Chad Townsend (born 10 January 1991) is an Australian professional
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
footballer who co-captains and plays as a goal-kicking for the
North Queensland Cowboys
The North Queensland Cowboys is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, the largest town in North Queensland. They compete in Australia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL).
Sinc ...
in the
NRL
The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...
.
He previously played for the
Warriors
A warrior is a person specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracies, class, or caste.
History
Warriors seem to have be ...
and for the
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales. They compete in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australasia's premier rugby league ...
over two separate spells in the
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...
. Townsend has also played at representative level for
NSW City. He was part of the
Cronulla
Cronulla is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Boasting numerous surf beaches and swimming spots, the suburb attracts both tourists and Greater Sydney residents. Cronulla is located 26 kilometres south of the Sydney ...
team that won their maiden premiership title in the
2016 season, the only local junior player in that team.
Background
Townsend was born in
Caringbah
Caringbah is a suburb in Southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Caringbah is south of the Sydney central business district in the Local government in Australia, local government area of Sutherland Shire.
Caringbah once st ...
,
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
,
New South Wales, Australia
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
.
Playing career
Early career
Townsend played his rugby league for the
Yarrawarrah Tigers in the Cronulla-Sutherland local rugby league competition. During his junior football he was a part of 7 premiership teams.
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
After being signed by the
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales. They compete in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australasia's premier rugby league ...
, Townsend made his debut in round 13 of the
2011 NRL season
The 2011 NRL season was the 104th season of professional rugby league football club competition in Australia, and the fourteenth and last run by the National Rugby League's partnership committee of the Australian Rugby League and News Ltd. The NRL ...
. In his first match, played against the Brisbane Broncos, he managed to convert two tries scored by fellow players
Jon Mannah
Jonathan Mannah (13 September 1989 – 18 January 2013) was an Australian professional rugby league footballer. He played as a for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (2009–2011) and the Parramatta Eels (2012) in the National Rugby League (N ...
and
Colin Best
Colin Best (born 22 November 1978) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. He played primarily in the National Rugby League as a or for Australian clubs, Cronulla-Sutherland Shar ...
in the 40th and 80th minutes respectively. As a result of the injury of
Albert Kelly
Albert Kelly (born 21 March 1991) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a or for the Redcliffe Dolphins in the Brisbane Rugby League.
He has previously played for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and the Gold Coas ...
early in the season and the subsequent poor performance of Cronulla's other half options, Townsend was given the opportunity to play in the NRL, after his good form in the
Toyota Cup competition. He scored his first try in round 17 against the Rabbitohs. The Sharks won that game 26 - 4. Townsend represented the
Junior Kangaroos
The Junior Kangaroos side represents Australia in the sport of rugby league. They are commonly known as the Junior Kangaroos, after the native marsupial of that name.
Since 2019, they are an under-23 side, with players selected from the NRL. The ...
in 2011 and the NSW under 18s and NSW CHS.
![CHAD TOWNSEND](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/CHAD_TOWNSEND.jpg)
On 22 September 2013, Townsend was named at in the 2013
New South Wales Cup
The NSW Cup, currently known as the Knock-On Effect NSW Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a rugby league competition for clubs in New South Wales. The competition has a history dating back to the NSWRFL's origins in 1908, starting off as a reserve ...
Team of the Year.
On 6 October 2013, Townsend was part of the
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales. They compete in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australasia's premier rugby league ...
side which defeated
Windsor Wolves
The Windsor Wolves are a rugby league team based in the town of Windsor, New South Wales. The club fields both junior and senior teams in the Penrith District Rugby League competitions. The club has fielded teams in semi-professional, New South ...
38-6 in the
NSW Cup
The NSW Cup, currently known as the Knock-On Effect NSW Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a rugby league competition for clubs in New South Wales. The competition has a history dating back to the NSWRFL's origins in 1908, starting off as a reserve ...
Grand Final.
New Zealand Warriors
Townsend joined the
New Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and is the League's only team from outside Australia. They were formed in 1995 as ...
for the
2014 NRL season
The 2014 NRL season was the 107th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 17th season of the National Rugby League in Australia and New Zealand. The season started in New Zealand, for the Auckland Nines, replacing the Rugby Leagu ...
, where he partnered
Shaun Johnson
Shaun Johnson (born 9 September 1990) is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a or for the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League (NRL) and the New Zealand Kiwis at international level.
He has played pr ...
in the halves.
The
New Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and is the League's only team from outside Australia. They were formed in 1995 as ...
missed the finals in both seasons that Townsend was at the club.
Return to Cronulla-Sutherland
It was announced in July 2015 that he would return to Cronulla-Sutherland in 2016 on a two-year contract.
On 2 October 2016, Townsend was part of the Cronulla-Sutherland side which won their first ever premiership defeating
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
14-12 in the grand final.
In 2017, Townsend was part of the Cronulla side which qualified for the finals but were eliminated in week one losing to
North Queensland
North Queensland or the Northern Region is the northern part of the Australian state of Queensland that lies just south of Far North Queensland. Queensland is a massive state, larger than many countries, and its tropical northern part has been ...
