Craig Wing

Craig Wing

Personal information
Born	26 December 1979 (1979-12-26) (age 31) Sydney, Australia
Height	180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight	87 kg (13 st 10 lb)
Playing information
Rugby league
Position	Five-eighth, Halfback, Hooker
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1998–99	South Sydney	43	12	0	0	48
2000–07	Sydney Roosters	185	66	0	0	264
2008–09	South Sydney	28	8	1	0	34
	Total	256	86	1	0	346
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2001–09	City Origin	5	2	0	0	8
2003–09	New South Wales	10	1	0	0	4
2002–05	Australia	16	1	0	0	4
Rugby union
Position	Fly half
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2010–	NTT Shining Arcs	0	0	0	0	0
As of 3 October 2009
Source: Rugby League Project

Craig Wing (born 26 December 1979) is an Australian rugby union player. He currently plays rugby union in Japan. A former rugby league player for New South Wales State of Origin and Australian international utility player, Wing played for South Sydney Rabbitohs and Sydney Roosters.

South Sydney Rabbitohs

Craig Wing was a South Sydney junior and played through the Junior ranks at South Sydney from Harold Mathews to SG Ball and continued this path all the way to First grade where he made his debut against the Auckland Warriors at Mt Smart Stadium in round 1 of the 1998 NRL season. Craig Wing was a passionate Rabbitohs fan all his life and making it in first grade with the Rabbitohs was a highlight of his life. In 1999 Craig played his final season at the Rabbitohs due to the Rabbitohs being kicked out of the NRL competition. This was a low point in Craigs life as he only wanted to play for the Rabbitohs. He stuck with the Rabbitohs even when the club was kicked out waiting for the court decision. When the decision was not in Souths favor Wing had no choice but to move on if he wished to play in the NRL. He was than signed by the Sydney City Roosters for the 2000 season.

Roosters

Wing has played most of his professional rugby league at the Sydney Roosters. He moved to the club in 2000 and originally started as a halfback partnering Brad Fittler. Wing was later moved to hooker in 2003 when halfback Brett Finch joined the club.^[1] Wing has also played five-eighth on occasion.

Wing has played in four NRL Grand Finals with the Roosters: 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2004, a feat achieved by very few players in the NRL. He was in the team which won the 2002 Grand Final where he scored one try. After his side's loss in the 2003 NRL grand final, Wing was selected to go on the 2003 Kangaroo tour.

Return to Souths

Wing announced in June 2007 that he would be leaving the Roosters at the end of the 2007 NRL season to take up a four-year contract with the South Sydney Rabbitohs, the club where he started his career.^[2]

While the Roosters' offer was higher, Wing said he felt more comfortable accepting the Souths offer as it was a guaranteed four year deal compared to the Roosters' 2 year deal with an option for a further 2 years ^[3]

Wing came under tremendous criticism for allowing himself to be paraded at a high profile Souths press conference while still contracted at the Sydney Roosters. It could be argued that the Roosters started the whole problem in the first place however, as they broke the news of Craig Wing's signing on their website before Souths had officially signed him, in an apparent attempt to steal Souths thunder.^[4][5][6] In any case, Wing still apologised to the Sydney Roosters 'fans'.^[7] He was jeered on 23 June 2007, by the Roosters fans at a game against the Parramatta Eels, his first game after signing for Souths.^[8]

In round 1 of the season, Wing was injured in a tackle in only the 8th minute of the game against his old club the Roosters. Wing was in the process of being tackled by Anthony Tupou and Braith Anasta, when Riley Brown shoulder charged Wing's back. Wing was sidelined for 12 weeks.^[9] In a much awaited return, Wing helped Souths to only their fourth win of the season in his return from injury, beating cellar-dwellers North Queensland Cowboys 29–28 in the greatest comeback in South's history, having been down 28–4 at one stage of the game.

Representative career

Wing has represented the New South Wales State of Origin team, City Origin and the Australian Kangaroos. Many of his appearances have been as a reserve due to the fact that he can cover a number of positions.

