Ellery Hanley

Cuthwyn Ellery Hanley MBE (born 27 March 1961) is an English former rugby league player and coach.

Over a nineteen-year professional career (1978–1997), he played for Bradford Northern, Wigan, Balmain, Western Suburbs and Leeds.

In 1978, Hanley signed for Bradford Northern from the junior club Corpus Christi.

On 26 November 1978, he made his professional début for Northern against Rochdale Hornets in a League Division One match.

He helped his club to a 30–18 victory, by scoring a try on his début.

He established a regular place in the first team in 1981–82, scoring 15 tries in his first full season.

In the following season, he reached the semi-final of the 1983 Challenge Cup against Featherstone Rovers.

Although Bradford ultimately lost the match, Hanley scored a memorable try which was selected as the try of the season in the BBC's Top Try competition.

In 1984–85, his last season with the club, Hanley became the first man to score more than 50 tries in a season since Alf Ellaby, and the first non-winger to reach this figure for 70 years.

He scored a remarkable 55 tries in only 37 appearances, an achievement made even more remarkable as he switched between the positions of wing, centre and stand-off.

For his achievements in the 1984–85 season, he was awarded the Man of Steel award, which is awarded to the player judged to have made the biggest impact in the season, as well as the First Division Player of the Year.

In total, Hanley made 126 appearances for the club, scoring 89 tries.

In 1985 he signed for Wigan for a fee of £150,000, with Steve Donlan and Phil Ford moving to Bradford Northern in exchange for Hanley as part of the deal.

Hanley finished his first season for the club with 35 tries.

During his second season at Wigan he scored 63 tries playing at centre, stand-off and loose forward, an all-time record for a non-winger.

In the 1987 season, Hanley was awarded the Man of Steel award, being voted the player who made the biggest impact during the season.

His play that year helped Wigan to their first league title in 27 years.

He played in Wigan's 1987 World Club Challenge victory against the visiting Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles.

Hanley holds the record for the most tries in a Regal Trophy (or precursors) Final with 3 tries.

He won 36 caps for Great Britain, captaining the team from 1988 to 1992, and 2 for England.

Nicknamed 'Mr Magic' and 'The Black Pearl', he played most often as a or after starting out as a or.

Hanley won the Man of Steel Award a record three times, the Lance Todd Trophy once, and the Golden Boot in 1988.

In 1988, Hanley was in dispute with Wigan and was stripped of the captaincy.

He was transfer listed at a then record £350,000.

But when Wigan reached the semi-final of the 1988 Rugby League Challenge Cup against Salford, coach Graham Lowe recalled Hanley to the team.

Upon his return Hanley scored a magnificent try in the final at Wembley Stadium.

Ironically it was set up by Joe Lydon – reminiscent of the two tries he scored against Wigan four years earlier.

Ray French stated it was the second greatest ever seen in a final.

In 1989, Hanley helped the club reach the Challenge Cup Final, where they won a 27–0 victory over St Helens in front of a crowd of approximately 78,000 people at Wembley, the first time in Cup Final history at Wembley that a side had been held scoreless.

He was awarded the Lance Todd Trophy for the man of the match.

For his performances throughout the season he was also awarded the Man of Steel award for the second time as a Wigan player, and the third time in his overall career.

1989 was also the year in which Hanley was awarded the Adidas Golden Boot, which was awarded to the world's most outstanding player.

Hanley remembers that "It was something I always strove for. I wanted to be the best player in the world… Looking back, to be the world's best player at that time was the biggest honour of my career."

He led Wigan to another two League and Cup doubles.

He was awarded the MBE in January 1990 for services to the game.

In 2005 he was inducted into the Rugby Football League Hall of Fame.

After his playing career, he had spells as head coach of Great Britain, St Helens and Doncaster.

Born in Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, Hanley grew up in Potternewton, near Chapeltown.

His parents originated from Saint Kitts.

He is the father of Umyla Hanley, who currently plays in Super League for the Leigh Leopards.