15-14 in a shock defeat. In 2018, Townsend kicked the winning field goal for Cronulla in their week two elimination final against
Penrith. The following week, Cronulla fell short of a grand final appearance losing to
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
22-6 in the preliminary final. In 2019, Townsend was named Cronulla's player of the year. In 2020, Townsend was named in the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks team of the decade. In round 17 of the
2020 NRL season
The 2020 NRL season was the 113th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 23rd season run by the National Rugby League.
Teams
The lineup of teams remained unchanged for the 14th consecutive year.
; Notes
:
:
:
Pre-season
...
, Townsend became the third player of the year to be sent off after he hit Newcastle player
Kalyn Ponga
Kalyn Ponga (born 30 March 1998) is a professional rugby league footballer who captains and plays as a for the Newcastle Knights in the National Rugby League, NRL.
He played for the North Queensland Cowboys in the National Rugby League, New ...
with a shoulder charge.
Townsend played 12 games for Cronulla in the
2020 NRL season
The 2020 NRL season was the 113th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 23rd season run by the National Rugby League.
Teams
The lineup of teams remained unchanged for the 14th consecutive year.
; Notes
:
:
:
Pre-season
...
as the club finished 8th and qualified for the finals. He played in Cronulla's elimination final loss against Canberra.
In round 2 of the
2021 NRL season
The 2021 NRL season was the 114th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 24th season run by the National Rugby League.
Teams
The lineup of teams remained unchanged for the 15th consecutive year.
Regular season
Ladd ...
, Townsend endured a horror night with the boot as he missed three from four conversions, including two in the final ten minutes as Cronulla lost 12-10 against Canberra at
Kogarah Oval
Jubilee Stadium, also known as Kogarah Oval or by its sponsored name Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, is a multipurpose stadium in Carlton, New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. The stadium is mainly used for rugby league and the A-League, and is one ...
.
On 21 April 2021, Townsend signed a three-year deal with the
North Queensland Cowboys
The North Queensland Cowboys is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, the largest town in North Queensland. They compete in Australia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL).
Sinc ...
starting in the 2022 season.
In round 11 of the
2021 NRL season
The 2021 NRL season was the 114th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 24th season run by the National Rugby League.
Teams
The lineup of teams remained unchanged for the 15th consecutive year.
Regular season
Ladd ...
, he kicked the winning field goal in Cronulla-Sutherland's 13-12 victory over fierce rivals
St. George Illawarra in golden point extra-time.
Return to the New Zealand Warriors
On the 23 June 2021, it was announced that Townsend would leave the
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales. They compete in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australasia's premier rugby league ...
to return to the
New Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and is the League's only team from outside Australia. They were formed in 1995 as ...
for the remainder of the
2021 NRL season
The 2021 NRL season was the 114th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 24th season run by the National Rugby League.
Teams
The lineup of teams remained unchanged for the 15th consecutive year.
Regular season
Ladd ...
, with the short term deal not affecting his 2022 deal with the
North Queensland Cowboys
The North Queensland Cowboys is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, the largest town in North Queensland. They compete in Australia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL).
Sinc ...
.
In round 16, Townsend played his first game for the
New Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and is the League's only team from outside Australia. They were formed in 1995 as ...
since his return to the club, playing at halfback against the
St. George Illawarra Dragons
The St. George Illawarra Dragons is an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing both the Illawarra and St George regions of New South Wales. The club has competed in the National Rugby League since 1999 after a joint-ve ...
. New Zealand would go on to lose the game 19-18, and to make matters worse Townsend picked up a shoulder injury, putting him out of play for an estimated 6–8 weeks.
North Queensland Cowboys
In round 1 of the
2022 NRL season
The 2022 NRL season is the 115th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 25th season run by the National Rugby League.
Teams
The lineup of teams remained unchanged for the 16th consecutive year. This became the second longest s ...
, Townsend made his club debut for North Queensland in their 6-4 defeat against
Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour.
...
at the
Queensland Country Bank Stadium
North Queensland Stadium, commercially known as Queensland Country Bank Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in South Townsville, Queensland, Australia, primarily used for rugby league.
History
As part of Australia's 2022 FIFA World Cup bid in ...
.
Townsend played 26 matches for North Queensland in the
2022 NRL season
The 2022 NRL season is the 115th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 25th season run by the National Rugby League.
Teams
The lineup of teams remained unchanged for the 16th consecutive year. This became the second longest s ...
as the club finished third on the table and qualified for the finals. Townsend played in both finals matches including their preliminary final loss to
Parramatta
Parramatta () is a suburb and major Central business district, commercial centre in Greater Western Sydney, located in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately west of the Sydney central business district on the ban ...
.
In round 1 of the
2023 NRL season
The 2023 NRL season is the 116th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 26th season run by the National Rugby League.
Teams
For the 2023 season, the number of teams in the NRL has increased from sixteen to seventeen with the ...
, Townsend kicked a field goal with five minutes remaining to seal a 19-18 victory over
Canberra
Canberra ( )
is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
.
References
External links
Cronulla Sharks profileNRL profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Townsend, Chad
1991 births
Living people
Australian rugby league players
New South Wales City Origin rugby league team players
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks players
Junior Kangaroos players
New Zealand Warriors players
North Queensland Cowboys players
Rugby league five-eighths
Rugby league halfbacks
Rugby league players from Sydney