View source for Gene Miles

{{Short description|Australia international rugby league footballer}}
{{for|the Trinidadian activist|Gene Miles (activist)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2013}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
|name           = Gene Miles<br><small>{{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|sep=,|OAM}}</small>
|fullname       = 
|image          = 
|caption        = 
|birth_date     = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1959|07|21}}
|birth_place    = [[Townsville]], Queensland, Australia
|height         = {{convert|193|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}
|weight         = {{convert|102|kg|stlb|abbr=on}}
|position       = {{rlp|CE|SR}}
|retired        = yes
|club1          = [[Wynnum-Manly Seagulls|Wynnum-Manly]]
|year1start     = 1980
|year1end       = 87
|appearances1   = 92
|tries1         = 42
|goals1         = 0
|fieldgoals1    = 2
|points1        = 159
|club2          = [[Brisbane Broncos]]
|year2start     = 1988
|year2end       = 91
|appearances2   = 72
|tries2         = 20
|goals2         = 0
|fieldgoals2    = 0
|points2        = 80
|club3          = [[Wigan Warriors|Wigan]]
|year3start     = 1991
|year3end       = 92
|appearances3   = 29
|tries3         = 8
|goals3         = 0
|fieldgoals3    = 0
|points3        = 32
|teamA          = [[Queensland Maroons|Queensland]]
|yearAstart     = 1981
|yearAend       = 89
|appearancesA   = 23
|triesA         = 4
|goalsA         = 6
|fieldgoalsA    = 0
|pointsA        = 35
|teamB          = [[Australian Kangaroos|Australia]]
|yearBstart     = 1982
|yearBend       = 88
|appearancesB   = 14
|triesB         = 8
|goalsB         = 0
|fieldgoalsB    = 0
|pointsB        = 32
|source         = <ref>[http://www.rugbyleagueproject.com/players/Gene_Miles.html Rugby League Project]</ref>
}}

'''Gene Miles''' (born 21 July 1959) is an Australian former [[rugby league]] footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. An Australian international and Queensland State of Origin representative {{rlp|ce}}, he played his club football in the [[Brisbane Rugby League premiership]] before joining the [[Brisbane Broncos]] in 1988 and later captained in 1990.

==BRL==
A product of the [[North Queensland]] city of [[Townsville]], where he played for Souths, Miles joined [[Wynnum-Manly Seagulls|Wynnum-Manly]] in the [[Brisbane Rugby League premiership]] in 1980 and was playing in the [[Rugby League State of Origin|State of Origin]] the following year.

He played for Wynnum-Manly in the [[Brisbane Rugby League]] premiership's grand final in 1982. He was then one of seven Queensland-based players to go on the [[1982 Kangaroo tour]] (with a squad later dubbed "[[The Invincibles (rugby league)|The invincibles]]") to [[Great Britain]] – the others were [[Wally Lewis]], [[Rohan Hancock]], [[Mark Murray (rugby league)|Mark Murray]], [[Rod Morris]], [[Mal Meninga]] and [[Greg Conescu]]. Miles could not break into the Test team and played against club sides and in an international against [[Wales national rugby league team|Wales]]. He made his Test début the following year.
In 1984 Miles played a major role in an Oceania team's 54–4 victory over an Anglo-French selection in an exhibition match Paris, returning to Brisbane after the match to continue playing for Wynnum-Manly.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sport digest|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1301&id=QTdWAAAAIBAJ&pg=2866|access-date=3 September 2013|newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|date=19 April 1984}}</ref>
He returned to the United Kingdom four years later with the [[1986 Kangaroo Tour]] and participated in all six Test matches, against [[Papua New Guinea national rugby league team|Papua New Guinea]], [[Great Britain national rugby league team|Great Britain]] and [[France national rugby league team|France]]. After the home Test against [[New Zealand national rugby league team|New Zealand]] in 1987, and also winning the BRL's [[Rothmans Medal]] that year.

==NSWRL==
Miles joined the [[Brisbane Broncos]] for their [[Brisbane Broncos 1988|maiden season]] in 1988, playing in their first ever match. He later switched to the forwards and soon adapted to become one of the country's finest [[Rugby league positions#Second-row forward|second rowers]], playing for Australia against the Rest of The World in 1988 at the [[Sydney Football Stadium (1988)|Sydney Football Stadium]].

In 1989 he was part of the Queensland State of Origin team's 3-0 clean sweep of New South Wales, playing all three games in the second-row. He was chosen to tour New Zealand with the Australian squad in 1989 but was forced to pull out with a broken hand. The following year, he announced his retirement from representative football so he could concentrate on his job as captain of the fledgling Brisbane club, helping the Broncos to the play-offs for the first time in 1990.

==England==
After 72 first grade games for the Broncos, 14 Tests for Australia (including two Kangaroo tours) and 19 State of Origin matches for Queensland, Miles accepted a contract offer from [[Wigan Warriors|Wigan]], making his début in October 1991 against [[Featherstone Rovers]]. Miles played 29 matches for Wigan as they won a treble of Championship, [[Challenge Cup]] and Premiership. His journey to England, struggle with injuries and adaptation to the English game was chronicled as part of the [[BBC2]] documentary series ''Up & Under'', which followed Wigan and local union side [[Orrell R.U.F.C.]] during their 1991-92 campaigns. Whilst at Wigan, Miles formed a formidable partnership with winger [[Martin Offiah]].

