Gerard James Stokes (1955 – 8 December 2020) was a New Zealand rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s, and coached in the 1980s through to the 2010s, who represented New Zealand.[1] He was a coach of the Serbian national side, and father of England international cricketer Ben Stokes.
Stokes began playing rugby league early in life. In high school, he would sneak out of his boarding school in New Zealand every Saturday morning to play rugby league for Canterbury.[4] He was a Schoolboy Kiwi in 1971 before later representing New Zealand in four non-Test matches on the 1982 tour of Australia and playing for Workington Town in 1982–83.[5] In one match, Stokes dislocated his finger, and asked for an amputation in order to play again more quickly.[6]
In 1996, he was appointed head coach of the Canterbury Rugby League representative side, facing irregular provincial competition.[10] In 2000, he coached the Canterbury Bulls to a victory in the inaugural Bartercard Cup grand final. He was also named New Zealand coach of the year that season.[4]
He applied to coach New Zealand in 2001 but was overlooked for Gary Freeman.[11] Instead he was appointed Assistant Coach and a co-selector, working under Freeman, and in 2003 he was in charge of the New Zealand 'A' tour of Great Britain.[12][13]
In 2002, Stokes moved north and coached the Wellington Franchise in the Bartercard Cup.[14] He re-applied for the job at the end of the 2003 season but wanted too much money and so was not reappointed.[15]
Instead, at the end of the New Zealand 'A' tour, he was offered the opportunity to stay in England and coach his old club, Workington Town. The club was in a state of disrepair and only seven players were contracted to the club.[4] Stokes rebuilt the squad. However he was later fired by the club over an alleged disciplinary breach, despite being cleared by a RFL investigation. The club later agreed to a £14,000 pay-off days before a court case brought by Stokes was due to be heard.[16]
In early 2008, he was offered the job of coaching Whitehaven, Workington Town's bitter local rivals, after coach Paul Crarey left the club citing personal health issues.[17]
In late 2008, he travelled to Serbia and helped the national side prepare for the RLEF Euro Med Challenge.[18] This move quickly proved beneficial to his club side as Whitehaven signed young Serbian national Soni Radovanović in January 2009.[19] Stokes was sacked in August 2010, after winning only 1 game in 14, with a disastrous record 13 game losing streak that ultimately led to Whitehaven's relegation from the Championship.[20][21]
In 2013, he and wife Deb had moved from rugby league and back to Christchurch to a job working with young offenders; they were also involved in the restoration of Christchurch following the 2011 earthquake.[22]
Personal life
Stokes had two children from his first marriage, to Ferne Caldwell, and a son (England international cricket player Ben Stokes) with his second wife, Deb. In August 2020 Stokes revealed that he had been diagnosed with brain cancer in January 2020.[23] He died at his home in Christchurch on 8 December 2020, aged 65.[24][25]
References
^ ab"Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. from the original on 8 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
^"Coach Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. from the original on 24 February 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
^"England cricket star Ben Stokes arrives in New Zealand to be with seriously ill dad Ged". The New Zealand Herald. 28 August 2020. from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
^"Coach Ged Stokes set for Whitehaven exit". BBC Sport. 18 August 2010. from the original on 8 December 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
^Stokes Pleased to be back in charge 8 October 2012 at the Wayback MachineThe Press, 26 April 2008.
^Whitehaven Coach Ged Stokes to Boss Serbian National Side 19 July 2011 at the Wayback MachineTimes & Star, 6 October 2008
^Whitehaven RLFC are set to make a little RL history 22 January 2009 at the Wayback MachineWhitehaven Official Site, 20 January 2009
^Norquay, Kevin (4 June 2010). "Kiwi coach tells tale of friend 'shot point blank'". Stuff. NZPA. from the original on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
^Relegated Championship side Whitehaven sack boss Stokes 8 December 2020 at the Wayback MachineBBC, 18 August 2010
^Hoult, Nick (15 May 2009). "Durham's Ben Stokes wins generation game at the Oval". The Daily Telegraph. from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
^"England cricket star Ben Stokes arrives in New Zealand to be with seriously ill dad Ged". The New Zealand Herald. 28 August 2020. from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
^Darbyshire, Drew (8 December 2020). "Former Whitehaven and Workington coach Ged Stokes passes away". Love Rugby League. from the original on 8 December 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
^"Gerard Stokes death notice". The Press. 11 December 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
January 07, 2023
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Gerard James Stokes 1955 8 December 2020 was a New Zealand rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s and coached in the 1980s through to the 2010s who represented New Zealand 1 He was a coach of the Serbian national side and father of England international cricketer Ben Stokes Gerard StokesPersonal informationFull nameGerard James StokesBorn1955 1955 Aligarh IndiaDied8 December 2020 aged 65 Christchurch New ZealandPlaying informationPositionPropClubYears Team Pld T G FG PMarist Western CRL 1982 Eastern Suburbs CRL 1982 83 Workington Town 221986 Marist Western CRL Total 22 0 0 0 0RepresentativeYears Team Pld T G FG P1980 82 Canterbury1982 South Island1982 New Zealand 1 0 0 0 0Coaching informationClubYears Team Gms W D L W 1988 Marist Western1994 96 Canterbury Country1997 2002 Canterbury Bulls2003 Wellington Orcas2003 07 Workington Town2008 10 WhitehavenTotal 0 0 0 0RepresentativeYears Team Gms W D L W 2008 10 Serbia 9 4 0 5 44Source 1 2 3 Contents 1 Playing career 