Broncos in mourning after death of beloved former CEO Shane Edwards

The Brisbane Broncos are in mourning after the tragic death of former CEO Shane Edwards.

Edwards died on Thursday, aged 67, after a 12-month battle with motor neurone disease.

He served as managing director of the club for seven years from 1995 to 2002, leading the club through one of the most successful periods.

During his tenure, the Broncos won the 1997 Super League grand final, as well as the 1998 and 2000 NRL premierships.

Edwards was a much-loved figure of not just the Broncos, but the entire NRL community.

“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,” Broncos CEO Dave 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.”

Edwards later served as chairman of the Brisbane Tigers and was part of the Brisbane Firehawks consortium that lost out to Redcliffe in the battle to be the NRL’s 17th team.

His tragic death came as Jai Arrow, who is battling MND, led the Souths out on Saturday in emotional scenes .

“Shane never stopped being part of rugby league and he certainly never stopped being part of the Broncos,” Donaghy continued.

“One of the special things about this club is that the people who have helped shape it remain part of its story long after their official roles have finished. Shane is very much one of those people.

“On behalf of everyone at the Broncos, our thoughts are with Sue and the entire Edwards family. Shane made an enormous contribution to this club, but more importantly, he made an enormous impression on the people within it.