Don Furner

Who is Don Furner?

Don Furner is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. As a player he represented Queensland on nine occasions and also toured with the 1956–57 Kangaroos.

He began his coaching career in 1965, with the Queanbeyan Blues, the Eastern Suburbs Roosters, whom he took to the 1972 NSWRFL season's premiership final, Queanbeyan again from 1973 to 1981, and then became the first coach of the newly formed Canberra Raiders. Furner also coached the Canberra club to the 1987 NSWRL season's Grand Final. He later joined Parramatta for the 1985 NSWRL season. He was appointed the Australian national coach from 1986 to 1988. He coached the NSW Country team as well as 2 Group 20 clubs Narrandera Lizards in 1998 and Yanco Wamoon Hawks in 2005 whom he took to the 2005 group 20 grand final which the lost to West Wyalong.

His sons are David Furner who formally was a player and coach of the Canberra Raiders and Don Furner, Jr. who became the Canberra Raiders' CEO.