Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1973-06-18)18 June 1973 (age 52) Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 94 kg (14 st 11 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Wing, Fullback, Centre | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ken Nagas (born 18 June 1973) is an Australian former professionalrugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He played for theCanberra Raiders of theNational Rugby League. Nagas primarily played on thewing.
Nagas was born inBundaberg, Queensland and is ofIndigenous Australian andSouth Pacific island descent.[1]
He played his junior rugby league for the Bundaberg Eels and Wests Bundaberg before moving toKyogle, New South Wales as a 16-year old.[2] In Kyogle, he played for theKyogle Turkeys and attended Kyogle High School.[3] In 1991, Nagas signed with theCanberra Raiders. In Canberra, he attendedLake Ginninderra College, where he represented theAustralian Schoolboys.[4]
In 1992, while playing for the Raiders'Jersey Flegg Cup side, Nagas represented the New South Wales under-19 side.[5]
In Round 22 of the1992, Nagas made his first grade debut on the wing in a loss to theNewcastle Knights. It was his only appearance for the season. in1993, he appeared in nine games for Canberra, scoring 4 tries.
In1994, Nagas had a breakout season, playing 18 games and scoring 11 tries, most famous being against theSt George Dragons in Round 10 atBruce Stadium, where he ran the length of the field to score while holding the ball in one hand, keeping his shorts up with the other.[citation needed] Nagas went on to play on the wing in Canberra's 36–12Grand Final win overCanterbury-Bankstown where he scored two tries.
In 1995, Nagas, like the rest of the Canberra Raiders players, signed withSuper League and although his great form continued, scoring 14 tries from 19 games, he along with team matesLaurie Daley,Bradley Clyde,Brett Mullins,Ricky Stuart andDavid Furner (other than Nagas, all were players onAustralia's1994 Kangaroo Tour), were left out of 1995 representative teams as onlyAustralian Rugby League contracted players were selected. Canberra finished equal top on the1995 ladder with Manly but after defeating rivalsBrisbane 14–8 atSuncorp Stadium, the defending premiers were knocked out in the Preliminary Final by eventual premiersSydney Bulldogs 8–25.
In the1997 World Club Championship, Nagas scored six tries for Canberra againstHalifax, a club record. In the 1997 post season, Nagas was selected to play forAustralia in all three matches of theSuper League Test series againstGreat Britain.
After eleven seasons with the one first-grade club, knee problems forced Nagas to retire midway through 2002.[6]
Despite being born and raised in Queensland, Nagas was eligible to representNew South Wales as he had played his first senior game in Kyogle as a 16-year old. He opted to represent New South Wales over his home state, a decision he later regretted.[7] He played for the Blues in games II and III of the1994 State of Origin series, but after his two try performance in Canberra's Grand Final win over Canterbury, was sensationally left out of the1994 Kangaroo tour in preference to youngBrisbane Broncos wingerWendell Sailor.[8][9]
He was also selected as a winger for New South Wales in the 1997Super League Tri-series. Nagas played in games I (against Queensland) and III (against New Zealand), scoring two tries in each game as well as the 'Grand Final' of the series against Queensland atBrisbane'sANZ Stadium. The Tri-series Final is known as the longest professional game of rugby league in Australian history.Noel Goldthorpe kicked a field goal in the 104th minute to win the game 23-22 for NSW after scores were locked at 18-18 after full-time and 22-22 after extra time. Nagas was originally selected in Queensland's wider Tri-Series squad but later decided to remain with New South Wales[citation needed], having already represented them in State of Origin.
In 1997, Nagas played on the wing forAustralia in their 34-22 win overNew Zealand in theinauguralANZAC Test at theSydney Football Stadium. He later went on to play in the season ending loss to the Kiwis at theNorth Harbour Stadium inAuckland, before appearing in all 3 tests of theSuper League Test series againstGreat Britain inEngland at the end of the year. However, while the rest of the rugby league world counts all tests played under the Super League banner as being legitimate test matches, theAustralian Rugby League refuses to acknowledge the games from the rebels. Thus unfortunately, Ken Nagas, despite appearing in 5 tests during 1997, is listed as never having represented his country in official Australian records.
In 2004, Nagas was named as a member of the Canberra Raider's bestAboriginal andTorres Strait Islanders to have played for Canberra.[10]