==Playing style==
Initially one of a group of fast and skillful heavyweight Queensland centres along with Mal Meninga and [[Chris Close]], Miles size saw him moved into the {{rlp|SR}} towards the end of his Australian career, though he generally played in the centres with Wigan. Miles was particularly skilled in passing, and noted for his ability to use his {{convert|6|ft|4|in|cm|abbr=on}} height to his advantage and off-load the ball with a one-handed basketball style.

==Post-playing==
Miles returned to Australia to pursue a media career with [[Nine Network|Channel Nine]] and in 2000, was awarded the [[Australian Sports Medal]] for his contribution to Australia's international standing in the sport of rugby league.  In 2001 Miles was appointed Chairman of Selectors for the Queensland State of Origin. He is also the Executive Director of the non-profit organisation Former Origin Greats (FOGS).

During the 2007 season at the Broncos' 20-year anniversary celebration, the club announced a list of the 20 best players to play for them to date which included Miles.<ref>{{cite news|last=Dekroo|first=Karl|title=Still the king|work=The Courier-Mail|place=Australia|publisher=Queensland Newspapers|date=2007-05-09|url=http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21701434-10389,00.html|access-date=2009-12-08|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070512101607/http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21701434-10389,00.html|archive-date=12 May 2007}}</ref>

In February 2008, Miles was named in the list of Australia's [[List of Australian rugby league's 100 greatest players|''100 Greatest Players'']] (1908–2007) which was commissioned by the [[National Rugby League|NRL]] and [[Australian Rugby League|ARL]] to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia.<ref>{{cite news|author=Peter Cassidy|publisher=Macquarie National News|title=Controversy reigns as NRL releases top 100 players|url=http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2008/02/22/Controversy_reigns_as_NRL_releases_top_100_players|access-date=2008-02-23|date=2008-02-23|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080225164807/http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2008/02/22/Controversy_reigns_as_NRL_releases_top_100_players|archive-date=25 February 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[National Rugby League|NRL]] & [[Australian Rugby League|ARL]]|title=Centenary of Rugby League – The Players|url=http://www.centenaryofrugbyleague.com.au/site/the-players.aspx?cat=3&list=true|access-date=2008-02-23|date=2008-02-23|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080226180521/http://www.centenaryofrugbyleague.com.au/site/the-players.aspx?cat=3&list=true|archive-date=26 February 2008}}</ref> In June 2008, he was chosen in the [[Queensland Rugby League's Team of the Century]] on interchange bench.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,23843448-10389,00.html|newspaper=[[The Courier-Mail]]|date=2008-06-10|title=Locky named No.1 but Wal's still King|access-date=2009-05-20|first=Steve|last=Ricketts|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080702003008/http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,23843448-10389,00.html|url-status=live|archive-date=2008-07-02}}</ref>

As of 2017, Miles is a selector for Queensland's State of Origin team along with [[Darren Lockyer]] and head coach [[Kevin Walters]].

He was awarded the [[Order of Australia|Medal of the Order of Australia]] in the [[2025 King's Birthday Honours (Australia)|2025 King's Birthday Honours]] for "service to youth, and to rugby league".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mr Gene William MILES |url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/3053847 |access-date=2025-06-10 |website=Australian Honours Search Facility}}</ref>

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.rl1908.com/Legends/Gene-Miles.htm Gene Miles at rl1908.com]
*{{FOGS player|gene-miles}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20140114111429/http://nz.leagueunlimited.com/news.php?newsid=16380 ''Queensland Team of the Century named'' – article at nz.leagueunlimited.com]
*[http://www.fullbottle.com/foleyshield/miles.htm Gene Miles at Foley Shield fan site]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090201090555/http://qrl.com.au/qrl_history/qld_rep_m.php Queensland representatives at qrl.com.au]
{{The Invincibles (rugby league)}}
{{1986 Kangaroo Tour squad}}
{{Australia squad - 1988 World Cup Final winners}}
{{Wynnum-Manly Seagulls squad - 1982 BRL premiers}}
{{Wynnum-Manly Seagulls squad - 1984 BRL premiers}}
{{Wigan RLFC - 1992 Challenge Cup Final winners}}
{{Brisbane Broncos captains}}
{{1988 Brisbane Broncos}}
{{The Queensland Rugby League Team of the Century}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Miles, Gene}}
[[Category:1959 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Australia national rugby league team players]]
[[Category:Australian rugby league coaches]]
[[Category:Australian rugby league commentators]]
[[Category:Australian expatriate rugby league players in England]]
[[Category:Brisbane Broncos captains]]
[[Category:Brisbane Broncos players]]
[[Category:Brisbane rugby league team players]]
[[Category:Queensland Rugby League State of Origin players]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Australian Sports Medal]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia]]
[[Category:Rugby league players from Townsville]]
[[Category:Rugby league second-rows]]
[[Category:Wigan Warriors players]]
[[Category:Wynnum Manly Seagulls players]]