Ben Ikin is a Gold Coast junior who played for the Gold Coast Seagulls, North Sydney Bears and Brisbane Broncos. Equally capable as both a centre and five-eighth, his versatility is now put on display in a media career, with Ikin currently co-hosting talk show NRL 360 on Fox Sports.
Ikin arrived on the scene in 1995 at 18 years of age, making his debut for the Gold Coast Seagulls. After barely having strung a few games together, Ikin was selected to play for the Queensland Maroons after injury ravaged the Queensland team, particularly in the outside backs. His selection and subsequent game time off the bench would make Ikin the youngest ever player to play State of Origin in a series where Queensland won 3-0. Then Maroons’ coach Paul Vautin assumed Ikin was a young fan after an autograph on their first meeting, before realising that he was the newest player in his team. Despite this humbling beginning to his Origin career, Ikin would go on to play 17 Origin matches between 1995 and 2003.
The majority of Ikin’s games were played for the North Sydney Bears, where staring performances earned him a call up to the Australia squad, making him the last international to be selected from the iconic North Sydney club. After leaving the Bears in 1999, Ikin returned to his home state to play with the Broncos. Here, Ikin won a premiership with them in 2000, his first season playing with the club.
After retiring in 2004 due to injury, Ikin’s post playing career has seen him establish a name for himself in the media. After previously working as a commentator for Channel 9, Ikin is now working as an expert on Fox Sports. Hosting the program NRL 360 alongside journalist Paul Kent, the two men provide a detailed insight to the world of Rugby League, demonstrating extensive knowledge and understanding of the game of Rugby League.
