Brent Kite

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title: "Brent Kite" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1981-births", "living-people", "australia-national-rugby-league-team-players", "australian-people-of-tongan-descent", "sportspeople-of-tongan-descent", "australian-rugby-league-players", "clive-churchill-medal-winners", "country-new-south-wales-origin-rugby-league-team-players", "manly-warringah-sea-eagles-captains", "manly-warringah-sea-eagles-players", "new-south-wales-rugby-league-state-of-origin-players", "penrith-panthers-players", "penrith-panthers-captains", "prime-minister's-xiii-players", "rugby-league-players-from-queanbeyan", "rugby-league-props", "rugby-league-second-rows", "st.-george-illawarra-dragons-players", "tonga-national-rugby-league-team-captains", "tonga-national-rugby-league-team-players", "tongan-rugby-league-players", "people-educated-at-erindale-college", "21st-century-australian-sportsmen"] description: "Australia & Tonga international rugby league footballer" topic_path: "law" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brent_Kite" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Australia & Tonga international rugby league footballer ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox rugby league biography"]

Field	Value
name	Brent Kite
image	Brent Kite Manly.jpg
position
birth_date
birth_place	Queanbeyan, New South Wales, Australia
height	190 cm
weight	105 kg
club1	St. George Illawarra
year1start	2002
year1end	04
appearances1	67
tries1	9
goals1	0
fieldgoals1	0
points1	36
club2	Manly Sea Eagles
year2start	2005
year2end	13
appearances2	221
tries2	12
goals2	0
fieldgoals2	0
points2	48
club3	Penrith Panthers
year3start	2014
year3end	15
appearances3	25
tries3	0
goals3	0
fieldgoals3	0
points3	0
teamA	Tonga
yearAstart	2000
yearAend	13
appearancesA	6
triesA	0
goalsA	0
fieldgoalsA	0
pointsA	0
teamB	NSW Country
yearBstart	2004
yearBend	06
appearancesB	2
triesB	0
goalsB	0
fieldgoalsB	0
pointsB	0
teamC	New South Wales
yearCstart	2004
yearCend	09
appearancesC	10
triesC	0
goalsC	0
fieldgoalsC	0
pointsC	0
teamD	Australia
yearDstart	2006
yearDend	09
appearancesD	14
triesD	0
goalsD	0
fieldgoalsD	0
pointsD	0
retired	yes
updated	5 September 2015
source
::

|name = Brent Kite |fullname = |image = Brent Kite Manly.jpg |image_size = |caption = |position = |birth_date = |birth_place = Queanbeyan, New South Wales, Australia |height = 190 cm |weight = 105 kg |club1 = St. George Illawarra |year1start = 2002 |year1end = 04 |appearances1 = 67 |tries1 = 9 |goals1 = 0 |fieldgoals1 = 0 |points1 = 36 |club2 = Manly Sea Eagles |year2start = 2005 |year2end = 13 |appearances2 = 221 |tries2 = 12 |goals2 = 0 |fieldgoals2 = 0 |points2 = 48 |club3 = Penrith Panthers |year3start = 2014 |year3end = 15 |appearances3 = 25 |tries3 = 0 |goals3 = 0 |fieldgoals3 = 0 |points3 = 0 |teamA = Tonga |yearAstart = 2000 |yearAend = 13 |appearancesA = 6 |triesA = 0 |goalsA = 0 |fieldgoalsA = 0 |pointsA = 0 |teamB = NSW Country |yearBstart = 2004 |yearBend = 06 |appearancesB = 2 |triesB = 0 |goalsB = 0 |fieldgoalsB = 0 |pointsB = 0 |teamC = New South Wales |yearCstart = 2004 |yearCend = 09 |appearancesC = 10 |triesC = 0 |goalsC = 0 |fieldgoalsC = 0 |pointsC = 0 |teamD = Australia |yearDstart = 2006 |yearDend = 09 |appearancesD = 14 |triesD = 0 |goalsD = 0 |fieldgoalsD = 0 |pointsD = 0 |retired = yes |updated = 5 September 2015 |source =

Brent Kite (born 7 March 1981) is a former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. A Tonga and Australia international, and New South Wales State of Origin representative front-row forward, he played club football for the St. George Illawarra Dragons, Manly Warringah Sea Eagles and Penrith Panthers. Kite was named the Clive Churchill Medallist for his performance in the 2008 NRL Grand Final, in which he helped steer Manly-Warringah to a 40–0 thumping of the Melbourne Storm, scoring a try.

Background

He was born in Queanbeyan, New South Wales, Australia.

Kite is of Tongan descent.

Early career

And played junior football with the Queanbeyan Blues. He represented the Australian Schoolboys side their tour of New Zealand in 1998. He spent three years with the Canberra Raiders' lower grades sides following his graduation from Erindale College.

Professional playing career

In late 2000 he travelled to Europe to play for the Tonga national rugby league team alongside Willie Mason in the 2000 World Cup tournament.

St George Illawarra Dragons

Kite made his NRL debut for the St George Illawarra Dragons against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks at Sydney Football Stadium on 17 March 2002. Kite moved from the into the front-row following injuries at St George in early 2004. After showing good form in early 2004, Kite was selected for the Country Origin side. Kite was also selected to represent New South Wales, playing all three games in the 2004 State of Origin series. Kite left the Dragons at the end of the 2004 NRL season with both parties citing salary cap constraints as the reason for his move to the Manly Sea Eagles.

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles

Kite moved to Brookvale Oval for the 2005 NRL season, with Manly beating off the likes of Canberra for his signature. Kite was recalled to the Blues side for the 2006 State of Origin series, where he played the first two games. Kite was also selected to play at international level for Australia, where he played in the 2006 Tri-Nations series off the bench.

