Paul Green funeral Brisbane Wynnum BMD Kougari Oval: NRL stars and family farewell footy legend
Dark clouds were hanging over the Wynnum Manly Leagues club in Brisbane as mourners arrived for the funeral and memorial service for NRL great Paul Green on Tuesday morning.
The premiership-winning coach was found unresponsive in his Wynnum home in Brisbane’s east aged just 49 on August 11. Police said there were no suspicious circumstances. He was 49.
Mourners arriving early for the service included champion Brisbane Broncos players Shane Webcke and Andrew Gee, along with for former North Queensland Cowboys boss and current Newcastle Knights football manager Peter Parr.
The Cowboys sent a delegation including star players Jason Taumalolo, Kyle Feldt and Jake Granville, who won the 2015 NRL grand final under Green’s coaching.
North Queensland stars (left to right) Jake Granville, Jason Taumalolo and Kyle Feldt arrive for the funeral. They all won the 2015 grand final under Green’s coaching
Brisbane Broncos legend and Green’s good friend Allan Langer arrives at the home ground of the late coach’s junior team, Wynnum, in Brisbane’s east
Mourners were greeted by a portrait of Green flanked by Queensland and Cowboys jerseys. He played for and coached both sides during his stellar career
The club’s coach Todd Payten was also among the first to arrive, along with Broncos legend Allan Langer, current Brisbane football boss Ben Ikin and Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson.
Signed Queensland and Cowboys jerseys were placed either side of a black and white portrait of Green for the ceremony. He played for and coached both sides during his stellar career.
Green played for Wynnum Manly from the juniors until he made the first grade side and won two premierships as coach of the Seagulls.
Broncos greats Shane Webcke (left, arms crossed) and Andrew Gee (centre) join the proceedings and wait for other mourners to arrive
Ben Ikin, the head of football for Brisbane, was among a host of past and present footy stars who arrived to pay their respects
During his storied playing career the diminutive halfback played 162 NRL matches, primarily for Cronulla, as well as 10 matches for Queensland and three Tests for Australia.
He also received the Rothmans Medal (now known as the Dally M) in 1995 for being the best player in the league, despite it being only his second season at the top level.
A public memorial will be held after the private service on the field of the team’s home ground, Kougari Oval.
Green is survived by his wife Amanda and children Jed and Emerson.
More to come…
