The rugby league world has been left in shock after the former State of Origin player and coach, and the man who led North Queensland to their first NRL premiership, Paul Green, dies aged 49.
Look back on the tributes as they poured in.
Key events
- Green a 'Rugby League talent in both worlds'
- Life after the Cowboys
- Family describes Green as 'devoted husband, loving father and wonderful brother and son'
- Working with Green was a 'dream come true', says former assistant coach
- The miracle moment Paul Green helped orchestrate
- Cowboys pay tribute to 'one of the greatest contributors' in club history
- NRL extends condolences to family of 'passionate, smart and witty' Paul Green
- Who was Paul Green?
Live updates
By Shiloh Payne
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By Shiloh Payne
That's where we'll leave our live coverage
Thank you for joining us as we followed the heartfelt tributes for Paul Green and condolences for his family.
You can continue to stay up to date here on the ABC News website and on our app.
By Shiloh Payne
MP remembers Green as 'icon of Townsville'
Townsville state MP Scott Stewart has shared a tribute to Paul Green.
He says he was shocked to hear of Green's death.
By Shiloh Payne
Green's Queensland cup team 'deeply saddened' by loss
Queensland Cup side Wynnum Manly has released a statement on Paul Green.
He coached the club to two Queensland Cup premierships in 2011-12 and was a local junior.
The statement says the news has left everyone connected with the Seagulls in a deep state of shock.
“The Wynnum Manly Seagulls are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of club legend Paul Green,” Seagulls Chairman and Acting CEO Tom Solah said.
“As a former player and dual premiership coach he will always hold a special place in the hearts of the Seagulls club, its players and supporters.
“Paul and his family have been stalwarts of rugby league on the Bayside for decades and his love and commitment to the Club has never wavered.
"Our thoughts are with his family, and particularly wife Amanda and children Emerson and Jed, at this incredibly sad and difficult time.”
Green is the only coach in Seagulls history to win back-to-back premierships after securing the 2011 and 2012 titles, a feat which helped propel him into the NRL coaching ranks.
By Shiloh Payne
Green a 'Rugby League talent in both worlds'
ABC sports broadcaster Quentin Hull says Paul Green had success on and off the field.
"He was a very good player for a long time," he said.
"But I think his legacy will always be the fact he was able to transition into coaching and delivered North Queensland its first ever premiership.
" For a player as good as he was, to be probably better known for the coach that he became, shows just what a rugby league talent he was in both worlds."
By Shiloh Payne
Mat Rogers pays tribute to teammate
A shocked Mat Rogers says his former rugby league teammate, Paul Green, will be remembered as an "incredible competitor" who never took a backward step.
Rogers spent the past weekend in Sydney with Green at a Cronulla players reunion, with the pair having been teammates at the Sharks for three seasons from 1995.
Rogers said he and Green played golf and then sat next to each other to watch the Sharks beat St George Illawarra on Saturday night.
"It was great — we played golf on Friday together and spent time at the reunion together," Rogers said.
"He was telling me about the new boat he'd just bought for the family and I was looking forward to going for a ride.
"I can't believe he's gone … it makes me appreciate that time I got to spend with him."
Rogers said halfback Green — who stood at just 167 centimetres tall — played well above his diminutive size.
"We played together for years and he was just an incredible competitor," Rogers said.
"There was nothing of him and he just never took a backward step."
You can keep reading this story with the link below
By Shiloh Payne
Life after the Cowboys
Here's our digital sport lead Kyle Pollard:
Green’s legacy as the first coach to take the Cowboys to premiership glory would follow him even as he farewelled the club in 2020.
With two grand finals and a long-awaited trophy under his belt, the question was always going to be ‘what’s next?’
For Green, it was the Broncos.
The powerhouse club had let Anthony Seibold go, and for many, Green was the natural man to step into the seat. Experienced, respected, and a Broncos Old Boy to boot.
And while his interview was reportedly exceptional, Kevin Walters stood fair and square in his way.
“Look, I was disappointed to miss out on the Broncos,” he told The Courier-Mail’s Peter Badel.
“But I knew the situation I was walking into. I knew what ‘Kevvie’ brought to the job and I knew what I brought to the job.
“There’s no ill-feeling at all towards the Broncos at all.”
