Daniel Wagon


Daniel Wagon is an Australian professional rugby league coach who is the head coach of the Limoux Grizzlies in the Elite One Championship. He is a former professional rugby league footballer who played for the Aston DSC Bulls in the AMNRL. He primarily played in the back row. He previously played for the St. George Dragons and Parramatta Eels in the National Rugby League where he started his career out in the centres before moving to the back row.

Background

Wagon was born in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

NRL career

He played his junior rugby league for New South Wales junior side Maclean. Wagon was part of the Parramatta sides which suffered preliminary final heartbreak in 1999 and 2000. Wagon was selected to represent Queensland as for all three games of the 2001 State of Origin series. At the end of the season he played for the Parramatta Eels at lock forward in their 2001 NRL grand final loss to the Newcastle Knights.
In 2005, Wagon made 15 appearances for Parramatta as the club won the minor premiership and made it all the way to the preliminary final before suffering a shock 29-0 defeat by North Queensland. Wagon subsequently played for Parramatta in their unsuccessful finals campaigns in 2006 and 2007. Wagon played one further year for Parramatta in 2008, making 17 appearances. In total, Wagon suffered 4 preliminary final defeats and a grand final loss at the club in a period where the eels fell short of a long awaited premiership.

France

He joined French rugby leagues Elite One Championship for the 2009 season where he played for the Limoux Grizzlies. He finished playing in France at the beginning of April.

Return to Australia

He returned to Australia in 2009 with the Gundagai Tigers in the Group 9 rugby league competition before moving to the States.

United States

Wagon was one of the international players invited to the launch of the proposed NRLUS competition in the United States in July 2010. He also joined the Aston Bulls of the semi-professional American National Rugby League, making him the highest profile player in the AMNRL. He arrived in May 2010 and began training with the club in preparation for their first match for the Philadelphia Fight.

Career highlights