Dane Gagai

Dane Gagai is the son of North Queensland rugby league legend, Ray Gagai, a foundation Brisbane Bronco, who represented Mackay with distinction in the famous Foley Shield competition, and the old State League.

Ray also had the honour of scoring the first-ever try in the Queensland Cup, in 1996. As well as his father, Dane's other sources of inspiration include cousins, Josh Hoffman and Wendell Sailor, both NRL stars.

Gagai attended Brisbane Boys College, where he played rugby union, and represented Queensland Schoolboys. He was on a Broncos' scholarship at the time, and also played junior rugby league for Wests Panthers, at five-eighth and fullback.

He's just an Origin player; every game when he plays Origin, he's in the top two or three players.

Kevin Walters FOG #63

Gagai played for the Broncos in the National Youth Competition between 2009 and 2011, scoring 39 tries in 61 games. He also was named in the National Youth Competition Team of the Year in 2010 and 2011, and was selected for the Junior Kangaroos in 2011, playing at fullback against the Junior Kiwis. 

Gagai has Torres Strait Island and New Zealand heritage, and has represented the Indigenous All Stars, and the Maori All Stars. 

In Round 1 of 2011, Gagai made his NRL debut for the Broncos - on the wing, against North Queensland. He was released by the Broncos in 2012, and contemplated a switch to rugby union, before signing with Newcastle Knights, where he established himself as one of rugby league's top outside backs.  

On July, 8, 2015, Gagai made his long-awaited State of Origin debut on the wing for Queensland, scoring a try in the Maroons' 52-6 thrashing of the Blues at Suncorp Stadium.

With 11 tries to his name, as of May, 2022, Gagai needs only one more to join Dale Shearer and Billy Slater in third place on the list of most tries in Origin football, behind Greg Inglis (18) and Darius Boyd (17).

Gagai was awarded the Wally Lewis Medal as Man of the Series, in 2017 – the first winger to achieve the honour since the introduction of the award in 2003.

Prior to the 2022 series, Gagai has played 19 games for Queensland, and played centre in all three matches in 2021. He has developed a great rivalry with Latrell Mitchell, at Origin level.

Gagai made his Test debut in 2017 and played wing in Australia's 6-0 win over England in the World Cup final at Suncorp Stadium that year. He has played seven Tests for his country.

Gagai moved from Newcastle to South Sydney in 2018, and played in the centres in the Rabbitohs' 14-12 loss to Penrith in the 2021 NRL grand final.

He returned to the Knights at the end of the 2021 season. He had played 226 first grade matches, scoring 68 tries, going into the 2022 season.