Profiles

Profiles » Peter Illfield

Peter Illfield

Coach/Player Development Manager

Peter Illfield coached the Philadelphia Fight in 2006 and 2007. He arrived in Philadelphia from Maitland, NSW, Australia, in May 2006 to marry his American fiancé, Janan, whom he met while she was on holidays in Sydney, Australia, in 2005.

He has been involved with Rugby League both as a player and coach, as well as working in the industry as an employee, for 35 years.

Peter is a Maitland junior where he both played and coached teams, played at a senior grade level in the Newcastle and NSW Group 21 competitions under former international greats Terry Pannowitz, Don ‘Bandy’ Adams and Gary Sullivan and St George great Robert Finch.

Peter spent one year in the NSW Hunter Valley Group 21 competition under ‘Bandy’ Adams where he played for the Scone Thoroughbreds and was part of their premiership winning team in 1976. Back in Maitland, after 11 seasons with the club and in his final year of playing, he was part of the Robert Finch coached, 1983 Newcastle premiership winning, Maitland Pumpkin Pickers.

It was in Newcastle, NSW, and Perth, Western Australia, where he became involved in coach education and development of the game and was employed by the Western Australian Rugby League and Western Reds RLFC as Coaching Director, Coaching and Development Manager and Operations Manager.

After retiring from playing he became a member of the Newcastle RL coaching panel responsible for coach education and in 1987 was Newcastle’s assistant coach of the successful NSWRL U19 Country Champions. He was also involved with the commencement of the Newcastle Knights and coached the Knights Harold Mathews team prior to his move to Western Australia in 1988.

During his 7 years (1988 – 1995) employment by the WARL and Western Reds, Peter’s role included overseeing elite player development, coaching, coach and referee education, convener of national high school tournaments and propagation of the game within the community. Some of his best achievements came from Newcastle and Perth where he developed elite teenage players who went on to play in the NRL and for Australia. Notably, former Kangaroo greats, Paul ‘Chief’ Harrigan and Rodney Howe and the current USA Tomahawks Captain and Gold Coast Titans stalwart Matty Petersen.

Peter is a Level III High Performance Coach and has been a coaching staff member of the Australian Institute of Sport, Rugby League National Youth Program.