About Wally Lewis

Wally Lewis is a Queensland and Australian immortal, considered one of the best to ever play the game of Rugby League. Nicknamed “The King”, Lewis boasts one of the most decorated careers in the great and glorious game.

While Lewis played for five different clubs, it was his representative career that sticks out in annals the King’s career. Lewis represented Queensland on thirty-one occasions at State of Origin level between 1980 to 1991, captaining the Maroons in an astonishing 30 of these caps. His dominance at the highest level was evident after he picked up 8 Man of the Match awards, often putting on a Rugby League masterclass.

A testament to the legacy he has left behind him, the award for the player of the series is now known as the “Wally Lewis medal” and a statue was made in his honour and placed outside Suncorp Stadium, the home of Origin in Queensland. Lewis would also represent Australia thirty-three times between 1981 to 1991 and was the Australian captain from 1984 to 1989.

In 1999, Lewis became the sixth member of “The Immortals”, cementing his place as one of the greatest Rugby League players of all time. Lewis would also go on to be named in the list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players (1908–2007) and be named Five-Eighth in the Kangaroos Team of the Century. Lewis would finish his career playing for the Gold Coast where he would take on the role of captain coach, making him the last player to ever hold such a position.

Shortly after retiring as a player, Lewis would take the helm of his beloved Queensland, coaching the side for two years. Wally Lewis has now carved out a successful career in the media working as a sports presenter and expert commentator for Channel 9. Revered in Queensland, his heavily biased commentary during State of Origin broadcasts can be frustrating for many New South Welshmen.