He has been named in the Australia training squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.^[10] He was selected for City in the City vs Country match on 8 May 2009.^[11]

In May 2009, he was named in the 17 man squad to represent New South Wales in the opening State of Origin match on 3 June 2009, in Melbourne.^[12]

Switch to Rugby union

Wing announced on 21 July 2009 that he would be leaving South Sydney to play rugby union in Japan.^[13] Craig will finish his NRL career having played over 250 first grade games for both the Sydney Roosters and the South Sydney Rabbitohs. During his career he has won an NRL premiership, played for Australia in 16 Test matches and represented NSW on 12 occasions. His switch to rugby union has attracted interest from the Philippines national rugby union team and they have approached him to play for them through his mother who is Filipino and he will also become eligible to represent Japan.^[14]

References

1. ^ ABC Sport – Rugby League – Hodges on the wing for Broncos
2. ^ "Rabbitohs Sign Craig Wing for Four Years". Souths.com. 20 June 2007. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070927013229/http://www.souths.com.au/fanzone/viewnewsarticle.asp?ArticleID=1939. Retrieved 22 June 2007. 
3. ^ "Craig Wing To Leave Roosters". SydneyRoosters.com. 20 June 2007. http://www.sydneyroosters.com.au/news.php?ArticleID=2588. Retrieved 22 June 2007. 
4. ^ "Craig Mason blasts Wing's publicity stunt". NRL.com. 21 June 2007. http://nrl.com.au/News/Latest/NewsArticle/tabid/76/NewsId/5778/Default.aspx. Retrieved 22 June 2007. 
5. ^ "NRL Deluxe – It Was Poor Taste!". NRL.com. 22 June 2007. http://nrl.com.au/News/Latest/NewsArticle/tabid/76/NewsId/5780/Default.aspx. Retrieved 22 June 2007. 
6. ^ "Roosters give Souths a signing lesson". NRL.com. 21 June 2007. http://nrl.com.au/News/Latest/NewsArticle/tabid/76/NewsId/5775/Default.aspx. Retrieved 22 June 2007. 
7. ^ "Wing sorry over 'show pony' signing". NRL.com. 21 June 2007. http://nrl.com.au/News/Latest/NewsArticle/tabid/76/NewsId/5773/Default.aspx. Retrieved 22 June 2007. 
8. ^ Wing jeered as Roosters thrashed – League – Fox Sports
9. ^ Phelps, James; Ritchie, Dean (17 March 2008). "Wing sidelined for months". Daily Telegraph. http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,23386202-5016289,00.html. Retrieved 7 September 2009. 
10. ^ "Veteran Lockyer named in Australian squad". International Herald Tribune. 1 August 2008. http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/08/01/sports/AS-RGL-Australia-Squad.php. Retrieved 2 August 2008. 
11. ^ Balym, Todd (3 May 2009). "Blues halfback duel in two as Mitchell Pearce misses selection". Fox Sports. http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,25422326-5016947,00.html. Retrieved 3 May 2009. 
12. ^ Fitzgibbon, Liam (25 May 2009). "NSW selectors go with form and not reputation for Origin opener". Fox Sports News (Australia). http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,25537374-5018993,00.html. Retrieved 30 May 2009. 
13. ^ "Craig Wing to play rugby in Japan". The Roar. 21 July 2009. http://www.theroar.com.au/2009/07/21/craig-wing-to-play-rugby-in-japan/. Retrieved 21 July 2009. 
14. ^ http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/craig-wing-approached-to-play-rugby-union-for-the-philippines-at-the-commonwealth-games/story-e6frexnr-1225783572640

External links

• State of Origin Official website Rugby League Player Stats
• Official South Sydney Rabbitohs profile
• Wing shock at selection
• Kangaroos turn to versatile Wing
• Wing expects to be fit for final

Preceded by Anthony Field

Cleo Bachelor of the Year 2000

Succeeded by David Whitehill

Persondata
Name	Wing, Craig
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	26 December 1979
Place of birth	Sydney
Date of death
Place of death