Danny Nutley (born 4 February 1974 in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...

, Queensland), also known by the

nickname A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...

of "Nuts", is an Australian former 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 11 ...

footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. A Queensland

State of Origin A State of Origin competition is a type of sporting event between players representing their state or territory. State of Origin began in Australian rules football on 8 October 1977 between Western Australia (WA) and Victoria, at Subiaco Ov ...

representative , he played his club football with the

South Queensland Crushers The South Queensland Crushers were an Australian rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. In 1992 it was decided that the team would be admitted into the New South Wales Rugby League competition, along with three other teams, a ...

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 leag ...

and

Sydney Roosters The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional Rugby League Football Club based in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney) and parts of inner Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. The Roosters have won fifteen Ne ...

in Australia, and with the

Warrington Wolves The Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league club based in Warrington, England, that competes in the Super League. They play rugby at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2004. Founded as Warrington ...

and the Castleford Tigers ( Heritage No. 848) in England.

Playing career

Nutley was named the

Redcliffe Dolphins The Redcliffe Dolphins are a semi-professional rugby league club based in Redcliffe, Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1947, they were accepted into the Brisbane Rugby League (BRL) premiership competition in 1960, and since 1996 have played i ...

player of the year in 1996 before joining the

in 1997. Nutley made 10 appearances for South Queensland as the club finished last on the table claiming the wooden spoon. Nutley played in South Queensland's final ever game as a club which was a 39–18 victory over Western Suburbs. Nutley later played for

Warrington Warrington () is a town and unparished area in the borough of the same name in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Mersey. It is east of Liverpool, and west of Manchester. The population in 2019 was estimat ...

in the Super League competition and then returned to Australia to play with Cronulla-Sutherland. In Nutley's first season back in the NRL, Cronulla finished 5th on the table and reached the preliminary final before being defeated by

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. Nutley played a further three seasons for Cronulla. Nutley made his début in 2005, playing for

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

in the

. In 2006, Nutley was voted into the

Super League Dream Team The Super League Dream Team is an annually-selected rugby league All Star Team consisting of the players deemed to have been the best in their respective positions in the Super League competition. The team is selected by a panel of journalists an ...

. "It's a good achievement and fantastic to be in a team with this calibre of player," said the then Castleford captain Nutley, who finished the year as the competition's top tackler as well as the leading metre-maker. Nutley returned to Australia to play for the

, in 2007 following a successful stint in the Super League competition with

Castleford Castleford is a town within the City of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. It had a population of 45,106 at a 2021 population estimate. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, to the north of the town centre the River Calder joins th ...

. In 2008, Nutley left the

to rejoin former club

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 Sydne ...

. Nutley played 21 games for Cronulla in 2008 as the club finished 3rd on the table. Cronulla made it to the preliminary final before being defeated by Melbourne 28–0. This would also prove to be Nutley's final game in first grade. Nutley then retired following the conclusion of Cronulla's 2008 season.

References

External links

State of Origin Official website Rugby League Player StatsCastleford Tigers profileSaints top Dream Team nominations
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nutley, Danny 1974 births Living people Australian rugby league players Castleford Tigers players Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks players Queensland Rugby League State of Origin players Redcliffe Dolphins players Rugby league players from Brisbane Rugby league props South Queensland Crushers players Sydney Roosters players Warrington Wolves players