Instead, Green would take the head coach role at the Maroons, in what would be a transition period between the old and the new as the rep team moved from Wayne Bennett, to Green, and eventually to Billy Slater.
It was a brutal result, with a dominant Blues outfit getting the job done in the first two games.
Green would however go on to claim Origin III, and mark himself in the record books as one of only 13 men to coach the mighty Maroons.
Here's the highlights from that game.
By Shiloh Payne
Family describes Green as 'devoted husband, loving father and wonderful brother and son'
Paul Green's family have released a statement after the news of his passing.
Here it is in full:
"Today we are devastated.
We have lost a devoted husband, loving father and wonderful brother and son.
We cannot find the words that would come close to expressing our feelings, however we would like to extend our thanks to those who have reached out to us with their love and support.
Paul was loved by so many and we know that this news will generate immense interest, however at this time we ask for privacy.
Our family is still trying to understand this tragedy and we request space and time as we come to terms with this loss.
Thank you."
By Shiloh Payne
Here are some of your words:
Paul Brown: So sad for his family. Omg not another of our greats… Some thing is going badly wrong in this world… Just a thought….
Radish: This is a shock. While I didn’t know Paul Green personally he put so much into the game as a player, coach and I am sure many other things. Condolences to his family
Natty: What a week. RIP Paul.
By Kelsie Iorio
More members of the sport community react
Broadcaster and commentator Quentin Hull has also shared a few words on social media about the "terrible news".
By Shiloh Payne
Working with Green was a 'dream come true', says former assistant coach
Here's ABC North Queensland reporter Chloe Chomicki:
Former assistant coach to Paul Green, Josh Hannay, said he was "shocked and devastated" to hear of his death just five days after they caught up at a Cronulla Sharks reunion.
"We had a good chat, we spoke about the future, and how much he was looking forward to what was in store for himself professionally," Hannay said.
"It's just devastating."
Hannay said Green seemed healthy and was in "good spirits" at the weekend.
"He was his normal self, the life of the party, he had a good day catching up with old friends," he said.
Hannay and Green initially met playing rugby league together in the late 1990s, but their friendship kicked off when Hannah was appointed as assistant coach at the North Queensland Cowboys in 2017.
"The chance to work with Paul was just such a great opportunity for a young coach like myself, there was no better coach in the game at that time," he said.
"To get a call from Paul was a dream come true."
Hannay said it was Green’s competitive drive which turned the North Queensland Cowboys into a premiership winning club during his seven year tenure as head coach.
"It wasn't about competing, it was about winning, it was about being the best. ," he said.
"That was whether you were playing rugby league or you might have been playing backyard cricket or a game of cards.
"He changed the mindset of the club, it was no longer just happy to compete and or just happy to be in the NRL, it was about getting that club to the mountaintop.
"He was the circuit breaker.
"I know in terms of personal achievement, and professional achievement, winning the premiership sits at the very top of everything he's done in the game, and he's done a lot."
By Shiloh Payne
Tributes from all sides of politics
Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says Paul Green was an "incredible player and coach".
Queensland's former Liberal National party leader Deb Frekclington says she was left "absolutely devatated" by the news of Green's passing.
The state's Deputy Premier Steven Miles also shared a tribute, as well as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.
By Kelsie Iorio
Cronulla Sharks say Green was 'with us just last weekend'
By Shiloh Payne
The miracle moment Paul Green helped orchestrate
Here's our digital sport lead Kyle Pollard:
Paul Green was a hell of a footballer, but arguably the most enduring image of the pint-sized playmaker came from the coaches’ box at Stadium Australia in 2015.
With the Cowboys four points adrift of arch-rivals the Broncos, Green and his men faced the heartache of watching their hopes of an inaugural premiership slide agonisingly by.
But as the clock hit the final 10 seconds, Johnathan Thurston and Michael Morgan combined to create some rugby league magic, getting the ball to winger Kyle Feldt, who scored the try to tie things up.
In the box, Green watched with the nervous anticipation of a footy fan, knowing full well the fate of the game was out of his hands. As Feldt dived over, the coach leapt from his seat with his arms in the air, embracing his assistants Jason Demetriou and John Cartwright.
It was a miracle.
And it was a miracle that Paul Green had helped orchestrate.
His legacy as North Queensland’s first premiership coach was assured.
You can watch it here, skip to 10 minutes for the magical moment.
