Covell in 2008
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Personal information
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Nickname | The Cooler | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born |
Goondiwindi, Queensland, Australia |
9 November 1981 |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 187 cm (6 ft 2 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 98 kg (216 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information
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Position | Wing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Luke Covell (born 9 November 1981 in Goondiwindi, Queensland) is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and Wests Tigers of the National Rugby League. He mostly played on the Wing. He was described as one of the most respected players in the NRL.
Covell was raised in Murwillumbah and attended Mt St Patrick's College. Covell played early football for the Murwillumbah Colts.
Covell debuted with the Wests Tigers in 2003 at the age of 21. The winger's limited game time saw him join the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in 2004.
In 2007, Covell made his Test Debut for New Zealand against Australia, in which a young Australian side defeated the Kiwis 58-0. Covell however was injured in the early minutes of the match and it was to be his sole international appearance.
In 2008, Covell won the Dally M Pointscorer of the Year award, playing a major role in the Cronulla Sharks stellar season. He went on to score over a thousand points in his career.
Covell was known for his lack of speed, but made up for it in determination, and was a fluent goalkicker. "I know some people out there think I'm too slow for the NRL. Not talented enough. But that's okay ... I've always known it too," Covell once said.
In 2010, Covell became the first NRL Player to have (LARS) ligament augmentation and reconstruction surgery. Not long after his return from surgery, he announced he intended to retire at the end of the 2010 season, saying, "I’m proud to say I played for the Cronulla Sharks and Wests Tigers, I’ve had a great time and I wouldn’t change a thing."
Covell returned home to play for the Murwillumbah Mustangs in the Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League. He played in the second row and as the team's goalkicker. In 2012, Covell won a premiership with his late penalty goal resulting in the Mustangs overhauling the Grafton Ghosts in the final minutes to win 27-26. Covell played for the Mustangs again in 2013, losing to Ballina in the grand final.