Jake Webster

Jake Ngapera Webster (born 29 October 1983) is a former New Zealand international rugby league footballer who last played as a for the Keighley Cougars in Betfred League 1, and is interim head-coach of Keighley Cougars following the sacking of Australian Matt Foster.

He previously played as a and er for the Melbourne Storm and Gold Coast Titans in the NRL, and as a  and  forward for the Castleford Tigers (Heritage No. 934) and Hull Kingston Rovers in the Super League. Webster also played for the Bradford Bulls in the Championship.

Early life
Webster was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He is the son of a New Zealand Māori father, Steven and Greek mother, Madeline, spent the early years of his life in Moonee Ponds before moving to Brisbane, Queensland with his father. When in Brisbane, Jake was educated at Wavell State High School.

He began his rugby league career as an eight-year-old with the Valleys rugby league club and remained with the club through to under-18s. Jake was first spotted by former Melbourne Storm assistant coach Anthony Griffin in 2000 and was offered a place with Storm feeder side, Norths Devils. In 2001 Webster was selected in the Queensland under-19s side and was offered a Storm contract soon after.

National Rugby League
Webster was the first Melbourne-born player to play with the Melbourne Storm, making his debut for the club in round 2 of the 2003 NRL season. It would be Webster's only appearance in the NRL that year after he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament the following week playing for Norths Devils in the Queensland Cup.

Returning to the field in 2004, Webster would score a hat-trick in his third NRL appearance in a 50–4 win for Melbourne against South Sydney. Webster had limited opportunities in the 2004 season, mostly playing for Melbourne's feeder club Norths Devils.

In 2005, Webster was a regular member of the Storm squad, making 24 appearances and scoring 10 tries, including the first try in the qualifying final against the Brisbane Broncos.

At the end of the 2005 season, Webster made his international debut for New Zealand in the 2005 Tri-Nations tournament. He would finish level on top of the scoring table with five tries in five appearances for the Kiwis, playing on the wing as New Zealand won the final 24–0 against Australia.

In round 16 of the 2006 NRL season he scored a memorable last minute try against Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in what was called one of the greatest games of that season. A few weeks later, Webster would score four tries against the Wests Tigers to equal the club's then record for individual tries in a match.

Webster wasn't able to maintain his spot in the Storm squad as the season progressed, not making the Melbourne team that would play in the 2006 NRL Grand Final. He would make 49 appearances for the Storm, scoring 28 tries. Due to surgery on a shoulder injury, Webster was forced to withdraw for selection for New Zealand ahead of the 2006 Tri-Nations.

Offered a contract by the expansion Gold Coast Titans, Webster signed in 2006 to become a part of the club's inaugural 2007 season, scoring a try in the club's first match in round 1. He was selected to play for the New Zealand national team on the wing in the 2007 ANZAC Test loss against Australia.

Webster agreed a deal to join English Super League side Hull Kingston Rovers on 30 August 2007 for a reported three year £100,000 per year contract after being released by the Titans. He had made 18 appearances for the Titans in their first season, scoring four tries.

Super League
Webster made his Super League début in a 20–12 defeat by Leeds Rhinos in which he scored a brace and Hull Kingston Rovers' only tries. He would make a good start to the 2010 season filling in for Paul Cooke at stand off and scoring a try in the opening fixture against Salford City Reds.

On 26 June Webster signed for Castleford Tigers on a three-year deal, starting in 2013.

In March 2014, after missing rugby league action for nearly 12 months out with injury, Webster was given game time to play for the York City Knights in the League 1 competition. Later in 2014, Webster helped Castleford reach their first Challenge Cup Final since 1992. He was a key player in the squad that achieved this, and scored a try against Widnes in the Semi-Final. He played in the 2014 Challenge Cup Final defeat by the Leeds Rhinos at Wembley Stadium.

Webster scored four tries against Wakefield Trinity in August 2017 to seal Castleford's place at the top of Super League, helping the club achieve their first ever top-flight league title. He also played for the Tigers in the Grand Final in the same season.

Webster's departure from Castleford was announced in August 2018. Throughout his time with the club, Webster was regarded as a fans' favourite, stating "The biggest memory from my time here at Castleford will be the fans in the stands."

Lower leagues
In August 2018, Webster signed for Bradford Bulls on a two-year deal. At the end of the 2019 season and having scored 11 tries in 25 appearances for the Bulls, Webster left the club part way through his contract to join League 1 neighbours Keighley Cougars on a two-year deal.

Webster signed a new contract with Keighley in September 2022 which came after his appointment as a commercial executive of the club. The contract saw him remain as a member of the playing squad while also transitioning to a coaching role. He would announce his effective retirement from playing at the end of the 2023 season due to troublesome knee injuries.

12 months after a cancelled testimonial match, Webster made one final appearance for Keighley in a preseason testimonial match against Castleford in January 2024. Webster retired from rugby league to focus on his off-field role as director of rugby at the club.