Simon Woolford
A tough-as-nails hooker from Canberra who translated his on-field grit into a respected coaching career in England's Super League.
Born 1975 (age 51)·Australian RL coach and former rugby league footballer·Birthday: April 7·Generation X
Biography
Simon Woolford's story is one of rugby league grit, told in the mud of Canberra and the rain of northern England. As a player, he was the archetypal hard-nosed hooker, spending over a decade with the Canberra Raiders in the NRL, where his defensive steel and service from dummy-half made him a club mainstay. His transition from the pitch to the sideline was a natural one. After hanging up his boots, Woolford cut his teeth in coaching back in Australia before taking a bold leap to the UK in 2018. Appointed head coach of the Huddersfield Giants, he faced the immense challenge of reviving a historic club. His no-nonsense, disciplined approach slowly reshaped the team's identity, steering them away from relegation battles and instilling a tougher mentality. While his tenure eventually concluded, Woolford left a mark as the Australian who brought a dose of uncompromising NRL attitude to the Super League.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Simon was born in 1975, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Simon Was Born
The biggest hits of 1975
#1 Movie
Jaws
Best Picture
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Simon's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1975Born
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1980Started school
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1988Became a teenager
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Could drive
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1993Could vote
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Turned 21
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2005Turned 30
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 40
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 50
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 51 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played 272 first-grade NRL games, primarily for the Canberra Raiders between 1998 and 2008.
- Represented the Prime Minister's XIII and was selected for the NSW City Origin team in 2002.
- Appointed head coach of the Huddersfield Giants in the UK Super League in 2018, leading the club for three seasons.
- Guided Huddersfield to a Super League survival in his first season, avoiding relegation.
Did You Know?
He made his first-grade debut for the Raiders against the Auckland Warriors in 1998.
He served as an assistant coach for the St George Illawarra Dragons before moving to England.
After leaving Huddersfield, he returned to Australia to coach the Gunnedah Bulldogs in Group 4 rugby league.
“Footy is simple: you earn respect by winning the tough battles.”
