Playing Career
Vital Statistics
- Full Name
- Walter James Lewis
- Nickname(s)
- The King
- Born
- Tuesday, 1st December, 1959
- Current Age
- 66 years and 120 days
- Place Of Birth
- Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Honours & Awards
Based only on data available in the RLP database. This information should be used as a guide only.
- The Ashes
- 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988
- World Cup
- 1985/1988, 1989/1992
- Test Series
- Australia vs France 1981, Australia vs New Zealand 1982, France vs Australia 1982/83, New Zealand vs Australia 1983, Australia vs New Zealand 1985, Australia vs New Zealand 1986, New Zealand vs Australia 1989, Australia vs New Zealand 1991
- State of Origin
- 1982, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1980, 1981
- Midweek Cup
- 1984, 1989
- Dally M Representative Player Of The Year
- 1982, 1984, 1988
- Golden Boot Award
- 1984
- Dally M Five-Eighth Of The Year
- 1988
- Harry Sunderland Medal
- 1988
- Immortal
- 1999
- International Hall Of Fame
- 2002
- National Rugby League Hall Of Fame
- 2002
Known Family Links
- Brother
- Heath Lewis
- Scott Lewis
- Nephew
- Lachlan Lewis
Biography
One of the most spectacularly talented and controversial players in the history of the game the career of Wally Lewis may have divided the League world in its devotion of him but there was no denying his genius at five-eighth. A member of the 1977 Australian Schoolboys RU side which toured Europe (launching the careers of Michael O'Connor, Tony Melrose and the Ella brothers) Lewis immediately switched to League and played with Brisbane Valleys from 1978-83 before moving to Wynnum-Manly (1984-87). He made his state debut as a halfback in 1980 before being selected as lock in Queensland's inaugural State of Origin team. Lewis went on to captain the Maroons in 22 consecutive matches, with the 'State of Origin' concept riding on the back of his ability to motivate an entire state behind him. At times blunt and outwardly abrasive NSW fans enjoyed, at best, a love-hate relationship with him. He made his Test debut against France in 1981 but NSW critics panned his performance. Despite being named vice-captain of the 1982 Kangaroos he failed to gain a place in the Test teams and was used mainly as a reserve player. Lewis' stay with Wakefield Trinity in England in 1983-84 was deemed unsuccessful but when he took over as Australian captain in 1984 he went on to be one of the best the code has seen, captaining his country in 23 consecutive Tests. His efforts were often inspirational - turning the Third Test at Wigan in 1986, playing brilliantly in a losing side in the Third Test in Sydney in 1988, or smashing his forearm in the final of the World Cup in 1988. In 1985 he was the inaugural winner of the Adidas 'Golden Boot' award for best player in the world but critics said that he had not yet proven himself in the Sydney competition. 'King' Wally was revered in Queensland and the QRL moved quickly to block moves by Manly to sign him in 1986. With the advent of the Brisbane Broncos in 1988, however, grand final success looked a formality but things went terribly wrong for Lewis. After beating NSW 3-nil in both the 1988-89 series and touring NZ with the Australian side, a broken fore-arm led to his losing the Test captaincy to Mal Meninga for the Test against France in Parkes in 1990. In a controversial decision Lewis was then ruled unfit to lead the Kangaroos, despite having a medical clearance, thereby missing the opportunity to surpass records held by Clive Churchill (captain 24 Tests) and Reg Gasnier (played 36 Tests). He handled the disappointment tactlessly; citing a conspiracy by selectors to protect the records, although he later retracted the allegation. Then, Brisbane dumped him at year's end after already relieving him of the club captaincy. Lewis turned out for the G’Coast in 1991, drawing good crowds to the fledgling club and like a true champion, leading Queensland to an emotional series win before announcing his retirement after 29 State of Origin matches (28 as captain and 8 man-of-the-match awards). He won back his Test spot (but not the captaincy) for the First Test against NZ in Melbourne but fans did not see the ‘Lewis’ of old and he was one of the first players sacked after Australia's shock defeat. Despite achieving the personal milestone of being the G’Coast club's first Test player Lewis took on the daunting role of captain-coach in 1992 (the last player in the modern era to carry such a position) with the club finishing with the wooden spoon for the second successive year. Retiring as a player he stood down as coach following a third straight wooden spoon in 1993, and consecutive losses as coach of Queensland's State of Origin side led to his dumping in 1994. Later a commentator with Channel 9 and FoxSports, Wally Lewis will be remembered as one of the most competitive captains Australian sport has seen in any code. However, if there is one regret to his career it is the fact that NSW spectators did not accept him for what he was - a champion, warts and all. In 1999, Lewis’ name was belatedly added to list of post-war ‘Immortals’, joining Churchill, Raper, Fulton, Beetson, Gasnier and also Graeme Langlands, at the apex of the game’s greatest players. Biography; Forever the King (2004).
- ALAN WHITICKER
Playing Career Statistics
All statistics shown in this section are based only on data available in the RLP database, and are not necessarily a complete and/or 100% accurate representation of a player's career. This information should be used as a guide only. If you see a question mark (?), it denotes that the figure is not available.
