-year deal to become head coach of the Leeds Rhinos, a Super League team he had previously represented as a player. However, after achieving 5 victories against 11 defeats throughout the 2019 season and the 2019 Challenge Cup, his contract was ended in May 2019.
Newcastle Knights
Furner was appointed as an assistant coach for the Newcastle Knights in September 2019, working alongside newly appointed head coach Adam O'Brien beginning with the 2020 season.
Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs
In October 2020, Furner accepted the position of assistant coach at the Bulldogs, supporting newly named head coach Trent Barrett.