Kite was selected to play for the Australian national team at prop forward in the 2007 ANZAC Test victory against New Zealand. Kite played all three games of the 2007 State of Origin series. Kite played in the 2007 NRL Grand Final defeat by the Melbourne Storm.

Kite was selected for the Centenary Test against New Zealand at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Kite was controversially not selected for any game of the 2008 State of Origin series. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/Brent_Kite_Wave_2008.jpg" caption="Kite playing for the Sea Eagles in 2008"] ::

He played for Manly in the 2008 NRL Grand Final, again against Melbourne. His powerhouse display which included a try in the 59th minute helped Manly to decimate the defending premiers 40–0. For his effort, Kite was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal as man-of-the-match.

Kite was named in the Tonga training squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup. In August 2008, Kite was named in the Australia train-on squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, and in October 2008 he was selected in the final 24-man Australia squad.

In May 2009, Kite was named in the 17-man squad to represent New South Wales in the opening State of Origin match on 3 June 2009, in Melbourne. He was selected for Australia in the one-off test match against New Zealand on 8 May 2009. In 2011, Kite won his second premiership with Manly as they defeated the New Zealand Warriors in the 2011 NRL Grand Final.

In April 2013, Kite captained Tonga in their Pacific Rugby League International fixture against fierce Pacific rivals Samoa. He led his team to demolish Samoa by 36–4.

In October 2013, Kite once again captained Tonga, this time in their 2013 Rugby League World Cup campaign. However, even though he was a great leader, Tonga could not advance past the group stage. He played in all 3 of Tonga's matches.

Penrith Panthers

Kite moved to the Panthers in the 2014 season. In his first season at Penrith, Kite was part of the side which reached the preliminary final after defeating Eastern Suburbs 19–18 in week one of the finals before being defeated by Canterbury the following week and missing out on a first grand final appearance since 2003. In 2015, Kite announced it would be his final year as a professional rugby league footballer and retired at the end of the season.

Statistics

::data[format=table title=""]

Year	Team	Games	Tries	Pts
2002	St. George Illawarra Dragons	21	2	8
2003	23	5	20
2004	23	2	8
2005	Manly Warringah Sea Eagles	22	2	8
2006	24	3	12
2007	23	1	4
2008	27	4	16
2009	24	1	4
2010	24
2011	23
2012	27	1	4
2013	27
2014	Penrith Panthers	19
2015	6
	Totals	313	21	84
::

Coaching career

In 2018, Kite coached the Tweed Coast Raiders to win a Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League premiership and the NSW Country Rugby League's Clayton Cup.

References

References

1. [http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/brent-kite/summary.html Rugby League Project]
2. "NRL Stats".
3. [http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/player?playerid=100310&teamid=3492 Herald Sun]
4. More importantly, Kite now coaches the Tweed Coast Raiders A grade side and led them to an NRRRL grand final win in 2018.[http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/lhqmatchreport/sea-eagles-thump-storm-to-win-top-prize/2008/10/05/1223145162110.html Sydney Morning Herald] {{webarchive. link. (8 October 2008 'Manly Hand Storm record thumping')
5. "Manly Sea Eagles – Brent Kite". Arrive Alive.
6. "Brent Kite". Queanbeyan City Council.
7. "SFX Sports: Show Client". SFX Sports.
8. (1 January 2000). "The Teams: Tonga". BBC.
9. "History of St George Illawarra Dragons". History of St George.
10. (4 May 2004). "Country boy and family man is high as a Kite". League Unlimited.
11. (7 June 2004). "State of Origin debut leaves Brent high as a Kite". The Queanbeyan Age.
12. (23 June 2004). "Manly confirm Kite signing". League Unlimited.
13. (15 July 2008). "Gillette Rugby League Tri-Nations 2006". Tri-Nations 2006.
14. "Anzac Test Match 2007". Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson and Bill Bates.
15. (30 September 2007). "MELBOURNE STORM – 2007 NRL PREMIERS". League Unlimited.
16. (14 May 2008). "Kangaroos prop Brent Kite misses selection for Blues". Taipei Times.
17. (18 May 2008). "Cowboys crushed as coach heads for last supper". stuff.
18. (13 May 2008). "Wallace gets NSW nod". Sky Sports.
19. (23 June 2008). "Just one string for Kite". LeagueHQ.
20. (5 October 2008). "Grand final: As it happened". Fox Sports.
21. (5 August 2008). "Tug-of-war over Mason". Sky Sports.
22. Liam FitzGibbon. (1 August 2008). "Surprises in Kangaroos squad". "Fox Sports News (Australia)".
23. (1 August 2008). "Veteran Lockyer named in Australian squad". International Herald Tribune.
24. (7 October 2008). "Manly six win Australia call-up". BBC.
25. Fitzgibbon, Liam. (25 May 2009). "NSW selectors go with form and not reputation for Origin opener". Fox Sports News (Australia).
26. Wald, Tom. (3 May 2009). "Kangaroos selectors stick by losing World Cup team for New Zealand Test". [[Fox Sports (Australia).
27. (29 September 2013). "Manly deserve more respect for sustained success, says Kite".
28. (21 August 2015). "Major Announcement: Brent Kite".
29. (13 September 2014). "Panthers into prelims after last-minute win over Roosters". ABC News.
30. Vivian, Steve. (9 Sep 2018). "Raiders conquer Ballina in historic NRRRL grand final win". Tweed Daily News.
31. Todd, Nikki. (3 Oct 2018). "Ziebell and Raiders take out top country league gong". Tweed Daily News.

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