David Furner

Referee Career

Vital Statistics

Born
Saturday, 6th February, 1971
Current Age
53 years and 51 days
Place Of Birth
Queanbeyan, New South Wales, Australia

Awards & Accolades

Clive Churchill Medal
1994

Biography

Son of former Australian coach Don Furner and a product of Queanbeyan Whites RU club, David Furner represented Australian RU Under 17s and Under 21s before joining Canberra in 1991. Selected for City Origin in 1993, the young backrower developed into a clever ball-player with a deceptive step. His naming as the Clive Churchill Medal winner in Canberra's 1994 grand final win over C’bury propelled him into the Kangaroo squad (interestingly, his father Don Furner, Chairman of Selectors, abstained from voting). A reserve in Australia's First Test loss at Wembley Furner's open play and capable goal-kicking skills were seen to good effect on tour. Furner was one of the last of the Canberra players to join Super League, a decision that could not have been easy given the fact that he father worked for the ARL. While Furner was a State of Origin rep in 1996 and again in 1998 after the reunification of the game, his only international matches after the 1994 Kangaroo Tour were during Super League’s 1997 season. In 1999 Furner was called into the NSW team as a replacement for the suspended David Barnhill in the historic third State of Origin match that finished in a draw. The highest point-scorer in the history of the Canberra club Furner surpassed Bernie Purcell’s long-standing record as the greatest point-scoring forward in the history of the game before leaving the Raiders at the end of 2000 to play for Wigan. A try-scorer in the club’s Challenge Cup final win in 2002 Furner moved to Leeds in 2003 as Wigan struggled under salary cap restrictions. He ended his career as a member of the Leeds team that defeated Bradford in the English Super League grand final in 2004. Furner then returned to Australia to take up an assistant coach’s role with the Raiders and was appointed team manager of the NSW ‘Blues’ for 2005.
- ALAN WHITICKER

Referee Career Statistics

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Your Say

  • johnno
    02/07/2012

    David Furner would be the first second-rower picked in the Best Ever Raiders Team. He was a brilliant attacking forward possessing a big side-step, a wonderful supporting player, and a very strong defender. On top of that, he was the goal kicker. At the time he left the Raiders, at the end of 2000 season, he was the highest point-scoring forward ever in Australian Rugby League, a State of Origin representative for NSW, a Kangaroo, and a Clive Churchill Medallist. All of this would indicate he was an exceptional player.

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Contributions: Rugby League Tables, Andrew Ferguson, Shawn Dollin, AJ Lucantonio, Paul Carter, Greg Fiveash, Terry Liberopoulos, Bill Bates, Steven Russo, Alan Katzmann

Sources: ARL Rugby League Yearbook 1997, NRL Rugby League Yearbook 1998, NRL Rugby League Yearbook 1999, NRL Rugby League Yearbook 2000, NRL Rugby League Yearbook 2001, ARL Rugby League Yearbook 1996, Richard Bailey's Rugby League World, NSWRL Rugby League Yearbook 1992-93, NSWRL Rugby League Yearbook 1994, ARL Rugby League Yearbook 1995