Warriors interim coach Todd Payten described the news of Stephen Kearney's sacking as 'like a death in the family'. Video / Warriors / NRL
Todd Payten is the interim head coach of New Zealand Warriors after the sacking of Stephen Kearney last night.
Here's all you need to know about the 12th coach of the Warriors.
- Payten joined the Warriors as an assistant coach in August 2018 replacing Andrew McFadden, the Warriors headcoach before Stephen Kearney. McFadden was also a former teammate of Peyton at the Raiders.
- Payten previously held assistant coaching roles at West Tigers and the Cowboys.
Warriors interim head coach Todd Payten. Photosport
- As a front rower he played a total of 259 appearances with the Canberra Raiders, Sydney Roosters and Wests Tigers, before being forced into retirement by injury at the end of the 2011 season.
- He has a grand final winner's medal as a player - after being in the West Tigers team that beat North Queensland 30-16 in the 2005 grand final and as a coach - he was assistant coach to Paul Green when the Cowboys won the 2015 title.
- Born in Parramatta, Payten went to Erindale College in Canberra and went onto represent the Australian Schoolboys side in 1996.
- At age 16 he signed a scholarship with the Canberra Raiders before making his debut a year later for the club in 1996, while still at school. "I was at Erindale College, I'd played two reserve grade games when Tim [Sheens] called on the Tuesday before the [Wests clash]," he told the Daily Telegraph in 2011. "I know we got beat [24-16], and I was only there because of all the injuries we had.
- His final game was against the Eels in round 24, 2011.
- Scored a try in the Tigers' grand final victory over the Cowboys in 2005.
Todd Payten in action for the Wests Tigers against the Warriors in 2006. Photosport
- Injury ruled him out of the 2003 grand final with the Roosters - they went onto lose to the Panthers.
- Finished his career with 19 tries with his season-high being three in 2000.
- He has three children - Noah, Leo and Indiana.
- Started his coaching career in 2012, a year after his retirement and coached the Tigers NYC side to the title.
- In 2018 when signing on as an assistant at the Warriors, Payten told NRL.com he didn't have a timeframe on becoming a head coach. "I'm turning 40 in January so I'm well aware that may happen in two years time or it might happen in 10 years time. I just know that whenever it happens, I need to be the best prepared as possible. I'm not putting a time frame on it, it's too hard to do that."