2 Coaching career 3 Personal life 4 ReferencesPlaying career EditStokes began playing rugby league early in life In high school he would sneak out of his boarding school in New Zealand every Saturday morning to play rugby league for Canterbury 4 He was a Schoolboy Kiwi in 1971 before later representing New Zealand in four non Test matches on the 1982 tour of Australia and playing for Workington Town in 1982 83 5 In one match Stokes dislocated his finger and asked for an amputation in order to play again more quickly 6 Coaching career EditIn 1994 he was appointed coach of the new Canterbury Country Cardinals in the Lion Red Cup 7 The team made the finals in 1994 8 but finished tenth in 1995 9 In 1996 he was appointed head coach of the Canterbury Rugby League representative side facing irregular provincial competition 10 In 2000 he coached the Canterbury Bulls to a victory in the inaugural Bartercard Cup grand final He was also named New Zealand coach of the year that season 4 He applied to coach New Zealand in 2001 but was overlooked for Gary Freeman 11 Instead he was appointed Assistant Coach and a co selector working under Freeman and in 2003 he was in charge of the New Zealand A tour of Great Britain 12 13 In 2002 Stokes moved north and coached the Wellington Franchise in the Bartercard Cup 14 He re applied for the job at the end of the 2003 season but wanted too much money and so was not reappointed 15 Instead at the end of the New Zealand A tour he was offered the opportunity to stay in England and coach his old club Workington Town The club was in a state of disrepair and only seven players were contracted to the club 4 Stokes rebuilt the squad However he was later fired by the club over an alleged disciplinary breach despite being cleared by a RFL investigation The club later agreed to a 14 000 pay off days before a court case brought by Stokes was due to be heard 16 In early 2008 he was offered the job of coaching Whitehaven Workington Town s bitter local rivals after coach Paul Crarey left the club citing personal health issues 17 In late 2008 he travelled to Serbia and helped the national side prepare for the RLEF Euro Med Challenge 18 This move quickly proved beneficial to his club side as Whitehaven signed young Serbian national Soni Radovanovic in January 2009 19 Stokes was sacked in August 2010 after winning only 1 game in 14 with a disastrous record 13 game losing streak that ultimately led to Whitehaven s relegation from the Championship 20 21 In 2013 he and wife Deb had moved from rugby league and back to Christchurch to a job working with young offenders they were also involved in the restoration of Christchurch following the 2011 earthquake 22 Personal life EditStokes had two children from his first marriage to Ferne Caldwell and a son England international cricket player Ben Stokes with his second wife Deb In August 2020 Stokes revealed that he had been diagnosed with brain cancer in January 2020 23 He died at his home in Christchurch on 8 December 2020 aged 65 24 25 References Edit a b Statistics at rugbyleagueproject org rugbyleagueproject org 31 December 2017 Archived from the original on 8 December 2017 Retrieved 1 January 2018 Coach Statistics at rugbyleagueproject org rugbyleagueproject org 31 December 2017 Archived from the original on 24 February 2018 Retrieved 1 January 2018 NZLeague a b c Caned Until I Bleed for Love of Rugby League Archived 17 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine The Whitehaven News 15 May 2008 Coffey John Canterbury XIII Christchurch 1987 England cricket star Ben Stokes arrives in New Zealand to be with seriously ill dad Ged The New Zealand Herald 28 August 2020 Archived from the original on 23 October 2020 Retrieved 8 December 2020 Coach Ged Stokes set for Whitehaven exit BBC Sport 18 August 2010 Archived from the original on 8 December 2020 Retrieved 8 December 2020 Lion Red Rugby League Annual 1994 New Zealand Rugby Football League 1994 p 110 Lion Red Rugby League Annual 1995 New Zealand Rugby Football League 1995 p 110 Stokes on alert for hit men The Press 1 May 1999 The Locker Room Archived 25 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine Workers Online 23 February 2001 2003 NZ A Archived 11 September 2007 at archive today NZRL Official Site Line up is everybody s guess The Press 2 July 2001 Bergman off to capital as cup coach dead link The Nelson Mail 22 October 2003 Stokes too costly for Wellington Archived 23 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine The Dominion Post 14 October 2003 Ged Stokes is new Haven coach Archived 5 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine North West Evening Mail 28 March 2008 Stokes Pleased to be back in charge Archived 8 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine The Press 26 April 2008 Whitehaven Coach Ged Stokes to Boss Serbian National Side Archived 19 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Times amp Star 6 October 2008 Whitehaven RLFC are set to make a little RL history Archived 22 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine Whitehaven Official Site 20 January 2009 Norquay Kevin 4 June 2010 Kiwi coach tells tale of friend shot point blank Stuff NZPA Archived from the original on 14 June 2011 Retrieved 1 October 2011 Relegated Championship side Whitehaven sack boss Stokes Archived 8 December 2020 at the Wayback Machine BBC 18 August 2010 Hoult Nick 15 May 2009 Durham s Ben Stokes wins generation game at the Oval The Daily Telegraph Archived from the original on 18 May 2015 Retrieved 5 July 2014 England cricket star Ben Stokes arrives in New Zealand to be with seriously ill dad Ged The New Zealand Herald 28 August 2020 Archived from the original on 23 October 2020 Retrieved 8 December 2020 Darbyshire Drew 8 December 2020 Former Whitehaven and Workington coach Ged Stokes passes away Love Rugby League Archived from the original on 8 December 2020 Retrieved 8 December 2020 Gerard Stokes death notice The Press 11 December 2020 Retrieved 11 December 2020 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Gerard Stokes amp oldid 1122922755, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
