Gerard Stokes

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Gerard James Stokes (1956 – 8 December 2020) was a New Zealand rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s, and coached in the 1980s through to the 2010s, who represented New Zealand.[1] He was a coach of the Serbian national side. He was the father of English international cricketer Ben Stokes.

Playing career

Stokes began playing rugby league early in life. In high school, he would sneak out of his boarding school in New Zealand every Saturday morning to play rugby league for Canterbury.[2] He was a Schoolboy Kiwi in 1971 before later representing New Zealand in four non-Test matches on the 1982 tour of Australia and playing for Workington Town in 1982–83.[3] In one match, Stokes dislocated his finger, and asked for an amputation in order to play again more quickly.[4]

Coaching career

In 1994, he was appointed coach of the new Canterbury Country Cardinals in the Lion Red Cup.[5] The team made the finals in 1994,[6] but finished tenth in 1995.[7]

In 1996, he was appointed head coach of the Canterbury Rugby League representative side, facing irregular provincial competition.[8] In 2000, he coached the Canterbury Bulls to a victory in the inaugural Bartercard Cup grand final. He was also named New Zealand coach of the year that season.[2]

He applied to coach New Zealand in 2001 but was overlooked for Gary Freeman.[9] Instead he was appointed Assistant Coach and a co-selector, working under Freeman, and in 2003 he was in charge of the New Zealand 'A' tour of Great Britain.[10][11]

In 2002, Stokes moved north and coached the Wellington Franchise in the Bartercard Cup.[12] He re-applied for the job at the end of the 2003 season but wanted too much money and so was not reappointed.[13]

Instead, at the end of the New Zealand 'A' tour, he was offered the opportunity to stay in England and coach his old club, Workington Town. The club was in a state of disrepair and only seven players were contracted to the club.[2] Stokes rebuilt the squad. However he was later fired by the club over an alleged disciplinary breach, despite being cleared by a RFL investigation. The club later agreed to a £14,000 pay-off days before a court case brought by Stokes was due to be heard.[14]

In early 2008, he was offered the job of coaching Whitehaven, Workington Town's bitter local rivals, after coach Paul Crarey left the club citing personal health issues.[15]

In late 2008, he travelled to Serbia and helped the national side prepare for the RLEF Euro Med Challenge.[16] This move quickly proved beneficial to his club side as Whitehaven signed young Serbian national Soni Radovanović in January 2009.[17] Stokes was sacked in August 2010, after winning only 1 game in 14, with a disastrous record 13 game losing streak that ultimately led to Whitehaven's relegation from the Championship.[18][19]

In 2013, he and wife Deb had moved from rugby league and back to Christchurch to a job working with young offenders; they were also involved in the restoration of Christchurch following the 2011 earthquake.[20]

Personal life

Stokes had two children from his first marriage, to Ferne Caldwell, and a son (England international cricket player Ben Stokes) with his second wife, Deb. In August 2020 Stokes revealed that he had been diagnosed with brain cancer in January 2020.[21] He died at his home in Christchurch on 8 December 2020, aged 64.[22][23]

References

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  1. ↑ Cite error: Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".
  2. ↑ a b c Caned Until I Bleed for Love of Rugby League Template:Webarchive The Whitehaven News, 15 May 2008
  3. ↑ Coffey, John. Canterbury XIII, Christchurch, 1987.
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Lion Red Rugby League Annual 1994, New Zealand Rugby Football League, 1994. p. 110
  7. ↑ Lion Red Rugby League Annual 1995, New Zealand Rugby Football League, 1995. p.110
  8. ↑ Stokes on alert for 'hit men' The Press, 1 May 1999
  9. ↑ The Locker Room Template:Webarchive Workers Online, 23 February 2001
  10. ↑ 2003 NZ A Template:Webarchive NZRL Official Site
  11. ↑ Line-up is everybody's guess The Press, 2 July 2001.
  12. ↑ Bergman off to capital as cup coachScript error: No such module "Unsubst".Template:Cbignore The Nelson Mail, 22 October 2003
  13. ↑ Stokes too costly for Wellington Template:Webarchive The Dominion Post, 14 October 2003.
  14. ↑ Ged Stokes is new Haven coach Template:Webarchive North-West Evening Mail, 28 March 2008.
  15. ↑ Stokes Pleased to be back in charge Template:Webarchive The Press, 26 April 2008.
  16. ↑ Whitehaven Coach Ged Stokes to Boss Serbian National Side Template:Webarchive Times & Star, 6 October 2008
  17. ↑ Whitehaven RLFC are set to make a little RL history Template:Webarchive Whitehaven Official Site, 20 January 2009
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Relegated Championship side Whitehaven sack boss Stokes Template:Webarchive BBC, 18 August 2010
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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Template:Workington Town coaches Template:Whitehaven RLFC coaches Template:Authority control

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