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| Full name | Brett Kimmorley | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1976-09-15)15 September 1976 (age 49) Belmont, New South Wales, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 172 cm (5 ft 8 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 91 kg (14 st 5 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Halfback | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As of 13 December 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relatives | Craig Kimmorley (brother) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brett "Noddy"Kimmorley (born 15 September 1976) is an Australianrugby league coach and former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s, 2000s, & early 2010’s. ANew South Wales interstate andAustralian international representative halfback, he last played for theCanterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs of theNRL. He previously played for five other clubs:Newcastle Knights,Hunter Mariners,Melbourne Storm,Northern Eagles and theCronulla-Sutherland Sharks. Kimmorley also representedCountry NSW four times and New South Wales ten times as well as playing 15 times for his country including the2000 World Cup. He also played twoSuper League Tests. He retired at the end of the2010 NRL season.
Brett played early football in the backyard with his brother,Craig, and then for theLakes United Seagulls andValentine-Eleebana Red Devils. His father Des Kimmorley played forLakes United and also played representative football forNSW Country andNSW. Kimmorley was educated atBelmont High School, where he also represented1994 Australian Schoolboys.[4]
Kimmorley made his first grade debut for theNewcastle Knights against Manly on 21 July 1995 at Energy Australia Stadium (then known as Marathon Stadium). In place of the injuredAndrew Johns, Kimmorley got his first try in his second ever game. He would score two tries for the Knights in the club's 1995 reserve grade premiership victory.[5]
After limited opportunities in first-grade at his favoured half-back position with the Knights (because ofAndrew Johns), Kimmorley opted to sign for newly formedSuper League club theHunter Mariners who were also based out of Newcastle midway through the 1997 split season. Throughout 1997 the Mariners managed to make a seven win and reach the final of the1997 World Club Championship. Kimmorley was the Mariners' only player selected to represent Australia in thethree-test series againstGreat Britain at the end of the season.[6]
With the shutting down of Super League in 1998 the Mariners were subsequently disbanded and with the newly formedNational Rugby League starting up, Kimmorley was yet again on the move. He (along with several Mariners teammates) moved to newly formed entity theMelbourne Storm on a three-year deal. He played every game for the Storm in the 1998 season. His most memorable season for the Storm came in 1999 when he was named the club's player of the year[7] He played at halfback for the Storm in the1999 NRL Grand Final against theSt George Illawarra Dragons. Melbourne claimed their maiden premiership, with Kimmorley leading a spirited Storm comeback and setting up the match-winning try with a chip-kick to earn theClive Churchill medal for best on-ground. Kimmorley was selected for theAustralian team to compete in the end of season1999 Rugby League Tri-Nations tournament. In the final againstNew Zealand he played at halfback in the Kangaroos' 22–20 victory.
Having won the 1999 Premiership, theMelbourne Storm travelled to England to contest the2000 World Club Challenge againstSuper League ChampionsSt Helens R.F.C., with Kimmorley playing at halfback in the victory. In 2000, Kimmorley made hisState of Origin debut for New South Wales, helping the Blues to a clean sweep, and keeping Johns on the bench for Games II and III. The following year he left Victoria for theNorthern Eagles. He had an unhappy season[citation needed], however, and when the merged entity split at the end of the season, he decided to follow his former Melbourne Storm coachChris Anderson to theCronulla-Sutherland Sharks (the club where he would spend the majority of his career, playing seven seasons between 2002–08)
In his first season with his new club he somewhat flourished, setting a new club record for most points in a game against his former club, Newcastle, and led the Sharks to the preliminary final, although they lost (to eventual runners-upNew Zealand Warriors). The season was marred by controversy as Chris Anderson dropped 2001 Dally M Medallist and club favouritePreston Campbell from the halfback position to accommodate Kimmorley, which resulted in Sharks fans' lukewarm reception of the Test halfback.[citation needed]
With the new season in 2003 looking promising, Kimmorley was awarded the captaincy of the team overDavid Peachey and was rewarded with a new five-year deal.[citation needed] At the end of the2003 NRL season, he went on the2003 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France, helping Australia to victory overGreat Britain. Kimmorley was pivotal to Australia's whitewashing with last-minute field goals to secure the first two games in the three game series.[citation needed]
2004 was a disappointing season for Kimmorley, who failed to take his club to the finals for a second consecutive season. He was also plagued with several injuries which caused him to miss the annualState of Origin series fixtures, although he was selected in the Australian team to go and compete in the end of season2004 Rugby League Tri-Nations tournament. In the final againstGreat Britain Kimmorley played at half back in the Kangaroos' 44–4 victory.[8]
The start of 2005 looked extremely promising for the club, with Cronulla and Kimmorley winning the first 6 games in a row to be on top of the NRL Ladder. However, after Kimmorley's selection forNew South Wales Rugby League team in the first State of Origin match, in which he threw the fateful intercept ball to handQueensland a victory, his confidence was seemingly shattered and his club form suffered badly.[citation needed] Only Cronulla's excellent first half of the season and favourable results prevented them from falling out of finals contention.
2006 was an unhappy one for Kimmorley, failing to regain his spot at halfback for both representative teams (New South Wales and Australia) the Sharks struggled to maintain their strong start to the season, plummeting from 2nd place on the ladder to lose 10 games in a row and finish 12th on the ladder.
In 2007, Kimmorley's chance for success improved mainly from the signing of new coachRicky Stuart a former representative halfback himself. Kimmorley was selected as halfback for the 2007 New South Wales State of Origin team for games 2 and 3, afterJarrod Mullen was dropped due to injury.
Kimmorley agreed to move to theCanterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs on a two-year deal from the 2009 season. Kimmorley played a senior role at the club. Kimmorley was also in line for captain of the Bulldogs. On 26 August 2010, he announced his retirement from the NRL effective at the end of the season.[9]
Clive Churchill Medal: 1999
Dally M Halfback of The Year: 2000[10]
Following his retirement, Kimmorley signed on as an assistant coach with the Bulldogs for 2011–12. In December 2012, he announced his move to the Canberra Raiders, signing a two-year deal, as David Furner's right-hand man.[11] Kimmorley was head coach of theWests Tigers Under 20s in 2015, making the second week of the finals. He departed the club shortly afterwards.[12]
In 2022, following the termination ofMichael Maguire at theWests Tigers, Kimmorley was named as interim coach for the rest of theseason.[13]In round 20, Kimmorley earned his first win as interim head coach with a shock 32-18 victory overBrisbane. In round 23, Wests were beaten 72-6 by theSydney Roosters which became the clubs heaviest ever defeat.[14]
On 2 September 2025, the Tigers announced that Kimmorley would end his tenure as the NRLW coach.[15]
In October 2025, Manly announced that Kimmorley would join the coaching staff.[16]
After retiring, Kimmorley joinedFox Sports as a commentator. As of 2017, Kimmorley normally commentated 1-2 matches per round as a sideline commentator. He also works as an NRL reporter for theSeven Network.[citation needed]
Brett Kimmorley's wife, Sharnie, had a brain tumour and died on 23 March 2017.[17]