[2][3][4][5] At club level he played for Hull FC, Bradford Bulls, Wakefield Trinity Wildcats and the Huddersfield Giants.

[citation needed] McNamara joined Hull FC from local amateur side Skirlaugh Bulls at the age of 17 and he was selected to go on the 1992 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand.

[4] McNamara played for the Bradford Bulls at loose forward in the 1999 Super League Grand Final which was lost to St. Helens.

In 2000, at the height of a financial crisis at Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, the contracts of all players aged over 24 were terminated during September 2000.

The players affected were; Andy Fisher, Bobbie Goulding, Warren Jowitt, Tony Kemp (player-coach), Steve McNamara, Francis Maloney, Martin Masella, Steve Prescott, Bright Sodje, Francis Stephenson and Glen Tomlinson.

On 20 April 2006 Steve was promoted to head coach of Bradford Bulls[8] following Brian Noble's departure to Wigan Warriors.

In his first season in charge, he guided the Bradford Bulls to the Super League playoffs before the club were knocked out of the grand final eliminator by Hull FC.

On 12 December 2013, McNamara was appointed the assistant coach of the 2013 National Rugby League (NRL) premiers the Sydney Roosters.