# Craig Hancock
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{{Short description|Australian rugby league footballer}}
{{BLP sources|date=August 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2013}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
|name = Craig Hancock
|fullname =
|image =
|caption =
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1969|06|10|df=yes}}
|height = {{convert|185|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}
|weight = {{convert|91|kg|stlb|abbr=on}}
|position = {{rlp|WG|FB}}
|club1 = [Manly Sea Eagles](/source/Manly-Warringah_Sea_Eagles)
|year1start = 1989
|year1end = 98
|appearances1 = 172
|tries1 = 64
|goals1 = 0
|fieldgoals1 = 0
|points1 = 256
|club2 = [Balmain Tigers](/source/Balmain_Tigers)
|year2start = 1999
|year2end =
|appearances2 = 20
|tries2 = 6
|goals2 = 0
|fieldgoals2 = 0
|points2 = 24
|retired = yes
|teamA = [New South Wales](/source/New_South_Wales_rugby_league_team)
|yearAstart = 1995
|yearAend =
|appearancesA = 1
|triesA = 0
|goalsA = 0
|fieldgoalsA = 0
|pointsA = 0
|updated = 5 Oct 2008
|source = [[http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/craig-hancock/summary.html Rugby League Project]][https://web.archive.org/web/20081012140253/http://stats.rleague.com/rl/scorers/players/Craig_Hancock.html RL stats]
|new = yes
}}
'''Craig Hancock''' (born 10 June 1969) is an [Australian](/source/Australians) former professional [rugby league](/source/rugby_league) footballer. With his natural pace, "Hank" Hancock mostly played as a {{rlp|wg}}er, though he also played a number of games at {{rlp|fb}}, he played club football for the [Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles](/source/Manly-Warringah_Sea_Eagles) and [Balmain Tigers](/source/Balmain_Tigers). He played one game for [New South Wales](/source/New_South_Wales_rugby_league_team) in the [State of Origin](/source/State_of_Origin_series).
==Playing career==
===Manly-Warringah===
Hancock made his debut for Manly in Round 3 of the [1989 season](/source/1989_NSWRL_season) against the [Newcastle Knights](/source/Newcastle_Knights) at the Knights home ground, [Marathon Stadium](/source/Marathon_Stadium). For the next 10 years he was a regular player for the Sea Eagles, playing at the end of their backline.
He was selected to represent New South Wales as a winger for game I of the [1995 State of Origin series](/source/1995_State_of_Origin_series).
[Matthew Ridge](/source/Matthew_Ridge), Manly's fullback since 1990, had signed with [Super league](/source/Super_League_(Australia)) in 1995 and was off to the [Auckland Warriors](/source/Auckland_Warriors) in [1997](/source/1997_Super_League_(Australia)_season). Manly coach [Bob Fulton](/source/Bob_Fulton) moved Hancock to fullback for the season as a replacement for Ridge until the Round 17 match with [Parramatta](/source/Parramatta_Eels) at [Brookvale Oval](/source/Brookvale_Oval) where Hancock broke his ankle thus ending his season {{citation needed|date=May 2017}} and causing him to miss the Sea Eagles 3rd Grand Final in succession where they were defeated by [Newcastle Knights](/source/Newcastle_Knights).
With Grand Final fullback [Shannon Nevin](/source/Shannon_Nevin) moving to [Balmain](/source/Balmain_Tigers), Hancock was moved back to his preferred wing position in 1998 after the club signed goal-kicking fullback [Luke Phillips](/source/Luke_Phillips) from the [North Queensland Cowboys](/source/North_Queensland_Cowboys). In a frustrating season, Manly's form of the previous 3 seasons dropped alarmingly and the club only scrapped into the finals in 10th place before being eliminated by Canberra in the Qualifying Finals with Hancock floating between the wing, fullback, and bench, scoring only 4 tries for the year. Following the [1998 NRL season](/source/1998_NRL_season), Hancock, after 10 seasons,[{{cite web|url=https://manlygoldeneagles.com.au/members/craig-hancock/|title=Craig Hancock|publisher=Manly Golden Eagles|accessdate=8 May 2017}}] 172 games and 64 tries for Manly, signed to play for the Balmain Tigers in [1999](/source/1999_NRL_season).
===Balmain===
Hancock played 20 games for Balmain during 1999, adding a further 7 tries to his career total. Hancock played in Balmain's final game as a stand-alone entity which was against the [Canberra Raiders](/source/Canberra_Raiders) at [Bruce Stadium](/source/Bruce_Stadium) in Round 26 1999. Balmain lost the match 42–14.[{{cite web|url=https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/nrl-1999/round-26/canberra-vs-balmain/summary.html/|title=NRL 1999|publisher=Rugby League Project}}]
Following the end of the 1999 season, Balmain and [Western Suburbs](/source/Western_Suburbs_Magpies) entered into a merger to become the [Wests Tigers](/source/Wests_Tigers) and Hancock, after 192 senior games for Manly and Balmain as well as state of Origin selection for NSW in 1995 and the 1996 premiership, retired from rugby league at the age of 30.
===Highlights===
* ''First Grade Debut:'' 1989 – Round 3, Manly vs [Newcastle Knights](/source/Newcastle_Knights) at [Marathon Stadium](/source/Marathon_Stadium), 2 April[{{cite web|publisher=NRL Stats|title=Craig Hancock|url=http://www.nrlstats.com/archive/players.cfm?PlayerID=139|accessdate=2007-11-30|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080802190418/http://www.nrlstats.com/archive/players.cfm?PlayerID=139|archivedate=2 August 2008}}]
* ''Representative Selection:'' 1995 – State of Origin Game 1, 15 May, at the [Sydney Football Stadium](/source/Sydney_Football_Stadium_(1988)).
* ''Premierships:'' 1996 – member of the Manly [premiership winning team](/source/Australian_Rugby_League_season_1996) that defeated [St. George Dragons](/source/St._George_Dragons), 20–8
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles squad 1996 ARL premiership}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hancock, Craig}}
Category:1969 births
Category:Living people
Category:Australian rugby league players
Category:New South Wales Rugby League State of Origin players
Category:Manly Warringah Sea Eagles players
Category:New South Wales City Origin rugby league team players
Category:Balmain Tigers players
Category:Rugby league wingers
Category:Rugby league fullbacks
Category:Place of birth missing (living people)
Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen
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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Craig Hancock](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_Hancock) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_Hancock?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.