Corey Parker

Corey Parker is one of the most decorated forwards in the history of rugby league.

He retired in 2016 after 16 years in the NRL as one of the game’s great statesmen – revered as a staunch Brisbane Broncos club man, a State Origin legend and World Cup winner.

Corey grew up in Brisbane and progressed through various local clubs before emerging from Logan Brothers while also achieving Junior Kangaroo and Australian schoolboy representation.

Corey was signed to the Brisbane Broncos at the tender age of 17 and played his first games in the Broncos system for feeder club Toowoomba Clydesdales in 1999, debuting for the Brisbane Broncos aged 18 against the Warriors in Round 6, 2001.

Corey’s NRL career was off to an exceptional start scoring a try in his debut match for the Broncos. Quickly selected to join the Maroons in 2004, he played off the interchange bench for Games II and III as well as Game III, 2005 – both winning series for the Queenslanders. The player who came to be affectionately known as “Cozza” became the highest-scoring Broncos player in 2006 with 142 season points, and repeated the feat in 2007 despite suffering an injury in Round 1 and missing the next eight games. His record breaking didn’t stop there, with Corey breaking the Broncos club record of most goals in a match kicking 10 from 10 in a game in 2008.

These achievements were only the beginning. Corey received the Paul Morgan medal as Broncos Player of the Year in 2009 and in 2015 succeeded Darren Lockyer as the highest-scoring Broncos player of all time with 1312 career points.

Earning recognition of his abilities at all levels, Corey also donned the green and gold, playing 13 Tests for Australia, including the 2013 World Cup victory.

In 2016, Corey was given the honour of captaining the Brisbane Broncos and retired in September having played 347 first grade games, making him fourth on the all-time list of most NRL games played.

Although an interchange player in three games in 2004 and 2005, Corey’s State of Origin journey was only just beginning. He returned to the Queensland Maroons interchange in 2011, earning his place in the run-on side for the first time as lock in 2012. By the end of 2016, Corey had won six State of Origin series with the Maroons, and picked up the Wally Lewis medal for the State of Origin Player of the Series in 2015.

A Brisbane Bronco from start to finish, Corey hung up the boots on 16 September 2016 having played more rugby league games than any other forward in the game’s 108-year history.

Power, dedication, durability – the hallmarks of a champion who will long be remembered as one of the most popular players of the modern era.