# Brett White

Brett White (born 8 April 1982) is a former professional rugby league footballer who played for the Canberra Raiders and the Melbourne Storm in the National Rugby League (NRL). Both an Ireland and Australian international, and New South Wales State of Origin representative prop forward, he played the majority of his career at the Storm, before signing with the Canberra Raiders from 2011. Married Cassie Adland in 2009, with whom he has 4 children.

## Background

Born in Cooma, New South Wales, Australia and grew up in Berridale, New South Wales. White was educated at Monaro High School.
Brett played his junior rugby league with Cooma Colts. He was a promising junior and was graded by St. George Illawarra Dragons from school.

## Playing career

White was a key member of the Dragon's Jersey Flegg Cup team, but leg and ankle injuries halted his progress in 2003 and 2004. With props such as Luke Bailey and Jason Ryles ahead of him, White was unable to make his way into first-grade and he relocated to the Melbourne Storm.
White made his first-grade debut in Round one, 2005, scoring a try against the Newcastle Knights at Olympic Park. At the end of the season he was named the Storm's Rookie of the Year after becoming Robbie Kearns' starting front-row partner. He was a member of the Melbourne Storm team to face the Brisbane Broncos in the 2006 NRL Grand Final, losing 15–8. The next year, he was a member of the winning grand final against Manly.
White played in the 2008 NRL Grand Final, in which his team was defeated by the Manly Sea Eagles.
He played in the 2009 premiership against Parramatta. In 2010, both premierships that White won with Melbourne were stripped by the NRL for major and deliberate breaches of the salary cap.
In August 2014, White officially announced he would be retiring from the NRL at the end of the season.

### Controversies

White's first grade career have involved some controversial incidents. In round 14, 2006, White lodged a biting complaint against Parramatta's Fuifui Moimoi for which Moimoi was later exonerated after a lengthy judiciary hearing. He was also again in the act against Parramatta in 2007, accused of a chicken wing tackle on their captain Nathan Cayless in that year's preliminary final. In round 2, 2008, White was sent off for retaliating to a Ben Ross elbow to team-mate Cooper Cronk which also saw Ross sent off. Cronk's kick found Israel Folau who scored the match-leveling try. He was given a four match ban.
In 2009, White was involved in an infamous Origin scuffle with Steve Price in Game 3 of the State of Origin series.

## Representative career

In 2006, White made his representative debut in the Country Origin team, defeating City by 12–10.
White was selected to represent New South Wales as a front-rower for game I and on the bench for game II of the 2007 State of Origin series.
In 2008, White made himself available for Ireland's 2008 Rugby League World Cup campaign and in August he was named in the Ireland training squad. Although White was named in the Irish squad, he was forced to withdraw following the NRL grand final, when he was scheduled for foot surgery.
White was also named in the 46-man Australian preliminary squad for the World Cup.
White played in the opening two State of Origin matches for New South Wales in 2010, scoring a try in the second match, but was dropped for the third game.

### Steve Price incident

Game 3 of the 2009 series also saw White return to State of Origin (replacing the injured Michael Weyman), playing a leading role in a controversial NSW victory. In the closing stages of the contest, White was involved in a scuffle with Queensland prop Steve Price, which left Price unconscious.

## Post playing

In 2017 White joined the Canberra Raiders coaching staff as an assistant coach after coaching the now defunct NYC Under 20s competition. White was announced as part of the Titans coaching staff on 31 August 2022 after being on staff for the Canberra Raiders. On 30 November 2023, White was announced as part of the new look New South Wales Blues coaching staff.

## Footnotes

* ↑ "Storm's big unit ready to bloom". The Sydney Morning Herald. 16 September 2005. Retrieved 2 January 2008.
* ↑ "Grand final: As it happened". Fox Sports. 5 October 2008. Archived from the original on 4 December 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2008.
* ↑ "Storm v Eels Grand Final 2009 – NRL Match Result Statistics – NRL.com". Archived from the original on 3 October 2009. Retrieved 5 October 2009.
* ↑ "Storm punishment too harsh: Geyer". United States: ABC News. 22 April 2010.
* ↑ "Melbourne Storm stripped of premierships for salary cap breaches". 22 April 2010.
* ↑ "Canberra Raiders vice-captain Brett White to retire at end of season". August 2014.
* ↑ "Ross facing long suspension". Fox Sports. Australia. 22 March 2008. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
* ↑ "NRL 2008 – Round 2". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
* ↑ Collins, Ben: "Kelly eyes Cup sitr by Irish", pages 18–19. Rugby League World, April 2008
* ↑ "White Eyes a Green Jersey". RLWC08.com. 21 July 2008. Retrieved 30 July 2008.
* ↑ "Ireland Name World Cup 40 Man Training Squad". Rugby League Ireland. 1 August 2008. Archived from the original on 14 April 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2008.
* ↑ "Cassidy included in Ireland squad". BBC. 7 October 2008. Retrieved 7 October 2008.
* ↑ "Ireland suffer White injury blow". BBC. 9 October 2008. Retrieved 10 October 2008.
* ↑ "Veteran Lockyer named in Australian squad". International Herald Tribune. 1 August 2008. Retrieved 2 August 2008.
* ↑ Lutton, Phil (30 May 2019). "'She's on here': The untold story of State of Origin's last great meltdown". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
* ↑ "Brett White appointed as Raiders NRL Assistant Coach". Canberra Raiders. 3 October 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
* ↑ "Brett White to join Titans coaching staff in '23". Gold Coast Titans. 30 August 2022. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
* ↑ "White joins new-look Blues coaching staff". Gold Coast Titans. 30 November 2023. Retrieved 4 August 2024.