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Michael Potter
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Michael Potter (born 24 September 1963) is an Australian professional rugby league football coach who most recently served as the interim head coach of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the National Rugby League (NRL), and a former professional rugby league footballer. He was previously head coach of Super League clubs, the Catalans Dragons, St Helens, the Bradford Bulls and NRL club the Wests Tigers. As a player, he was a New South Wales State of Origin representative fullback, playing his club football for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (with whom he won the 1984 and 1985 premierships), the St George Dragons (whom he captained, and won the 1991 Dally M Medal with) and the Western Reds. He currently works as an assistant coach for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.
Key Information
Early life
[edit]Potter was born in Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia.
Playing career
[edit]Bulldogs
[edit]Canterbury signed Potter while he was still a student at St Gregory's College, Campbelltown.[citation needed] He made his first grade debut in the round 18 match of 1983 against Eastern Suburbs coming in for the injured Neil Baker. There were 3 referees used in this match when the appointed referee, Mick Stone was injured. He was replaced by the reserve grade referee, Lionel Green, who subsequently was replaced by the Third Grade referee Paul Miller. This was Potter's only game of first grade in 1983. In only his second year of first-grade, Potter became the first fullback to win the Dally M Player of the Year award.
He is a member of Canterburys' 1984 Premiership winning team in their 6–4 win over Parramatta. A second premiership followed when Canterbury defeated St. George, 7–6 in the 1985 Grand Final at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Potter broke his leg in 1986 and struggled to regain his form at Canterbury.
St. George Dragons
[edit]He signed with the St. George Dragons in 1989 and later became team captain. In 1991, Potter won his second Dally M Player of the Year award. He played fullback for the Dragons in the 8-28 Grand Final loss to the Brisbane Broncos in 1992.[citation needed]
Michael Potter's good form for the Dragons in the back half of the 1992 season saw him in contention for Australia's World Cup Final squad as incumbent Aussie fullback Andrew Ettingshausen was unavailable because of injury, as were Gary Belcher and Dale Shearer. However, the size of the loss to the Broncos may have cost him his chance with Balmain's Tim Brasher and Newcastle's Brad Godden selected for the fullback role instead.
The following season Potter was captain of St. George in their 6–14 loss to Brisbane in the 1993 Grand Final.
Potter retired at the end of the 1993 season.
Western Reds
[edit]Potter returned to playing rugby league, and signed to play for one of the four new teams introduced for the 1995 season, the Western Reds, going on to play 21 games for the Perth based team before retiring for good at the end of the 1996 ARL season.[citation needed]
Coaching career
[edit]Following his retirement as a player in 1996, Potter started his coaching career as assistant coach for the Super League team, the Bradford Bulls, alongside Matthew Elliott. He remained there until 1999 when he took over the coaching position for the New South Wales Under-17 squad, coaching them to consecutive wins over Queensland.[3]
Potter coached St. George Illawarra's Premier League side for four years before being appointed in February 2006 as head coach for the French rugby league team the Catalans Dragons, succeeding Steve Deakin.[3] Potter coached the team to the 2007 Challenge Cup Final and in 2008 was named Super League coach of the year.
