Paul Vautin
Paul Vautin | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 21, 1959 Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Rugby league athlete, team captain, coach, sports broadcaster |
| Years active | 1978–2024 (rugby league career and broadcasting) |
| Known for | Hosting The Footy Show (1994–2017), Queensland State of Origin coach (1995), Australian rugby league player |
Paul Vautin (born 21 July 1959), widely known by the nickname Fatty, is a retired Australian rugby league athlete, team captain, coach, and sports broadcaster. Since his commencement with the Nine Network in 1992, he has become a well-known rugby league analyst and was the host of The Footy Show from 1994 until 2017, co-hosting alongside Peter Sterling.
Vautin represented both the Australian Kangaroos at test level and Queensland in the State of Origin, primarily playing as a lock or second-row forward. His club career began with Brisbane's Wests before relocating to Sydney in 1979 to join the Manly-Warringah team, where he captained them to victory in the 1987 NSWRL premiership. His playing tenure also included stints with Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs and England’s St Helens.
During the tumultuous period of the Super League war, Vautin transitioned into coaching and led Queensland to an unexpected clean sweep 3–0 win over the favored New South Wales in the 1995 State of Origin series.
After a distinguished 46-year involvement in rugby league starting from 1978, Paul Vautin declared his departure from commentary duties with Channel Nine on 1 December 2024.
Playing career
Vautin earned his reputation through the late 1970s by competing for Brisbane’s Wests Panthers in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership, Sydney’s Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, England’s St. Helens, as well as representing Queensland in the State of Origin series and playing for the Australia national rugby league team. His final playing season was with the Eastern Suburbs Roosters in 1991.
Wests Panthers
At age 18, Vautin was graded by Brisbane Rugby League club Wests in 1978, where he played alongside future legend Wally Lewis. That same year, he made his senior representative debut for Brisbane Colts against New Zealand at Lang Park.
Following a remarkable 75-metre try for Wests, Manly-Warringah’s Secretary Ken Arthurson signed him late in 1978. Vautin moved to Manly for the 1979 season after Manly paid Wests a $6,000 transfer fee, despite an earlier $7,500 per season offer from North Sydney. Initially, Vautin anticipated spending several years in Manly’s reserve grade before returning to Brisbane.
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
When he arrived at Manly, Vautin's fitness did not meet coach Frank Stanton’s expectations. Nevertheless, after participating in a pre-season tournament in Newcastle, his tackling skills impressed sufficiently to earn him a bench position for pre-season matches. He made his First Grade debut early in the 1979 season and soon secured a regular spot at lock.
Vautin featured in Manly’s grand final defeats to Parramatta in both 1982 and 1983. In 1983, he received the Dally M Second Rower of the Year and Dally M Representative Player of the Year honors. In 1985, Coach Bob Fulton appointed him as team captain.
Under Vautin’s captaincy, Manly claimed the 1987 NSWRL Grand Final title against Canberra Raiders—the final grand final held at Sydney Cricket Ground. Although there was initial pressure from club directors to replace him with Noel Cleal before that season began, Vautin maintained his captaincy and earned the Dally M Captain of the Year award that same year.
Following their grand final triumph, Manly participated in the 1987 World Club Challenge against Wigan in England but were defeated 8–2. The squad later acknowledged that overconfidence led them to treat the event more as a celebratory tour than a competitive challenge.
St. Helens
On 2 August 1988, Vautin and his teammate Michael O'Connor joined St. Helens, coached by Alex Murphy, for the 1988–89 Rugby Football League season. Vautin served as captain in his last game for the club, a 27–0 defeat to Wigan during the 1989 Challenge Cup Final held at Wembley, witnessed by 78,000 fans. This match marked the first goalless final since 1952. Throughout the 1988–89 season, he appeared in 21 matches for St. Helens, making his debut on 9 October 1988 in a 30–22 victory against Hull Kingston Rovers.
Eastern Suburbs Roosters
Vautin committed to a two-year deal with the Eastern Suburbs Roosters, where he spent part of his stint playing in reserve grade after being dropped by coach Mark Murray, who was once a Queensland and Australian teammate. He concluded his playing career following the 1991 NSWRL season, ending with an 8-42 loss to eventual champions Penrith in the final round.
