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Phil Blake (born 24 November 1963) is a British-born Australian former rugby league footballer and a professional rugby union coach.
Originally a , Blake developed into a utility player and played first grade matches in all the backline positions, as well as at and lock. He represented New South Wales on one occasion.
Blake has held coaching positions with the Wallabies, Western Force, Manly RUFC and Leicester Tigers.
Blake's good form continued in 1983, cementing his position as the club's first choice halfback. He broke the Sea Eagles club record for the most tries scored in a season with 27 the top try scorer in the league. Blake's 27 tries were scored from just 23 games played and was only surpassed in 2021 as the Manly club record for most tries in a premiership season. Manly won through to the 1983 Grand Final, again against Parramatta, and for the second time in two seasons.
After playing 21 of his 23 games at halfback in 1983, he played there only 10 times in 1984, spending most of his time at centre as coach Fulton tried to cover his defensive lapses. This also allowed Fulton to play others (such as halfback Des Hasler who had joined the club from Penrith Panthers) in their preferred positions. After scoring 27 tries in 23 games in 1983, Blake scored only 11 tries from 23 games in 1984.
Blake broke his arm during the opening round of the 1985 season against Penrith. He returned to the field in Round 9 against Canberra Raiders, but was again used in various backline positions and only scored 3 tries in 11 games.
During the 1985/86 off-season Phil Blake traveled to England and played for Warrington, he played at (replaced by substitute Mark Forster) in Warrington's 8–34 defeat by Wigan Warriors in the 1985 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1985–86 season at Knowsley Road, St. Helens, on Sunday 13 October 1985,
In the 1986 NSWRL season, Blake was again the league's top try scorer with 13, sharing the mark with Balmain Tigers Great Britain international import Garry Schofield and despite having that statistic, for the second time in a Kangaroo Tour year, he was overlooked for selection on the 1986 Kangaroo tour. However, after four seasons under Fulton, he was unwanted by Manly and following the season signed to play for the South Sydney Rabbitohs from 1987.
He returned to England to play for Wigan for the 1988/89 season. After returning from England, Blake, and Souths went from being minor premiers in 1989 to finishing with the wooden spoon in 1990, the biggest slide from grace in the competition's history.
Blake moved again at the end of the 1992 season, joining the St. George Dragons. He came off the reserves bench for the Dragons in the 1993 Grand Final who lost their second Grand Final in two seasons to the Brisbane Broncos. It was Blake's 3rd Grand Final loss in his 3rd attempt after having lost the 1982 and 1983 Grand Finals with Manly.
In 1995, he joined the new Auckland Warriors franchise, and was in their inaugural run-on side. He played three seasons for the club, his longest spell at one club since the Rabbitohs. Phil Blake, who played in the Warrior's first game against the Broncos at Auckland's Mount Smart Stadium before 29,220 fans, scored the new club's first ever try in the game's 21st minute after a dash down the left wing by Whetu Taewa. Blake, as always there in support, had an easy 10m run to the line. Despite this the Warriors went down narrowly to the two time premiership winners 25–22.
In 1988, Blake was selected at fullback for an Australian select side called the President's XIII to play the touring Great Britain Lions. On a wet and muddy day at the Seiffert Oval in Canberra, the President's XIII defeated the Lions 24–18. Presidents XIII vs Great Britain 1988
| 1982–1986 |
| 1983, 1987 |
| 1985, 1988 |
| 1987–1990 |
| 1988 |
| 1988 |
| 1989 |
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| 1991 |
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| 1993–1994 |
| 1995–1997 |
| 1982–1997 |
After taking Manly into the semi-finals in 2010, Blake was appointed as defence and skills coach to the Wallabies under head coach Robbie Deans. He joined the Western Force as defence and skills coach for the 2011 season. When Richard Graham was stood down as head coach of the Force during the 2012 season, Blake became the interim head coach before Michael Foley was appointed for the 2013 season.
Blake returned to Manly as head coach in 2013. In 2014, he was appointed as head coach of the North Harbour Rays for the inaugural National Rugby Championship season. However, on 2 June 2014 it was announced that he had been appointed as defence coach for Leicester Tigers in the English Premiership. Blake incurred a six-month ban from rugby for breaching RFU betting rules after placing eight separate bets on two Tigers games while he was the defence coach at the club.
External links
Categories: 1963 Births, Living People, Australian Expatriate Rugby League Players In England, Australian People Of British Descent, Canberra Raiders Players, English Emigrants To Australia, English Rugby League Coaches, English Rugby League Players, English Rugby Union Coaches, Leicester Tigers Coaches, Manly Warringah Sea Eagles Players, New South Wales City Origin Rugby League Team Players, New South Wales Rugby League State Of Origin Players, New Zealand Warriors Players, North Sydney Bears Players, Prime Minister's Xiii Players, Rugby League Fullbacks, Rugby League Players From London, Rugby League Utility Players, South Sydney Rabbitohs Captains, South Sydney Rabbitohs Players, St. George Dragons Players, Warrington Wolves Players, Western Force Coaches, Wigan Warriors Players, 20th-century English Sportsmen
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