Potter succeeded Daniel Anderson as head coach of St Helens at the beginning of the 2009 season.[4] He coached St Helens to the 2009 Super League Grand Final defeat by Leeds at Old Trafford.[5] In May 2010, he announced that he would be leaving St. Helens at the end of the 2010 season. In July 2010 Potter signed a two-year contract to return to Bradford, this time as head coach, commencing in 2011. Despite the club being placed in receivership in 2012, the team was on the verge of making the semis as Potter remained as unpaid coach. "I think I served above and beyond what I needed to do there," Potter said. "I felt obliged to do that. It has made me a better coach. The reasons I want to coach aren't financial but because you love the game."[6]
In October 2012, NRL side West Tigers confirmed that Potter would be the head coach for the 2013 and 2014 seasons. With papers reporting that he had been endorsed by the club's players, Potter said, "I am very happy to be here, there's not many jobs like this. I have served a long apprenticeship and I think I am ready."[7]
After much speculation during the 2014 season, following reports of miscommunication between him and the playing group, as well as continued poor results on the field, it was announced on 17 September 2014 that Potter would not be extended as a coach.[8][9] He had completed two seasons as their coach. He later said, "I found it to be a different club to any club I’d been with. It was a political hotbed. I knew the first day I went in there it was going to be a tough gig. I went in there to coach, not be a politician. It was conflicted."[10]
Potter spent a large part of 2015 coaching the Fiji Under-20s side, and was an assistant coach with the New South Wales under-16s team. In November, it was confirmed that he would be joining the Newcastle Knights as an assistant coach under Nathan Brown.[11][12]
In 2016, along with his role as assistant coach at the Newcastle club, Potter became the new coach of the Fiji national rugby league team on a deal to the end of the year that would see him coach Fiji in the 2016 Pacific Test against Papua New Guinea, with the Fiji National Rugby League and Potter, at the end of the year, to discuss extending that into the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.[13] In 2018, Potter stood down from his role as coach of the Fijian national team.[14]
On 2 November 2018, Potter was announced as an NRL Development Coach at the Parramatta Eels.[15] In 2020, he became head coach of NSW Cup side, Mounties. On 18 May 2022, Potter was made interim coach of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs after Trent Barrett stood down as head coach for the remainder of 2022.[16]
Fiji coaching record
[edit]| Opponent | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | Win Ratio (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 00.00 | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 00.00 | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 00.00 | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 | |
| TOTAL | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 62.50 |
| World Cup record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | L | D | ||
| Australia/New Zealand/Papua New Guinea 2017 | Fourth-Place | 4/14 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 0 Titles | 0/1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Pacific tests | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | L | D | ||
| 2016 Melanesian Cup | Runners up | 2/2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2017 | Runners up | 2/2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 0 Titles | 0/2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Other Test matches | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | L | D | ||
| 2016 | Winners | 1/2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 1 Win | 1/1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
References
[edit]- Alan Whiticker & Glen Hudson (2007). The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players. Wetherill Park, New South Wales: Gary Allen Pty Ltd. p. 438. ISBN 978-1-877082-93-1.
- Phil Wilkinson (August 2007). "Legend Q&A". Rugby League Week. No. 22. pp. 22–23.
Footnotes
[edit]- ^ Rugby League Project (player)
- ^ Rugby League Project (coach)
- ^ a b "Dragons Appoint Potter" (fee required). AAP Sports News (Australia). 24 February 2006. Retrieved 26 July 2008.[dead link]
- ^ "Potter to quit Dragons for Saints". BBC. 22 April 2008. Retrieved 22 April 2008.
- ^ Fletcher, Paul (10 October 2009). "St Helens 10-18 Leeds Rhinos". BBC Sport. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
- ^ Andrew Webster (25 October 2012). "Mick Potter may have just entered rugby league's version of the ninth circle of hell". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
- ^ Brad Walter, Emma Partridge (25 October 2012). "Happy Tigers get their man as Potter embraced by stars". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
- ^ Wests Tigers dump Mick Potter for 2015, end months of speculation his contract would not be renewed, Fox Sports Australia, 17 September 2014
- ^ Time's up as Wests Tigers decide to axe coach Mick Potter and punt on David Kidwell, Fox Sports Australia, 26 July 2014
- ^ Michael Chammas. "A crisis of identity: The real tales from Tiger town". Sydney Morning Herald.
- ^ Michael Carayannis. "Ex-Wests Tigers coach Mick Potter set to join Nathan Brown at Newcastle Knights". The Sydney Morning Herald.
- ^ "Nathan Brown Says Sione Matautia Must Find a Single Position for Newcastle". Dailytelegraph.com.au. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
- ^ "Mick Potter named Fiji Bati coach". asiapacificrl.com. 13 March 2016. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
- ^ "Fiji seeking new coach after Potter steps down". nrl.com. 13 April 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
- ^ "2019 football staff update". 2 November 2018.
