Luke Keary

Luke Keary
Born	(1992-02-03) February 3, 1992 Ipswich, Queensland, Australia
Occupation	Professional rugby league footballer
Years active	2013–present
Known for	Rugby league player for Catalans Dragons, Sydney Roosters, South Sydney Rabbitohs; Clive Churchill Medal winner

Luke Keary (born 3 February 1992) is a professional rugby league athlete who operates primarily as a or for the Catalans Dragons competing in the Super League, while also representing at the international stage.

Previously, Keary was a member of the South Sydney Rabbitohs, where he secured the 2014 NRL Premiership. He was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal and later achieved premiership victories in the 2018 NRL Grand Final and 2019 NRL Grand Final with the Sydney Roosters.

Early career

Originating from Ipswich, Queensland, Australia, Keary possesses Irish heritage and spent his upbringing in Raceview. His junior rugby league journey began with Ipswich Brothers before relocating to Sydney at age ten. There, he played for Kellyville Bushrangers followed by the Hills District Bulls. His education was completed at Oakhill College in Castle Hill.

In 2010, Keary represented both the Australian Schoolboys rugby union team and the New South Wales Combined Independent Schools rugby league squad during the Under 18s National Championships. The following year, he moved to the Gold Coast, enrolled at Griffith University, and competed for the Burleigh Bears, where he earned their FOGS Colts Best Back Award.

Although a lifelong supporter of the Brisbane Broncos and admirer of Allan Langer, Keary signed with the South Sydney Rabbitohs before the commencement of the 2012 NRL season. He captained South Sydney's NYC team throughout 2012, participating in 24 games and scoring 20 tries. His performance secured him a bench position in the 2012 NYC Team of the Year and earned him South Sydney's NYC Best and Fairest accolade.

2013

In January 2013, Keary was selected for the Queensland Junior Emerging Origin squad. He debuted in the NRL for South Sydney Rabbitohs during Round 12 of the 2013 season facing Newcastle Knights, contributing to a 25–18 victory at ANZ Stadium. By Round 20, coming off the bench, he recorded his first two NRL tries in a commanding 32–4 win over Gold Coast Titans at Cbus Super Stadium. On 22 August 2013, he extended his contract with South Sydney until the conclusion of 2015. He wrapped up his debut season with two tries across ten appearances.

2014

Keary was named in South Sydney’s first-ever Auckland Nines squad in 2014 but suffered a torn pectoral early in the competition, which kept him sidelined for much of that year. Returning in Round 17 against Gold Coast Titans, he scored a try despite a narrow 14–10 defeat. On 5 October, Keary featured at five-eighth as South Sydney triumphed over Canterbury with a 30–6 win in the 2014 NRL Grand Final. He concluded that season with three tries from twelve games.

2015

On 27 January, Keary recommitted to South Sydney by signing a one-year extension. He played five-eighth in the World Club Challenge on 23 February against St. Helens, crossing for a try as the Rabbitohs secured a dominant 39–0 victory at Langtree Park. Selected for New South Wales City in April’s City vs Country Origin match, he withdrew due to a foot injury. Throughout the season, he appeared in 24 matches and scored four tries for South Sydney.

2016

In January, Keary became involved in an altercation with actor and Rabbitohs co-owner Russell Crowe during pre-season team bonding activities. After standing up for younger teammates amid Crowe’s criticism, Keary was told his contract value was insufficient and was asked to leave the premises.

With his contract nearing expiration early that year, speculation linked Keary to both Sydney Roosters and St. George Illawarra Dragons; reports suggested an offer of $1.2 million over three years and rumours circulated about a potential switch to Rugby Union in 2017. On 21 June, he agreed to a two-year contract with the Roosters commencing from 2017. In Round 21 against Canberra Raiders, Keary played his final game for South Sydney before sustaining a hamstring injury that ended his season prematurely during a heavy 54–4 defeat at ANZ Stadium. He finished 2016 having participated in seventeen matches and scored three tries for South Sydney.

2017

Keary made his first appearance for the Sydney Roosters in Round 1 of the 2017 NRL season against the Gold Coast Titans, crossing the try line twice in a 32–18 victory at Cbus Super Stadium. Throughout that year, he featured in 26 matches, contributing significantly to the Roosters' journey to the preliminary final, where they were defeated 16–29 by a depleted North Queensland Cowboys squad.

Towards the conclusion of the season, Keary contemplated representing Ireland in the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, motivated by his paternal heritage. Unfortunately, injuries prevented him from participating.

2018

During the 2018 pre-season, Keary suffered a broken jaw which caused him to miss over a month of training and trial matches. Despite this setback, he earned the Clive Churchill Medal in the Grand Final as the Sydney Roosters triumphed over Melbourne Storm with a scoreline of 21–6. His exceptional form secured him a starting position as five-eighth for the Australian Kangaroos in Test matches against New Zealand and Tonga.

