Name Kyle Lovett Role Rugby league second row | Height 1.84 m Weight 100 kg | |
Kyle Lovett (born 23 March 1993) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who last played for the Wests Tigers in the National Rugby League. He primarily plays at second-row, but can also fill in at centre.
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Background
Born in Leichhardt, New South Wales, Lovett played his junior football for Five Dock RSL and the Leichhardt Juniors before being signed by the Wests Tigers.
Playing career
In 2012, and 2013, Lovett played for the Wests Tigers' NYC team. He was named the team's Player of the Year for both seasons and captained the side as they won the grand final in 2012. In April 2013, he played for the New South Wales Under-20s team.
On 18 July 2013, Lovett re-signed with the Tigers on a 1-year contract. In 2014, Lovett moved on to the Tigers' New South Wales Cup team, and was again named that team's Player of the Year.
In Round 1 of the 2015 NRL season, Lovett made his NRL debut for the Tigers against the Gold Coast Titans. Lovett played in the centres, coming into the side as a late replacement for Chris Lawrence. The Tigers won the game with a late field goal, and Lovett said, "I could never ask for a better round one debut. To win by a field goal. It's the best feeling I've ever had." After an injury to Dene Halatau, Lovett returned to first grade in round 4, playing in the second row. He scored his first NRL try early in the game, running onto a Luke Brooks pass near the try-line.
On 20 August 2015, Lovett re-signed with the Tigers on a 2-year contract. He made 21 appearances during the season, mostly playing second-row or starting from the bench. Making 663 tackles, he was second only to Robbie Farah at Wests Tigers. He was named the team's NRL Rookie of the Year. He said, "I just feel really honoured to not only have this award, but also to have been given the opportunity to play as many games and minutes as I did this season. I’ve talked to a few of the older boys and I think the best part about it is getting so much experience under my belt in one year."
With Robbie Farah unavailable for the first game of 2016, Lovett played some time at hooker and scored a try. In May he made his representative debut with City, and scored a try as he, "ran the perfect line to stroll over from close range."