- ^ "Canterbury appoint Mick Potter as interim coach for rest of NRL season". www.abc.net.au.
External links
[edit]Michael Potter
View on GrokipediaEarly life and junior career
Early life
Michael Potter was born on 24 September 1963 in Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia.[3] Raised in Parramatta, a working-class suburb in western Sydney known for its deep rugby league traditions, Potter grew up in an environment where the sport was integral to community life.[6] The area, home to the Parramatta Eels, fostered early exposure to rugby league through local clubs, schools, and neighborhood games, shaping his formative interest in the game. Limited details are available about his family background, though the working-class roots of western Sydney influenced many young athletes like Potter to pursue sporting opportunities as a pathway for advancement.[7] Potter attended St Gregory's College in Campbelltown, where he began organized junior rugby league involvement.[1]Junior career
Potter attended St Gregory's College in Campbelltown, where he played as a fullback and demonstrated talent in schoolboy rugby league competitions.[1] The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs recognized this ability early, signing Potter while he was still a student at St Gregory's, which integrated him into the club's junior development pathway.[1] This recruitment underscored the Bulldogs' strategy of identifying and nurturing local talent from strong school programs. These junior achievements paved the way for Potter's transition to professional rugby league, culminating in his first-grade debut for Canterbury in 1983.[1]Professional playing career
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
Michael Potter made his professional debut in 1983 with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, establishing himself as the club's fullback in the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) competition.[1] In his rookie season, he quickly adapted to first-grade demands, contributing to a team that reached the semi-finals and laying the foundation for his rapid rise. Potter's breakthrough came in 1984, his second season, when he played a pivotal role in the Bulldogs' premiership victory. The team defeated the Parramatta Eels 6-4 in a tightly contested grand final at the Sydney Cricket Ground, with Potter anchoring the backline as fullback and helping maintain a stout defense that limited the Eels to just four points.[8][9] His outstanding individual performance that year earned him the Dally M Player of the Year award, making him the first fullback to win the honor, as well as the Dally M Fullback of the Year, recognizing his speed, defensive reliability, and game-reading ability.[10][11] The Bulldogs achieved back-to-back success in 1985, securing another premiership with a narrow 7-6 win over the St. George Dragons in the grand final. Potter again started at fullback, providing crucial territorial kicks and solid under the high ball to support the team's gritty forward pack in a low-scoring affair decided by a single penalty goal.[12][13] The club added a third premiership in 1988 during Potter's tenure, further highlighting the dominant era he helped define. Over his tenure with the club from 1983 to 1988, Potter appeared in 80 first-grade matches, scoring 14 tries for a total of 56 points, while his consistent play helped solidify the Bulldogs' backline.[1]St. George Dragons
In 1989, Michael Potter transferred to the St. George Dragons from the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, where he assumed a leadership role at fullback.[14] His prior premiership successes with the Bulldogs provided a foundation for his emerging captaincy qualities at the Dragons.[14] During his tenure from 1989 to 1993, Potter played 100 games for St. George, scoring 14 tries and accumulating 56 points.[14] In 1991, he earned the Dally M Player of the Year award, recognizing his outstanding performance as a fullback.[10] He also received the Dally M Fullback of the Year honor in both 1991 and 1992.[14] Potter was appointed captain for the 1993 season, leading the Dragons to the NSWRL Grand Final, where they suffered a 14-6 defeat to the Brisbane Broncos at the Sydney Football Stadium.[1] Following the grand final loss, Potter announced his retirement from professional rugby league.[1]Western Reds
After retiring following the 1993 NSWRL Grand Final, Michael Potter unretired to sign with the expansion Western Reds for their inaugural season in the Australian Rugby League (ARL) in 1995.[1] As an experienced fullback and former Dally M Medal winner, Potter provided leadership and stability to the fledgling Perth-based franchise during its 1995–1996 campaigns in the ARL competition, helping to establish the team's presence in the national league amid the challenges of building a new fanbase and roster in Western Australia.[1] Over two seasons with the Western Reds, Potter appeared in 21 first-grade matches, scoring 1 try for 4 points, before fully retiring at the end of 1996.[1] Across his entire club career with Canterbury-Bankstown, St. George, and the Western Reds, he played 201 games, scoring 29 tries for 116 points.[1]Representative playing career
