Graham 'Muzza' Murray

Coaching Career

Vital Statistics

Full Name
Graham Ernest Murray
Nickname(s)
Muzza
Born
Thursday, 6th January, 1955
Died
Sunday, 28th July, 2013 (Aged 58 years and 203 days)
Place Of Birth
Peak Hill, New South Wales, Australia

Awards & Accolades

Dally M Coach Of The Year
1992

Biography

A talented halfback, Murray was initially overlooked for grading after playing for P’matta's President's Cup team in 1975. He spent time on the bench with Penrith and actually returned to local club Cabramatta before P’matta’s lower grade coach Len Stacker had his way. Known as 'Little Artie' during his time as a player with P’matta and Souths (after Arthur Beetson) because of his organisational ability and great ball-sense, Murray's first grade appearances were sporadic although he did captain the Eels' reserve grade team to premierships in 1977 and 1979. He then shifted to Souths but ran foul of new coach Ron Willey and took on a captain-coach position with Lismore at the end of 1983. As a lower grade coach with Penrith, his teams qualified for grand finals in 1986-87 (the reserve grade team defeating Manly in the latter year) but he then quit the club in protest over the signing of Ron Willey as first grade coach. After a season with Balmain, Murray was understudy to former Eels teammate Ron Hilditch at I’warra before taking over as first grade coach in 1991. Murray took the Steelers to its first win in a final (Pre-season Challenge Cup) and to within an ace of a grand final appearance in 1992. Named ‘Dally M’ Coach of the Year that year, Murray worked hard over the next two seasons but in the opening rounds of the 1995 season, was sacked for organising private negotiations with Super League. After coaching Fiji in the 1995 World Cup competition, Murray coached Leeds in the English Super League before being named as Peter Louis’ successor at Norths for 2000. However, the Bears’ demise and subsequent merger with Manly left him again without a club – until Phil Gould resigned at the Roosters and Murray was quickly snapped up. In his first season he took the Roosters to the grand final but following the club’s quick exit from the final series in 2001, he was inexplicably sacked with two years remaining on his contract. The City Origin coach in 2001-02, Murray has never been that far away from controversy during his coaching career, and following the sacking of North Queensland’ coach Murray Hurst in April 2002, he was thrown back into the fire as coach of the troubled North Queensland club. In 2004 he was at the helm as the North Queensland defeated eventual premiers the Bulldogs and then Brisbane (for the first time in the club’s history) to qualify for the preliminary final. The following year, the North Queensland made the grand final (losing to the W’Tigers. In 2006, he took over as NSW coach but the Blues lost the series and the North Queensland failed to make the final eight.
- ALAN WHITICKER

Coaching 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.

Competitions

Competition   Games W L D Win %  
Tooheys Challenge Cup 3 2 1 0 66.67% List
NRL 331 168 156 7 50.76% List
NRL Finals 18 9 9 0 50.00% List
World Cup 3 1 2 0 33.33% List
Challenge Cup 6 5 1 0 83.33% List
Super League 59 43 15 1 72.88% List
City vs Country 5 3 2 0 60.00% List
State of Origin 6 2 4 0 33.33% List


International

Test Matches - By Team

Team Years Games W L D Win %  
Fiji 1995 3 1 2 0 33.33% List

World Cup Matches - By Team

Team Years Games W L D Win %  
Fiji 1995 3 1 2 0 33.33% List


Representative

Australia - By Team

Team Years Games W L D Win %  
NSW City 2001-05 5 3 2 0 60.00% List
NSW 2006-07 6 2 4 0 33.33% List
Overall2001-2007 11 5 6 0 45.45% List


Club Career

NRL/NSWRL - By Year

Team Season Games W L D Win %  
Illawarra NSWRL 1991 22 12 9 1 54.55% List
Illawarra NSWRL 1992 25 14 10 1 56.00% List
Illawarra NSWRL 1993 22 12 10 0 54.55% List
Illawarra NSWRL 1994 22 11 8 3 50.00% List
Illawarra ARL 1995 4 2 2 0 50.00% List
Hunter Super League 1997 18 7 11 0 38.89% List
Sydney NRL 2000 30 18 12 0 60.00% List
Sydney NRL 2001 27 13 13 1 48.15% List
North QLD NRL 2002 21 8 13 0 38.10% List
North QLD NRL 2003 24 10 14 0 41.67% List
North QLD NRL 2004 27 14 12 1 51.85% List
North QLD NRL 2005 28 16 12 0 57.14% List
North QLD NRL 2006 24 11 13 0 45.83% List
North QLD NRL 2007 27 17 10 0 62.96% List
North QLD NRL 2008 10 3 7 0 30.00% List

NRL/NSWRL - By Team

Team Years Games W L D Win %  
Illawarra 1991-95 95 51 39 5 53.68% List
Hunter 1997 18 7 11 0 38.89% List
Sydney 2000-01 57 31 25 1 54.39% List
North QLD 2002-08 161 79 81 1 49.07% List
Overall1991-2008 331 168 156 7 50.76% List

English Career - By Year

Team Season Games W L D Win %  
Leeds 1998 28 21 7 0 75.00% List
Leeds 1999 37 27 9 1 72.97% List

English Career - By Team

Team Years Games W L D Win %  
Leeds 1998-99 65 48 16 1 73.85% List

Your Say

  • Paul Carter
    08/01/2010

    Better known in recent times as a coach. Murray is actually amongst a select group of players who have gottten a 10 in Rugby League Week. He got a 10 during Parramattas 25-8 win over St George at Cumberland Oval in 1978.

  • JG
    23/08/2017

    Muzza was always 3 seconds ahead of everyone else, mostly between the ears. A highly intelligent bloke, he would have been an absolute superstar if he had been blessed with some pace. A great thinker, a great coach and above all, a GREAT bloke. As a junior at Cabra and Canley Vale, he was best coach I ever had. never stopped learning from him.

  • Jason Davies
    23/10/2022

    Mr Murray was my Maths teacher at Cambridge Park High School in 1988 and 1989...
    Mr Murray was a great teacher and an even better person, I remember you could always have a joke with him...
    My dad new him as well, and were good friends as my dad worked at Parramatta Leagues from early 70's to late 80's...
    R.I.P Mr "Muzza' Murray...
    ????????????????????????????????

  • Dave Curran
    09/10/2023

    Muzza
    Thanks for the mentoring and friendship.
    We'll continue to remember this amazing man.

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Contributions: Andrew Ferguson, Rugby League Tables, Greg Fiveash, Paul Carter, Shawn Dollin, AJ Lucantonio