Rob Murray wins Gympie’s best coach 2023
The memory of Rob Murray, who coached one of Queensland’s top NRL players, has lived on as the Gympie sports community vote him best coach in 2023, despite his death a year ago.
Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
In a surprise nomination, but hardly a surprise win, Rob Murray has been voted the best coach in Gympie for 2023.
Mr Murray was the coach of junior Gympie Devils for more than 20 years and passed away on November 9, 2022 after a two-year fight with leukaemia.
His memory, legacy and acknowledgment in the community has far from passed with him, instead helping him secure a landslide victory and naming him the best coach by collecting 40 per cent of the vote.
Mr Murray’s good friend Nancy Cook nominated him at the beginning of the competition in a cheeky nudge and said she could “hear him laughing up there”.
“He just put everything into the rugby league team,” she said.
Ms Cook’s son Ben Santowski grew up playing footy under the loyal, passionate and watchful eye of Mr Murray, and she said he was a mentor, role model and friend to the boys.
“He taught them to believe in themselves even if you’ve been bullied and be commit to whatever they wanted to do,” she said.
“If he saw an injustice happen, he would stand up to it.
“He was just like one of them really, he was just someone that they can relate to, someone they could talk to.”
“It just shows that people thought of him as something fantastic,” Ms Cook said.
One of his junior players was Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, now captain of the Gold Coast Titans.
A statement from the Gympie Devils Rugby League said Rob “made a significant positive contribution to developing the club’s junior players not just in rugby league bus also as members of our local community”.
“Rob is greatly missed, this posthumous award is well deserved and a wonderful acknowledgment of Rob’s contribution to our club and community,” it stated.
Rob was awarded a life membership with the Gympie Devils club in 2016.
More Coverage
Originally published as Rob Murray wins Gympie’s best coach 2023
POLL: The 100 best footballers in regional Queensland
Find out which Aussie rules footballers in regional Queensland made the cut for the 100 best in the state, and VOTE for who you think is the best here.
Top 20: Standout junior and senior cricketers of the week
It was a weekend of washouts across the Sunshine Coast but that hasn’t dampened our top junior and senior performances with a number of standout batting and bowling efforts. See who made the cut.
Div 1 cricket captains reveal mid-season award winners
First grade cricket captains have had their say on a range of key topics to reveal their side’s gun recruit, rising star, team of the season chance and biggest pest. See the full list.
POLL: Vote for the best AFL club in regional Queensland
Aussie rules clubs from the Sunshine Coast all the way up to Cairns and everywhere in between feature in our list of the best going around. HAVE YOUR SAY.
Death, farming, family: Cricket legend reflects on 10,000-run milestone
Sunshine Coast’s all-time leading run scorer Steven Ledger steps onto the pitch with a mission to honor those who’ve shaped his journey. Front of mind is his late twin brother Michael, who sparked their shared passion for cricket as children.
Punters celebrate ‘race that stops the nation’ with flair, style
Hundreds of Gympie punters have donned their finest dresses, fascinators, and suits to celebrate the ‘race that stops the nation’ in style across the region.