View source for Darren Albert

{{short description|Australian rugby league footballer}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
|name           = Darren Albert
|image          = 
|fullname       =
|birth_date     = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1976|02|28}}
|birth_place    = [[Auburn, New South Wales]], Australia
|height         = {{convert|5|ft|11|in|cm|abbr=on}}
|weight         =
|position       = {{rlp|WG|FB}}
|club1          = {{nowrap|[[Newcastle Knights]]}}
|year1start     = 1996
|year1end       = 01
|appearances1   = 89
|tries1         = 65
|goals1         = 0
|fieldgoals1    = 0
|points1        = 260
|club2          = [[St Helens R.F.C.|St Helens]]
|year2start     = 2002
|year2end       = 05
|appearances2   = 124
|tries2         = 88
|goals2         = 0
|fieldgoals2    = 0
|points2        = 352
|club3          = [[Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks|Cronulla Sharks]]
|year3start     = 2006
|year3end       = 
|appearances3   = 23
|tries3         = 12
|goals3         = 0
|fieldgoals3    = 0
|points3        = 48
|teamB          = [[New South Wales rugby league team|New South Wales]]
|yearBstart     = 1999
|yearBend       = 
|appearancesB   = 1
|triesB         = 0
|goalsB         = 0
|fieldgoalsB    = 0
|pointsB        = 0
|teamA          = [[New South Wales Country rugby league team|NSW Country]]
|yearAstart     = 1997
|yearAend       = 01
|appearancesA   = 2
|triesA         = 0
|goalsA         = 0
|fieldgoalsA    = 0
|pointsA        = 0
|source         = <ref>[http://www.rugbyleagueproject.com/players/Darren_Albert.html Rugby League Project]</ref>
}}

'''Darren "DJ" Albert''' (born 28 February 1976) is an Australian former professional [[rugby league]] footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. A representative winger, he played his club football for the [[Newcastle Knights]] (with whom he won the [[1997 ARL Premiership]]), [[St Helens R.F.C.|St. Helens]] (with whom he won the [[2002 Super League Grand Final]] and the [[Challenge Cup|2004 Challenge Cup]]) as well as the [[Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks]]. Albert also represented [[New South Wales Country rugby league team|Country Origin]] twice in his career (1997 and 2001). He represented [[New South Wales rugby league team|New South Wales]] for one game in the [[1999 State of Origin series]].

==Career in Australia==
Albert made his first grade debut for the Newcastle club in round 2 of the [[1996 ARL season]] against the [[Western Reds]] where he scored a try in a 22–16 victory.

Albert is remembered for racing over to score the try in the dying seconds of the [[1997 ARL Grand Final]] against Manly that gave Newcastle a fairy tale maiden premiership. After receiving a pass from [[Andrew Johns]] 15 metres from Manly's line, Albert stepped inside Manly's {{rlp|PR}} [[Mark Carroll (rugby league)|Mark Carroll]] and sped away to score under the posts to give the Newcastle club a 22–16 win over the defending [[Australian Rugby League|ARL]] premiers.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sydney Football Stadium Magic Moments|work=sydneycricketground.com.au|publisher=Sydney Cricket & Sports Ground Trust|url=http://www.scgt.nsw.gov.au/MM-SFS.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070816081038/http://www.scgt.nsw.gov.au/MM-SFS.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=16 August 2007|access-date=2009-09-02}}</ref> Albert also played a prominent role in helping the Knights to reach the Grand Final. In the Preliminary final the week before, he raced across from the far wing to tackle a runaway [[Matt Seers]] into touch when it appeared the [[North Sydney Bears|North Sydney]] fullback was set to score. Newcastle went on to qualify for their first Grand Final appearance with a 17–12 win over Norths.

In the [[2000 NRL season]], Albert played 12 games and scored 11 tries including a try in the club's preliminary final loss against the [[Sydney Roosters]].  Newcastle had led the game 16–2 at half-time but lost 26–20.

Albert played 23 games and scored 16 tries in the [[2001 NRL season]] but missed Newcastle's grand final victory over [[Parramatta Eels|Parramatta]] due to a broken ankle.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newcastleknights.com.au/news/2020/04/11/why-darren-albert-missed-the-2001-grand-final/|title=Why Darren Albert missed the 2001 grand final|website=newcastleknights.com.au}}</ref>

In 2006, Albert joined [[Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks|Cronulla-Sutherland]] and played one season with them scoring 12 tries in 23 games.  In January 2007, Albert walked out on the Cronulla club with a year remaining on his contract.  Cronulla later attempted to block Albert from playing for another [[NRL]] or Super League club with then CEO Greg Pierce saying "We are extremely disappointed in Darren's decision, it must be stressed that the Sharks are not releasing Albert from his contract and he will not be able to play football for another club in 2007.  We will stop Albert playing in the UK. He doesn't have a release from us so he won't be playing.  He can go over there and play second division if he wants but he can't play in the Super League".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/international_and_australian/6244467.stm |title=Albert decides to quit Cronulla |work=BBC Sport |date=10 January 2007}}</ref>

==Career in England==
Albert played for [[St Helens R.F.C.|St. Helens]] on the wing in their [[2002 Super League Grand Final]] victory against the [[Bradford Bulls]]. Having won [[Super League VI]], St Helens contested the [[2003 World Club Challenge]] against [[2002 NRL Premiership]]-winners, the [[Sydney Roosters]]. Albert played at {{rlp|fb}} in Saints' 38–0 loss.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060821102305/http://www.sharks.com.au/index.php?id=109 Official player profile]
*[http://www.nrl.com/Clubs/Sharks/SharksPlayerProfile/tabid/234/playerid/26/Default.aspx NRL player profile]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071022213902/http://www.stateoforigin.com.au/SOOgame/PlayerDetails.aspx?Pid=78 State of Origin Official website Rugby League Player Stats]
*[http://www.saints.org.uk/saints.org.uk/home/viewpage.php?page_id=10&num=14793 St Helens Heritage Society profile]

{{Newcastle Knights squad 1997 ARL premiership}}
{{St. Helens - 2004 Challenge Cup Final winners}}
{{St. Helens RLFC - 2002 Super League champions}}
{{2005 Super League Dream Team}}
{{2002 Super League Dream Team}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Albert, Darren}}
[[Category:1976 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen]]
[[Category:21st-century Australian sportsmen]]
[[Category:Australian rugby league players]]
[[Category:Australian expatriate rugby league players in England]]
[[Category:Country New South Wales Origin rugby league team players]]
[[Category:Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks players]]
[[Category:New South Wales Rugby League State of Origin players]]
[[Category:Newcastle Knights players]]
[[Category:Rugby league fullbacks]]
[[Category:Rugby league players from Auburn, New South Wales]]
[[Category:Rugby league wingers]]
[[Category:Scone Thoroughbreds players]]
[[Category:St Helens R.F.C. players]]