Paul Gregory Green

Paul Gregory Green was an Australian professional rugby league football coach who was most recently the head coach of Queensland in the State of Origin series, and a professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He was widely regarded as one of the best halfbacks of his era and one of the most successful coaches in NRL history. Green was born in Rockhampton, Queensland, on March 18, 1973. He began his playing career with the Cronulla Sharks in 1994, where he won the Rothmans Medal for the best and fairest player in the NSWRL that year. He also played for the North Queensland Cowboys, Sydney Roosters, Parramatta Eels and Brisbane Broncos, winning premierships with the Broncos in 1997 and 2000. He represented Queensland 10 times in State of Origin and Australia twice in international matches. Green retired from playing in 2004 and became an assistant coach at the Broncos. He then coached Wynnum Manly Seagulls in the Queensland Cup, leading them to back-to-back premierships in 2011 and 2012. He also coached the Sydney Roosters' under-20s team to the preliminary finals in 2013. In 2014, Green was appointed as the head coach of the North Queensland Cowboys, where he achieved his greatest success. He guided the Cowboys to their first NRL premiership in 2015, in a thrilling golden point victory over the Brisbane Broncos. He also led them to another grand final appearance in 2017, where they lost to the Melbourne Storm. He became the longest-serving coach in Cowboys history, with 182 games and a 55% winning record. Green left the Cowboys at the end of the 2020 season and took over as the head coach of Queensland for the 2021 State of Origin series. However, he could not replicate his predecessor Wayne Bennett's success, as Queensland lost the series 2-1 to New South Wales. Green was married to Amanda Green and had two children, Emerson and Jed. He was known as a passionate, smart and witty individual who loved his family and rugby league. He was also a qualified pilot and had studied at Harvard Business School. Green died by suicide on August 11, 2022, at his home in Brisbane. He was 49 years old. His death shocked and saddened the rugby league community, who paid tribute to his legacy and achievements. A public funeral service was held at Kougari Oval, home of his former club Wynnum Manly Seagulls, on August 29, 2022.