Chris Sandow

Chris Sandow

Sandow in 2008
Personal information
Born	(1989-01-09) 9 January 1989 Kingaroy, Queensland, Australia
Height	167 cm (5 ft 6 in)[1]
Weight	82 kg (12 st 13 lb)
Playing information
Position	Halfback, Fullback
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2008–11	South Sydney Rabbitohs	84	19	197	13	483
2012–15	Parramatta Eels	78	20	132	5	349
2015–16	Warrington Wolves	27	11	26	1	97
2017–18	Anywhere but that shithole^
	Total	189	50	355	19	929
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2010	Prime Minister's XIII	1	1	0	0	4
2012	Indigenous All stars	1	0	1	0	2
As of 28 March 2016
Source: [2]

Chris Sandow (born 9 January 1989 in Kingaroy, Queensland) is an Indigenous Australian professional rugby league footballer who last played for the Warrington Wolves in the Super League. A goal-kicking halfback, he can also fill in at fullback and previously played in the National Rugby League.

Early life

Sandow on duty with the Indigenous Dreamtime team

Sandow is from Bigambul / Gubbi Gubbi traditional Aboriginal territory.^[3] Sandow grew up in Queensland playing rugby league in the Aboriginal community of Cherbourg, a three-hour drive north west of Brisbane. He later moved to Brisbane where he attended Marsden State High School with Israel Folau.

Early playing career

He played Colts and Queensland Cup rugby for the Souths Logan Magpies. Sandow received junior representative honors when he was selected for the Queensland under-17 & under-19 squads. In 2006, while in year 12 at Marsden State High School where his classmates were Israel Folau and Antonio Winterstein,^[4] Sandow was selected for the Australian Schoolboys squad that toured Wales, England and France, where he was awarded the man-of-the-match award in the game against the British Amateur Rugby League Association (BARLA) squad.

Sandow's first contract was signed with the Gold Coast Titans where he spent two years in the lower grades. He was touted as a first-string back-up for star NRL half-back Scott Prince but his contract was terminated in early 2008 due to poor discipline. It was later revealed through the media that Sandow's partner had given birth to their first child and he was struggling with the distance away from his partner and first-born.^[5]

Club career

South Sydney (2008–2011)

Sandow training with the Indigenous Dreamtime team

Sandow's junior rep performance had not gone unnoticed and South Sydney's recruitment manager Mark Hughes signed Sandow to a minor $30,000 contract with the club.^[5] Sandow began playing in the National Youth Competition for the Rabbitohs squad from the beginning of the 2008 season. In June 2008, the team's star half-back Craig Wing suffered a near season-ending injury and Sandow was named to replace him in the Rabbitohs’ NRL team. At the time Sandow was to make his debut the club was sitting at the bottom of the ladder after having slumped to 11 losses from 12 matches.

In Round 13 during the 2008 season, Sandow made his first-grade debut against the Warriors in Auckland, New Zealand at Mt. Smart Stadium. On debut, Sandow kicked the game-sealing field goal in the dying seconds of the match to record Souths second victory of the season, defeating the Warriors 35-28. This marked the first time since 1999 the Rabbitohs had beaten the Warriors. In the following match, Sandow scored his first NRL career try against the Gold Coast Titans helping his side to a tight 24-23 victory that saw them come off the bottom of the table for the first time all season. Sandows fairy-tale start to the NRL continued a week later in Round 16, when after trailing 28-4 to the North Queensland Cowboys and coming back to level the scores at 28-28, he kicked the game-winning field goal to win 29-28 in what became the second biggest comeback victory in the history of the National Rugby League.

Sandow finished his debut season in the NRL by winning the 2008 Dally M Award Rookie of the Year Award.^[6] He was recognised in the Toyota Cup Team of the Year as the starting half-back and received the inaugural George Green Medal for the Indigenous Rising Star of 2008.^[7]

Parramatta Eels (2012–2015)

In 2012 Sandow signed a four-year deal with the Parramatta Eels reportedly worth between $1.6 and $2.2 million. Sandow stated that the reason he was leaving was to ensure his children are well provided for in the future.

Warrington Wolves (2015)

On 23 July 2015 after a deterioration in his relationship with coach Brad Arthur,^[8] Sandow was granted a release from his Parramatta contact to join Super League club Warrington Wolves, effective immediately.

Sandow joined Warrington Wolves at the start of the new Super 8s system, making his debut against Leeds Rhinos in a 49-10 defeat. Sandow struggled in his opening games, however he grew more and more into the games as they wore on.

In Round 1 of Super League 2016, Sandow scored his first try for Warrington in a 12-10 win away at Leeds. He followed up in Round 3, scoring his first try at the Halliwell Jones Stadium in a 36-14 win against the Wakefield Wildcats. Sandow is already the early front runner to win the 2016 Man of Steel award, with Head Coach Tony Smith saying 'Sandow has the best kicking game in Super League since Sean Long.' ^[9] In November 2016 Sandow announced he wasn't returning to Warrington for the 2017 season.^[10] The club will be retaining Sandow's registration until further notice.

Representative career

Sandow earned selection in the Dreamtime team, the Indigenous Australian team that defeated New Zealand Maori 34-26 in a curtain raiser game at the 2008 Rugby League World Cup opening ceremony in October.^[11]

Awards and accolades

• 2008: Peter Moore Award - Dally M Rookie of the Year
• 2008: George Green Medal for the Indigenous Rising Star of 2008
• 2008: Toyota Cup Halfback of the Year

References

External links

• 2015 Parramatta Eels profile