Graham Murray

Graham Murray

Murray in 2008
Personal information
Full name	Graham Ernest Murray
Nickname	Muzza
Born	(1955-01-06)6 January 1955 Peak Hill, Australia
Died	28 July 2013(2013-07-28) (aged 58) Brisbane, Australia
Playing information
Height	171 cm (5 ft 7 in)
Weight	75 kg (11 st 11 lb)
Position	Halfback
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1976–80 Parramatta Eels 46 9 0 0 27 1981–83 South Sydney 43 7 0 0 21 Total 89 16 0 0 48
Coaching information
Club Years Team Gms W D L W% 1991–95 Illawarra Steelers 95 51 5 39 54 1997 Hunter Mariners 18 7 0 11 39 1998–99 Leeds Rhinos 59 43 1 15 73 2000–01 Sydney Roosters 57 31 1 25 54 2002–08 North Qld Cowboys 161 79 1 81 49 Total 390 211 8 171 54 Representative Years Team Gms W D L W% 1995 Fiji 3 1 0 2 33 2001–05 City NSW 5 3 0 2 60 2006–07 New South Wales 6 2 0 4 33
Source:

Graham Ernest Murray (6 January 1955 – 28 July 2013) was an Australian professional rugby league footballer, of the 1970s, and 1980s, and coach, in the 1990s, and 2000s. A New South Wales State of Origin head coach, Murray coached extensively at the highest club level: coaching the Illawarra Steelers, Hunter Mariners, Leeds Rhinos, Sydney Roosters and North Queensland Cowboys between the years 1991 and 2008. He also coached the Fiji national rugby league team, the City New South Wales rugby league team and the Australian women's team. He was named Dally M Coach of the Year in 1992.

Murray was born in Peak Hill, New South Wales to James Murray and Shirley Gallagher. He was the youngest of five siblings.

He married Amanda Jurd on 15 December 1984. On their ninth wedding anniversary they had a daughter.

Having starred for the Parramatta third-grade side in the middle 1970s, Murray took over as captain of the Eels' reserve grade side in 1977. He was regarded as too skilful for reserve grade rugby league, owing to his great organisational ability, which had him known as "little Artie" after Arthur Beetson. With international halfback John Kolc suffering ankle ligament damage, Murray spent some time in first grade during 1977, but returned to captain the reserve grade side to a premiership when Kolc was fit. 1978 saw Murray take over from Kolc as first grade halfback for most of the year, but the emergence of soon-to-be champion Peter Sterling caused him to flirt between the grades in 1979 and 1980. In 1979 he captained the reserves to their third premiership in five years.