To view a list of corresponding matches, click on the List button.
| Representative Career - International | Comp Wins | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests (Senior International Matches) | - | 35 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 56 | 30 | 5 | 0 | 85.71% | List | ||||
| Other International Matches | - | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| The Ashes | 4 | 11 | 5 | - | 2 | 22 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 90.91% | List | ||||
| World Cup | 2 | 9 | 5 | - | - | 20 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 77.78% | List | ||||
| Tour Matches | Queensland Firsts | - | 10 | 5 | 3 | - | 25 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 70.00% | List | |||
| Tour Matches | Brisbane Firsts | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | |||
| Tour Matches | Australia | - | 51 | 20 | 9 | 2 | 96 | 48 | 3 | 0 | 94.12% | List | |||
| Test Series | 12 | 28 | 9 | - | 2 | 37 | 24 | 4 | 0 | 85.71% | List | ||||
| Representative Career - Australia | Comp Wins | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| State of Origin | 9 | 31 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 30 | 19 | 12 | 0 | 61.29% | List | ||||
| Interstate Series | - | 4 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0.00% | List | ||||
| Club Career - Australia | Comp Wins | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| BRL/NSWRL Premiership (NRL) | - | 80 | 26 | 14 | - | 132 | 38 | 39 | 3 | 47.50% | List | ||||
| BRL/NSWRL Finals | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | ||||
| Midweek Cup | 2 | 24 | 9 | 7 | - | 46 | 13 | 11 | 0 | 54.17% | List | ||||
| Challenge Cup AU | - | 3 | 2 | - | - | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 33.33% | List | ||||
| Club Career - UK | Comp Wins | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| English Championship | - | 9 | 4 | - | - | 16 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 44.44% | List | ||||
| Challenge Cup | - | 1 | 2 | - | - | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| UK Top Division | - | 9 | 4 | - | - | 16 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 44.44% | List | ||||
| Other | Comp Wins | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| QRL | - | 4 | 2 | 0 | - | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 75.00% | List | ||||
| Overall | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||||
| First Class | 218 | 75 | 34 | 4 | 361 | 194 | 91 | 3 | 88.99% | List | |||||
Test Matches - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Australia | 1981-89, 1991 | 35 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 56 | 30 | 5 | 0 | 85.71% | List | ||||
International Matches - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Australia | 1981-1988 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
World Cup Matches - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Australia | 1981-1989 | 9 | 5 | - | - | 20 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 77.78% | List | ||||
Australia - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Brisbane Firsts | 1979-87 | 20 | 5 | 7 | - | 31 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 50.00% | List | ||||
| QLD Firsts | 1979-83, 1987 | 14 | 5 | 3 | - | 25 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 50.00% | List | ||||
| QLD | 1980-91 | 31 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 30 | 19 | 12 | 0 | 61.29% | List | ||||
| Oceania | 1984 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| QLD Resident Maroons | 1987 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | ||||
| Overall | 1979-1991 | 67 | 17 | 11 | 2 | 86 | 37 | 30 | 0 | 55.22% | List | ||||
BRL/NSWRL Premiership (NRL) - By Year | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Season | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Wynnum-Manly | BRL 1987 | 4 | 2 | 0 | / | 2 | 0.00% | - | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 75.00% | List | |
| Brisbane | NSWRL 1988 | 19 | 15 | 8 | / | 16 | 50.00% | - | 76 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 68.42% | List | |
| Brisbane | NSWRL 1989 | 18 | 4 | 2 | / | 8 | 25.00% | - | 20 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 72.22% | List | |
| Brisbane | NSWRL 1990 | 9 | 1 | 1 | / | 1 | 100.00% | - | 6 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 55.56% | List | |
| Gold Coast | NSWRL 1991 | 14 | 3 | 2 | / | 4 | 50.00% | - | 16 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 7.14% | List | |
| Gold Coast | NSWRL 1992 | 20 | 3 | 1 | / | 7 | 14.29% | - | 14 | 6 | 13 | 1 | 30.00% | List | |
BRL/NSWRL Premiership (NRL) - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Wynnum-Manly | 1987 | 4 | 2 | - | / | 2 | 0.00% | - | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 75.00% | List | |
| Brisbane | 1988-90 | 46 | 20 | 11 | / | 25 | 44.00% | - | 102 | 31 | 14 | 1 | 67.39% | List | |
| Gold Coast | 1991-92 | 34 | 6 | 3 | / | 11 | 27.27% | - | 30 | 7 | 25 | 2 | 20.59% | List | |
| Overall | 1987-1992 | 84 | 28 | 14 | / | 38 | 36.84% | 0 | 140 | 41 | 40 | 3 | 48.81% | List | |
English Career - By Year | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Season | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Wakefield | 1983/84 | 10 | 6 | - | - | 24 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 60.00% | List | ||||
English Career - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Wakefield | 1983 | 10 | 6 | - | - | 24 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 50.00% | List | ||||
Contributions:
Rugby League Tables, Paul Carter, AJ Lucantonio, Greg Fiveash, Andrew Ferguson, Shawn Dollin, Max Turner, Alan Katzmann, Steven Russo, Jason Ganter, Bill Bates, Tim Costello
Sources:
David Middleton's Rugby League Yearbook (1987-88 to present), Match Video, Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook (1981-82 to 1999), Irvin Saxton's Record Keepers' Club
Your Say
16 Aug 2011 9:10pm
just brillant
22 Apr 2012 11:22am
the last comment stated "just brilliant".....you know what, he was better than that!!