New South Wales State of Origin
Michael Potter earned selection for New South Wales in the decisive Game 3 of the 1984 State of Origin series, marking his sole appearance at the elite interstate level.[1] He entered the match as a substitute fullback, contributing to the Blues' 22-12 victory over Queensland at Lang Park in Brisbane, which secured the series win for New South Wales after losses in the first two games.[15] Although he did not score points, his defensive solidity and speed helped maintain the backline structure during a hard-fought contest dominated by tries from teammates like Brian Johnston and Noel Cleal.[15] Potter's call-up was a direct result of his breakout performance in the 1984 NSWRL season with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, where he claimed the Dally M Player of the Year award as a 20-year-old fullback and played a pivotal role in their grand final triumph over Parramatta.[10] This club form, highlighted by his exceptional try-scoring and defensive contributions, positioned him as a rising star capable of handling the intense pressure of Origin football.[16] Despite the promise shown in his debut, Potter made no further State of Origin appearances, overshadowed by fierce competition at fullback—particularly from Balmain's Garry Jack, who started all three games in the 1985 series—and hampered by injuries, including a severe broken leg in 1986 that derailed his momentum.[1][17]Country Origin
Michael Potter earned three consecutive selections for the New South Wales Country Origin team in 1990, 1991, and 1992, serving as fullback in each match during his time with the St. George Dragons.[1] These appearances underscored his consistent form at club level, where his defensive solidity and attacking prowess from the back made him a reliable choice for representative duties beyond the high-profile State of Origin series.[14] In the 1990 City vs. Country encounter, Potter anchored the Country backline with strong positional play, contributing to a tightly contested match that highlighted the competitiveness of regional talent against Sydney-based players.[18] His selection that year reflected early promise after joining St. George, where he quickly established himself as a key defender capable of thwarting opposition raids. The following season in 1991, Potter's performances were elevated by his standout club season, including winning the Dally M Fullback of the Year award, which further affirmed his selection and role in organizing Country's rear guard during a match that emphasized disciplined teamwork.[19] Potter's 1992 appearance capped his Country Origin tenure, where he played a pivotal role in a victory for the regional side—their first over City in several years—through key tackles and support play that facilitated forward momentum.[20] These selections, drawn directly from his impressive Dragons form, demonstrated Potter's versatility and endurance as a fullback in representative rugby league, solidifying his reputation as a dependable performer in non-Origin interstate fixtures.[14]Coaching career
Assistant coaching roles
Following his retirement from playing rugby league in 1996, Michael Potter began his coaching career with an assistant role at the Bradford Bulls in the Super League, serving under head coach Matthew Elliott from 1996 to 1999. In this position, he supported team preparations and contributed to player development within the English club environment.[21][22] Potter later took on assistant coaching duties in the NRL, joining the Newcastle Knights in 2016 as an assistant to head coach Nathan Brown, a role he held through the 2018 season. His responsibilities at the Knights included focusing on defensive strategies and aiding in overall team development.[23][24] In late 2018, Potter transitioned to the Parramatta Eels as an NRL Development Coach, where he emphasized player development and supported the assistant coaching staff in preparing the squad for matches.[25] In November 2025, Potter transitioned to an academy development role at the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, focusing on junior player mentoring and talent pathway progression, as part of a coaching reshuffle.[26]Head coaching roles
