Chris McQueen retires: Five outstanding career highlights including history-making England debut as veteran calls time on legendary career
Huddersfield Giants have confirmed that back-rower Chris McQueen will retire at the end of the season with his last competitive game against Warrington.
The 36-year-old will hang up the boots after a legendary 14-year career across NRL and Super League, having made his debut in 2009 for South Sydney Rabbitohs.
McQueen joined the Giants in September 2020 to help injuries at the John Smith’s Stadium, and made an instant impact. He has made 82 appearances for the side to date.
He celebrated his 250th career game against Leeds Rhinos earlier this season.
McQueen made 164 appearances in the competition Down Under, scoring 35 tries, across stints with the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Gold Coast Titans and Wests Tigers.
Lance Todd Trophy winner
The veteran back-rower claimed the Lance Todd Trophy at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Challenge Cup defeat to Wigan Warriors in 2022, the first showdown to be played at the home of the Premier League giants.
McQueen scored in the 16-14 defeat, with opposition winger Liam Marshall scoring the match-winning try in the 77th minute.
He received 14 of the 39 votes cast by members of the media as he became only the fifth Australian to win it.
Additionally, he became the first Huddersfield player to win the Lance Todd Trophy since Peter Ramsdale in 1953 and the first back-rower to be named Challenge Cup final player of the match since Wigan’s Dennis Betts in 1991.
2014 NRL Grand Final win
McQueen featured from the interchange bench during the 2014 NRL Grand Final win over Canterbury Bulldogs with South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Alex Johnston, George Burgess, Kirisome Auva’a, Adam Reynolds and Greg Inglis scorers in the victory at AMZ Stadium.
Queensland career
The Brisbane-born player, who began his career as an outside-back having made his debut as a winger, represented Queensland five times on the State of Origin stage between 2013 and 2014.
He won the series in 2013, having made his debut from the interchange bench in Game I before being promoted to starting back-row.
However the Blues claimed the title in 2014, winning the first two games.
England representative with history-making debut
He later became the first Origin representative to also play for England, having been picked by then-coach Wayne Bennett to feature against Samoa in 2017.
It was the first time McQueen had accepted England after reportedly rejecting previous approaches to represent his heritage, qualifying through his father Kevin.
The decision meant that McQueen couldn’t feature for Queensland again, with England classed as a tier one nation.
Super League Dream Team
A stellar 2022 campaign saw McQueen named in that year’s Super League Dream Team, with an impressive 17 tries in the season.
2022 Super League Dream Team:
1. Jai Field (Wigan)
2. Bevan French (Wigan)
3. Shaun Kenny-Dowall (Hull KR)
4. Tim Lafai (Salford)
5. Ken Sio (Salford)
6. Jack Welsby (St Helens)
7. Brodie Croft (Salford)
8. Alex Walmsley (St Helens)
9. James Roby (St Helens)
10. Mikolaj Oledzki (Leeds)
11. Chris McQueen (Huddersfield)
12. Liam Farrell (Wigan)
13. Morgan Knowles (St Helens)
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