NRL in shock as premiership-winning coach Paul Green dies aged just 49 after legendary career

Legendary NRL figure Paul Green, who won the 2015 premiership as coach of the North Queensland Cowboys, has died at his Brisbane home on Thursday aged just 49.

The death of the former halfback – who took out one of the sport’s highest awards as a player when he collected the Rothmans Medal in 1995 – has thrown the footy world into shock and mourning.

A post-mortem will be carried out to determine his cause of death. Those close to the ex-Cronulla Sharks star are devastated and say there was no indication he was ill.

He leaves behind his wife Amanda and children Jed and Emerson. 

Green was a star as both a player and coach, taking out one of the game’s highest honours when he won the Rothmans Medal in 1995

Green was only in his second year as coach of the North Queensland Cowboys when he guided them to their only premiership in 2015

Green quit as the Cowboys’ coach in 2020 but was still highly rated in the league and was due to be an assistant to Wayne Bennett with the Dolphins next year.

He was in Sydney last weekend for a reunion for the Cronulla Sharks, the team he starred at halfback for from 1994 to 1998, guiding them to the 1997 Super League grand final.

Green went on to play from the Cowboys, Roosters and Eels in a first-grade career that spanned 10 years and ended in 2004, racking up 162 games with 37 tries to his name.

The diminutive half played seven State of Origin games for Queensland from 1998 to 2001 and played two matches for the Australian Super League team in 1997.

His stellar coaching career began with the Cowboys in 2014 and the next year he guided the club to their only premiership, a thrilling 17-16 victory over the Brisbane Broncos in extra time.

Green coached Queensland’s State of Origin team for one series in 2021. 

More to come…