2019

Keary commenced the 2019 NRL season strongly, playing a pivotal role in the Roosters’ seven victories from their opening nine games, positioning himself as a candidate for New South Wales in the 2019 State of Origin series. However, a concussion sustained in Round 11 forced him out for six weeks.

In August, Brisbane coach Anthony Seibold sparked controversy by unfavorably comparing Keary’s performances with those of teammate Darius Boyd. Keary responded by downplaying the comments and reaffirming his commitment to team objectives.

Playing at five-eighth in the 2019 NRL Grand Final, Keary secured his third premiership as the Roosters edged out Canberra 14–8. On 7 October, he was selected for the Australian squad ahead of the Oceania Cup fixtures.

2020

In Round 9 of the 2020 NRL season, Keary scored two tries during Sydney Roosters’ 42–16 win over North Queensland at Queensland Country Bank Stadium. In August, he extended his contract with the Roosters through to 2024. Later in Round 18 against Newcastle, he again crossed twice in a commanding 42–12 victory at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The following week, he added another brace of tries in a 34–18 win over Cronulla-Sutherland.

2021

Keary’s 2021 campaign was cut short when he sustained a season-ending ACL injury during Round 3 in a 26–16 loss to rivals South Sydney.

2022

During the 2022 NRL season, Keary appeared in 22 matches as the Roosters concluded the regular season in sixth place. He also participated in their elimination final defeat to South Sydney.

2023

In Round 5 of the 2023 NRL season, Keary recorded two tries contributing to a 28–20 victory over Parramatta. In Round 8, he kicked a decisive field goal securing a narrow 27–26 ANZAC Day win against St. George Illawarra. Despite scoring two tries in Round 12, his side fell 24–22 to St. George Illawarra at Kogarah Oval. Over the season, Keary featured in 26 games as Sydney finished seventh and qualified for finals football, playing both finals matches before being eliminated by Melbourne.

2024

On 29 April, after twelve seasons in the NRL, Keary announced his retirement. However, on 17 June he reversed this decision and signed with the Catalans Dragons for the 2025 Super League campaign. In 2024, he played 26 games for Sydney Roosters, aiding them to finish third and reach the preliminary final where they were defeated by Melbourne.

2025

Keary made his first appearance for Catalans in the opening round of the 2025 Super League season, which ended in a defeat against Hull F.C.. On 2 May, he attracted criticism following comments he made regarding the challenges facing the Super League, highlighting inadequate media exposure and a perceived lower standard of the competition compared to the NRL. Rhodri Jones, Commercial Managing Director for Rugby League, later characterized Keary's statements as somewhat "over-dramatic."

Representative career

Keary's qualification for the State of Origin was a subject of debate due to his upbringing in Ipswich, Queensland and subsequent relocation to Sydney. In 2014, he formally appealed to NRL CEO Dave Smith to be recognized as eligible for Queensland selection; however, this request was declined, with the 2012 eligibility criteria remaining in effect.

He earned his international debut for Australia in 2018 during a match against New Zealand. Keary's first State of Origin game for New South Wales came in Game 1 of the 2020 series. Following New South Wales' surprising loss in that match, he was omitted from the squad for Games 2 and 3, with his successor at South Sydney, Cody Walker, assuming the number 6 jersey.

On 16 October 2022, Keary represented Ireland for the first time at the 2021 Rugby League World Cup, delivering a man of the match performance in their commanding 48–2 victory over Jamaica.

NRL

†	Indicates seasons when Keary secured an NRL Premiership

Season	Club	Appearances	Tries	Goals	Goal Kicking %	Field Goals	Points	Wins	Losses	Draws	Win %
2013	Template:Leagueicon South Sydney Rabbitohs	10	2	0	—	0	8	7	3	0	70.00
2014†		12	3	0	—	0	12	9	3	0	75.00
2015		24	4	0	—	0	16	13	11	0	54.17
2016		17	3	0	—	0	12	4	13	0	23.53
2017–2024	Template:Leagueicon Sydney Roosters
	2017	26	8	0	—	1	33	18	8	0	69.23
	2018†	23	5	0	—	1	21	17	6	0	73.91
	2019†	22	2	0	—		36	17	7	0
	2020	20	10				42
	2021	3				2
	2022	22	2				8
	2023	26	5	3		2	8
2024	26	4	3			22
2025	Catalans Dragons	0 |0 | |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0%
Career totals		231 !48 !6 !— !6 !210 !84 !51 !0 !60.97

External links

• Sydney Roosters official profile
• South Sydney Rabbitohs player profile
• NRL official profile
• Ireland team profile