State of Origin
Vautin made his first appearance for the Maroons in the second game of the 1982 State of Origin series. In 1984, alongside Manly teammate Chris Close, he was among the last Queenslanders selected for the annual NSW City versus NSW Country match, representing NSW City in their 38–12 triumph at the SCG.
He consistently represented Queensland over a span of nine years, except during the 1986 when a broken arm sustained during the NSWRL season prevented his participation. His final State of Origin match was Game 1 of the 1990 State of Origin series, after which he was omitted following Queensland’s 0–8 defeat to New South Wales.
International
Vautin earned his test debut for Australia in 1982 against New Zealand at Lang Park under coach Frank Stanton. Despite solid performances, he was not selected for the undefeated 1982 Kangaroo Tour, reportedly due to remarks emphasizing Queensland loyalty over national representation.
He returned to international duty on Australia’s mid-season tour of New Zealand in 1983 and was chosen for the second Ashes Test against Great Britain in 1984. During this match, he sustained a fractured cheekbone but contributed to Australia retaining The Ashes. This injury caused him to miss both the third Test and eleven NSWRL games that year.
Across his career, Vautin played in 13 test matches and took part in tours to New Zealand in both 1985 and 1989, appearing in several tour fixtures. He was involved in Australia’s victorious 1988 Ashes series and came off the bench during their record-setting 70–8 Rugby League World Cup win over Papua New Guinea, although he did not participate in the World Cup Final.
As vice-captain on Australia’s 1989 mid-season tour of New Zealand under coach Bob Fulton, Vautin captained three matches, including an emphatic 50–18 victory over a New Zealand XIII and an uncommon tour loss against Auckland. Throughout his international career, he often competed with players such as Ray Price (rugby), Wayne Pearce, and fellow Queenslander Bob Lindner for positions at lock-forward, primarily featuring at second row or lock during test matches.
His final test appearance was a 22–14 win over New Zealand at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland, kicking off the 1989–1992 Rugby League World Cup, where he wore his favored No.13 jersey.
Coaching career
Demonstrating loyalty to his Channel Nine employer, Vautin aligned himself with the Australian Rugby League backed by Kerry Packer during the 1995 Super League conflict. Despite limited coaching credentials—his main achievement being leading the Brisbane Capitols to the Winfield State League title in 1992—he was considered a less prominent substitute for Wayne Bennett, the dual premiership-winning coach initially appointed for the 1995 Queensland State of Origin squad. Queensland, having suffered three straight series defeats and relying on a youthful, inexperienced lineup, was anticipated to be dominated by New South Wales, which boasted numerous international players under coach Phil Gould. Nevertheless, in Vautin’s first series at the helm, Queensland stunned observers by securing a clean 3–0 sweep against New South Wales, even without players aligned with Super League.
When Super League-affiliated players returned for the 1996 State of Origin series, Queensland entered as favorites but were defeated 0–3. Following a 1–2 series loss in 1997, Vautin was succeeded as Queensland coach in 1998 by Wayne Bennett.
Post-rugby league career
In recognition of his impact on Australia's international rugby league reputation, Vautin was awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2000.
Commentary
Vautin launched his television commentary career during the 1988 NSWRL Grand Final on ABC alongside David Morrow, where his debut included an inadvertent live broadcast of an expletive. He subsequently joined the Nine Network and became a staple commentator on Nine's Wide World of Sports rugby league broadcasts from 1992, working closely with Ray Warren and Peter Sterling.
On 1 December 2024, Vautin declared his retirement from commentary, concluding his long-standing role at Channel Nine. He mentioned feeling he had "run out of petrol," while also being noted for outspoken critiques regarding rugby league’s direction, especially during the 2024 State of Origin series.
The Footy Show
Since 1994, Vautin has been the host of The NRL Footy Show, solidifying his presence on television. In 2005, he endured a serious concussion during a "Dare-Devil Dudes" segment but returned after an approximate ten-week recovery period. Between 1992 and 2004, he played an integral role in Channel Nine’s match commentary team alongside Peter Sterling and Ray Warren, covering club matches as well as Origin and international fixtures. After his concussion, Vautin concentrated primarily on hosting the Footy Show but continued to contribute as an expert commentator for major events such as State of Origin.
There was speculation that 2017 could mark Vautin’s final year as host. In October of that year, he was succeeded on The Footy Show and shifted to commentary responsibilities for live NRL matches beginning in 2018.