1 Jun 2012 5:22pm
No words can describe the king
23 Jul 2012 10:09pm
best ive ever seen
2 Aug 2012 10:37pm
Wally will always be known as the most influential player in the history of the game. On the field he was clever, strong & aggressive. The King was absolutely brilliant.
15 Aug 2012 2:15pm
Wally played for Wakefield Trinity for 10 games, and was a hit not a flop. Even now Trinity fans want him in there team. Wakefield was a team that was not good enough for the top division but too good for the second division,but were amazing for ten games from december to february. He made his Trinity debut against Peter Stirlings Hull,who were probably the best side in the league. A full house at Belle Vue saw Trinity beaten 32-16. 16-16 at half time, trinity fell away due to a jet lagged Wally. That Hull side contained Peter Strirling, Gary Kemble, James Leuluai, Gary Divorty and Dane O'Hara.
28 Nov 2013 1:31pm
ur a rugby league ledgend
25 Apr 2014 10:29pm
Played against him and with him. Gentlemen & true champion.
24 Oct 2014 11:21am
awesome dude!!! epic man!!! legendary football player!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
6 Feb 2015 10:41am
The best there ever was. The best there ever will be.
19 Feb 2015 10:33pm
THERES ONLY 1 WALLY LEWIS. THE GREATEST
PLAYER I HAVE EVER SEEN.
13 Jul 2016 9:24pm
you are still the best standoff i have ever seen in all facets
I study your moves hard and try to implement :)
I salute you Wally
5 Sep 2016 8:37pm
it was a pleasure to have witnessed Wally play Rugby League. With Valleys in Brisbane league he was a revelation. Then Wynnum but when Wally played for us in 1980 in that first State of Origin a new career started. We loved what you bought to our State Team. Playing for Australia with your pride & passion as always made us proud. Thanks Wally.
23 Jun 2017 9:18am
The King is truly one of the greats of this great game, and arguably the greatest.
1 Oct 2017 11:25am
NSW fan here, Wally is the most dominant player I have seen, unbelievable talent, a conductor who controlled the entire game. he stood way above the best NSW could offer and they were great players themselves. He was one of a kind. Pleasure to watch
2 Dec 2017 1:45pm
Have you the stats from Valleys and Wynnum Manly playing days. Important as he represented Australia from there.
5 Apr 2018 5:45pm
He was the greatest player in the history of rugby league.
4 Aug 2018 1:03pm
After reading your achievement Wally I like many Queenslander have nothing but praise for what you have achieve
8 Dec 2019 1:09pm
Wally Lewis was the best ever he played the whole of his career at five eight. He played against some great five eights and he had the wood on all of them. There has been some great players after his time but they would not have been as great marking up to Wally Lewis.,
30 Mar 2020 7:31pm
Fabulous player an immortal all the way. The King should have come to Sydney with Gene Miles to Manly in 1984 but QRL under Ron McCaulife would not let him go
18 Apr 2020 2:26am
Wally Lewis made the players around him play better. He was a fantastic leader who demonstrated how to win with his positive actions.
In consideration of all the very best players to have played Rugby League, in my view there are only three than can lay claim to being judged the best ever; Wally Lewis, Andrew Johns and
Jonathan Thurston...but in my view, Wally Lewis is ‘The Greatest’...Rugby League’s answer to Muhammad Ali.
11 Oct 2020 5:49pm
as Tina Turner said simply the best better than all the rest. Champion
12 Dec 2020 9:58pm
As a kid I looked up to him. I am still doing this today 40 years later. He meant so much to so many people. He is an icon of a generation. The greatest I have ever seen.
3 Oct 2021 6:38am
Simple.The greatest,the best!The most influential player in Rugby League history.Will forever be cast in Bronze.The King,the Emperor of Lang park.The captain of the 84 Kangaroos.Enough said!!
20 Jun 2023 9:21pm
Full disclosure here.I am a proud QUEENSLANDER !!! Wally's Lewis simply the best!1986 Kangaroos,Sterling at half back,Kenny and Miles in the centres.Doesnt get any better then that.Go theMAROONS!!
31 Jul 2023 1:09pm
Only the words “The Best Ever”. Putting aside qld and Australia, I would love to see the attendence figures when Wally was the Man at Wynnum Manly, my mother actually ran onto field at a wynnum game with an umbrella to protect Wally because the opposing side where giving him a very bad time ( all illegal of course, it was only the slim chance they had of beating “The King”
1 Aug 2024 11:04am
Bow To The KING
12 Jun 2025 10:36am
A true legend, and the best nrl will have ever seen. The king is on a next level of greatness
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