Danny McGuire

Danny McGuire
Personal information
Full name Daniel McGuire
Born (1982-12-06) 6 December 1982
Leeds, England
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)[1]
Weight 13 st 12 lb (88 kg)[1]
Playing information
Position Stand-off, Halfback
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2001– Leeds Rhinos 395 258 0 5 1,037
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2004–07 Great Britain 12 5 1 0 22
2003–09 England 10 4 0 0 16
As of 2 December 2016

Danny McGuire is an English rugby league footballer who currently plays for Leeds Rhinos in the Super League. A Great Britain and England international representative Stand-off, he has played his entire professional career to date with the Rhinos, winning a total of seven Super League championships and two Challenge Cups. He was the first player to score 200 tries in Super League and is currently the highest try-scorer in the competition's history, surpassing former team-mate Keith Senior in 2012.

Playing career

2000s

McGuire signed for the Rhinos from local team East Leeds ARLFC. McGuire impressed for the Academy side & made his debut for the Rhinos 1st team at Headingley Stadium against the Salford City Reds at the 6th of July 2001.

By the start of the 2003 Super League season, McGuire had established himself as a first-team regular.

But it was the 2004 season when McGuire really showed what he could do. He ended the season having scored 39 tries in all competitions, including a Super League record of 5 in one match against the Widnes Vikings. It was just one fewer than the Super League's Top Try Scorer, Bradford's Lesley Vainikolo, scored that season. McGuire's superb form resulted in him being awarded the Rugby League Writers Association Player of the Year and resulted in him being named in the 2004 Tetley’s Super League Dream Team.[2] McGuire played for the Leeds Rhinos in the half-backs in their 2004 Super League Grand Final victory against the Bradford Bulls, scoring a try, ending a 32-year wait for the Championship. On the back of his superb season in 2004, McGuire was named in the Great Britain squad for the Tri-Nations tournament. He made his debut off the bench in Great Britain's first game defeat against Australia.

As Super League IX champions, the Rhinos faced 2004 NRL season premiers, the Bulldogs in the 2005 World Club Challenge. McGuire played at five-eighth and scored a try in Leeds' 39-32 victory. McGuire played for Leeds in the 2005 Challenge Cup final from the interchange bench in their loss against Hull FC.[3] McGuire suffered a Grand Final defeat in the 2005 Super League Grand Final which was a rematch of the 2004 Final against Bradford. McGuire played at stand-off half and scored the Rhinos' only try in a 15-6 defeat.

The second in 2007 Super League Grand Final, this time defeating St. Helens 33-6. The third in 2008, again defeating St Helens in a closer affair than the year before.[4] The Rhinos winning 24-16, with McGuire scoring two tries in the second half to ensure victory.

McGuire playing for Leeds

In 2008, McGuire was named, along with seven Rhinos' teammates, in England, & former Rhinos, coach Tony Smith's 24-man squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.[5] Before the tournament, McGuire was named as one of the 2008 Rugby League World Cup 'Players to Watch' by Australian website NRL Live.[6] Group A's first match against Papua New Guinea he played from the interchange bench as England came from behind to scrape past Papua New Guinea 32-22 in the opening game of the tournament. England then lost 52-4 to host nation and tournament favourites Australia. McGuire was left out of the squad for England's final group game, where they surrendered a 24-12 half-time lead, to lose 36-24 to New Zealand. McGuire started his first game of the tournament against New Zealand in the semi-final. It also proved to be his last as, despite scoring two tries, McGuire could not prevent England losing 32-22 and being eliminated.

McGuire's fourth grand final came in 2009, defeating St Helens for a third year in a row, 18-10.

2010s

After winning three titles in a row, the Rhinos struggled in 2010. McGuire excelled though, scoring 27 tries in 32 games. His equal best since his excellent 2004 season. McGuire's season ended in controversy though during the Rhino's win in their first play-off match against the eventual champions, the Wigan Warriors. With just moments remaining in the match, the Rhinos led 27-26, when Wigan broke down the left of the field. McGuire was adjudged to have pulled back Wigan's George Carmont, preventing him from scoring a potential match-winning try. But in doing so, McGuire suffered a serious knee injury which would rule him out for up to six months, meaning he'd miss the remainder of the season & the start of the next. Former Wigan star Phil Clarke caused further controversy by writing, 'Perhaps the rugby Gods have punished him (McGuire) for his unsportsmanlike play', on his blog on the Sky Sports website.

McGuire played at stand-off half for Leeds in the 2011 Challenge Cup final which was lost to Wigan. He then made his first start for Great Britain in their next match against New Zealand, playing a key role & creating the try which ensured a 22-12 victory. His fifth and latest grand final win, again against St Helens, came in 2011 with Leeds Rhinos coming from 5th in the regular season table to win 32-16 in the 2011 Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford.

Honours

Club

References

  1. 1 2 "Danny McGuire Leeds Rhinos". www.superleague.co.uk. Rugby Football League. 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  2. ↑ "Tri-Nations: Great Britain profiles". Mail Online. UK: Associated Newspapers. 19 October 2004. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  3. ↑ "Hull stun Leeds in Challenge Cup". BBC News. 27 August 2005. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  4. ↑ "2008 Grand Final". BBC. 2008-10-04. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
  5. ↑ "Purdham earns World Cup call-up". BBC. 2008-10-07. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
  6. ↑ "World Cup Players to Watch". NRL Live. 2008-10-17. Retrieved 2008-10-20.
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