Broncos ‘deeply saddened’ by death of iconic former boss
Former Brisbane Broncos managing director and chief executive officer Shane Edwards has died, aged 67, after a 12-month battle with motor neurone disease.
Edwards was managing director at the Broncos from 1995 to 2002 when the club won a Super League grand final and two NRL premierships.
Former Broncos boss Shane Edwards. Fairfax
Broncos chief Dave Donaghy paid tribute to Edwards and his contribution to the club.
“Whenever you speak to people who were at the Broncos during Shane’s time here, the first thing they talk about isn’t the premierships or his position as managing director, they talk about Shane as a person,” Donaghy said.
“He was someone people genuinely liked being around. He had a warmth and generosity about him and treated people well, regardless of their role or position. That’s why there is such genuine affection for Shane right across our club and the game.
“He was at the helm during a really important period in the Broncos’ history and there’s no question he was incredibly proud of what the club achieved, but I think his legacy is equally reflected in the relationships he built and maintained.”
Along with his role in building the Broncos to the sporting powerhouse they are today, Edwards had positions at the Brisbane Tigers and Firehawks.
At the Tigers he was chairman and made an unsuccessful attempt to push them from Queensland Cup to the NRL.
He had a similar role at the Firehawks, trying to make the franchise the 17th NRL team in 2023 but lost out to the Dolphins.
Edwards had long been an ally of Wayne Bennett too having worked with him at the Broncos. The former Broncos boss had also approached Shane Richardson to start the process of Bennett becoming Rabbitohs coach in 2019.
The sad news of Edwards’ passing comes as Jai Arrow, who was diagnosed with MND earlier this year, ran out for the Rabbitohs in Saturday’s match against the Titans.
Edwards is survived by his wife Sue.