Michael Potter began his head coaching career with the Catalans Dragons in the Super League from 2006 to 2008, where he coached 89 games, securing 41 wins for a 46.07% win rate.[3] During this period, Potter played a pivotal role in establishing the French club as a competitive force in the competition, guiding them to the 2007 Challenge Cup final and earning the Super League Coach of the Year award in 2008.[27] Potter then took over at St Helens for the 2009 and 2010 seasons, coaching 68 games with 49 wins and a 72.06% win rate.[3] Under his leadership, the team emphasized strong defensive structures, which contributed to their progression to the 2009 Super League Grand Final, where they were defeated 18-10 by Leeds Rhinos at Old Trafford.[28][29] In 2011 and 2012, Potter coached the Bradford Bulls across 58 games, achieving 25 wins and a 43.10% win rate amid significant off-field challenges.[3] The club entered administration in July 2012, leading to Potter's redundancy as part of 16 staff cuts, though he briefly returned in a voluntary capacity to support the team.[30] Despite these disruptions, Potter maintained a focus on defensive resilience to build team confidence.[31] Potter's tenure with the Wests Tigers in the NRL spanned 2013 and 2014, encompassing 48 games with 17 wins and a 35.42% win rate.[3] Appointed to oversee a rebuilding phase, he collaborated with development coach Tim Sheens to emphasize youth integration and foundational improvements, though the club opted not to renew his contract in 2014 to pursue a fresh approach.[32][33] Building further experience in lower-tier leadership, Potter served as head coach of the Mount Pritchard Mounties in the New South Wales Cup from 2021 to 2022, overseeing 26 games with 7 wins, 14 losses, and 5 draws for a 26.92% win rate. He focused on team strategies, player mentoring, and defensive preparations for the reserve-grade competition affiliated with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.[34][35][3] Returning to Australia, Potter served as interim head coach for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in 2022, managing 14 games with 5 wins and a 35.71% win rate.[3] This role came after Trent Barrett's resignation, with Potter stepping in to stabilize the team for the remainder of the season.[36] In November 2023, Potter was appointed head coach of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs' New South Wales Cup team for the 2024 and 2025 seasons, coaching 49 games with 24 wins, 23 losses, and 2 draws for a 48.98% win rate. His tenure emphasized youth development, tactical discipline, and preparing emerging players for NRL opportunities within the club's pathway system.[4][3] Across his club head coaching career, Potter oversaw 352 games, recording 168 wins, 171 losses, and 13 draws for an overall 47.73% win rate.[3] His tactical approach consistently prioritized defensive organization, as evidenced in multiple roles where he highlighted its role in fostering team performance and progression.[37][38]International coaching
Michael Potter was appointed head coach of the Fiji Bati in March 2016 on a short-term contract through the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, leveraging his prior experience coaching in the Super League with clubs such as Bradford Bulls, St Helens, and Catalans Dragons.[39][40] Over his tenure from 2016 to 2017, Potter oversaw 8 international matches, achieving 5 wins and 3 losses for a 62.5% win rate.[3] Potter's leadership guided Fiji to a fourth-place finish at the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, their third consecutive semi-final appearance, highlighted by four victories including notable upsets against higher-ranked opponents.[41] In the tournament, Fiji topped Group D with dominant pool-stage wins over the United States (58–12), Italy (38–10), and Wales (72–6), before stunning New Zealand 22–6 in the quarter-final at Wellington's Westpac Stadium—a result that eliminated the host nation and marked one of the competition's biggest shocks.[42][43][44] Their campaign ended in the semi-final with a 54–6 loss to Australia in Brisbane.[45] Potter emphasized tactical innovations, such as integrating Pacific Islander players from the NRL—like Jarryd Hayne and Kevin Naiqama—into a cohesive unit while implementing robust defensive structures tailored to the intensity of international rugby league.[46] These strategies focused on leveraging Fiji's physicality and speed to counter stronger opponents, contributing to their upset victories and elevating the team's global standing.[47]| Date | Opponent | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 May 2016 | Papua New Guinea | Loss | 22–24 |
| 8 Oct 2016 | Samoa | Win | 20–18 |
| 6 May 2017 | Tonga | Loss | 24–26 |
| 28 Oct 2017 | United States | Win | 58–12 |
| 4 Nov 2017 | Italy | Win | 38–10 |
| 5 Nov 2017 | Wales | Win | 72–6 |
| 18 Nov 2017 | New Zealand | Win | 22–6 |
| 24 Nov 2017 | Australia | Loss | 6–54 |