(AAP)
Paul Green was a half-back in his playing days, known for his toughness and wisdom. Think a slightly less decorated Ben Hunt.
He arrived at first grade just as rugby league in Australia was undergoing a seismic division in the form of the Super League war of the mid-90s.
Playing for Cronulla at the time, Green led the Sharks to the 1997 Super League grand final, where they lost to the Broncos. He also played in Australia’s Anzac Test against New Zealand that year.
When the leagues reformed as the National Rugby League in 1998, he made his State of Origin debut in Queensland a year later, handed the difficult job of playing sevens for a drifting Maroons side after the departure of Alfie Langer.
After ending his playing career in Brisbane in 2004, Green immediately moved into an assistant role with the Broncos and had spells in the Queensland Cup with Wynnum Manly, before leading the Roosters’ under-20s to the preliminary final in 2013.
He landed his first NRL head coaching gig the following year when he took over from Neil Henry at the North Queensland Cowboys.
In 2015 he led them to a famous grand final win over Brisbane for the club’s first premiership, and guided them to a runner-up finish in 2017.
After leaving the club in 2020, he coached the Maroons for the 2021 State of Origin series.