Ben Ikin

The youngest player ever to play State of Origin.

Profile

Ben Ikin is a former professional rugby league footballer who hosts NRL 360 each week with News Corp’s Paul Kent and is a rugby league columnist for The Australian.

Current work

Following a triumphant playing career, Ben Ikin, who is renowned in football circles as having a great footy intellect, launched himself into a successful media career. He became a regular panelist on the Nine Network’s The Sunday Roast and One HD’s One Week at a Time before joining Fox Sport in 2012. In his role at Fox Sports, Ben provides expert analysis during live match coverage and hosts the weekly entertainment program, NRL 360 with Paul Kent every Monday to Wednesday. The former centre turned five-eighth is now recognised as one of Rugby League’s most established media personalities.

Along with his Fox Sport duties, Ben is also a rugby league columnist for The Australian and has previously hosted Off the Bench NRL throughout Queensland, a weekly regional radio show syndicated by Crocmedia.

Previous experience

Sport: Ben is a two-time Australian representative and was a State of Origin mainstay for the Queensland Maroons, where he first shot to prominence in 1995. Becoming the youngest player ever to debut for the Maroons at the age of 18, a record that still stands today.

He represented his state on 17 occasions and made 150 first grade appearances in the NRL over a decade-long career with Gold Coast Seagulls, North Sydney Bears and Brisbane Broncos.

Commercial: Before moving into a full time role in the media, Ben worked for 10 years in various senior commercial roles in the property and construction industry. Additionally, he is a board member of the Queensland Rugby League and the Men of League Foundation.

Director: Ben is a former director of the North QLD Cowboys and is high in demand as a keynote speaker and Master of Ceremonies. His presentations are a mix of sport and business, intertwined with his enriching life experience.

Expertise