 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 30 January 1990 Dalby, Queensland, Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 90 kg (14 st 2 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Hooker | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
As of 3 September 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Andrew McCullough (born 30 January 1990) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a hooker for the Brisbane Broncos, Newcastle Knights, and St. George Illawarra Dragons in the National Rugby League (NRL), and has played for Queensland in the State of Origin series.
McCullough was born in Dalby, Queensland, Australia to Wendy and Graham McCullough.
In 2018, McCullough married Carlie Harrison in a ceremony at Byron Bay. [3]
McCullough attended Dalby State School and subsequently Dalby State High School, before accepting a scholarship to Brisbane State High School for grade 12. [4] During his time in Dalby, he played for the Dalby Devils and on a number of school teams. He played for the Australian Schoolboys team in 2007 while attending Brisbane State High School. [5] In 2003, while he was in grade 8, he had already signed with the Brisbane Broncos. [4] He made his debut in the Telstra Premiership against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks on 17 May 2008, becoming the first player born in the 1990s to make his debut in the NRL's top grade. In 2009, he was named the Broncos' "Rookie of the Year".
McCullough was named the 2012 Brisbane Broncos season's player of the year. [6] He played for the Broncos in their extra-time loss to the North Queensland Cowboys in the 2015 NRL Grand Final, and was selected to make his State of Origin debut for Queensland in 2018, starting all three games of that series at hooker following the retirement of former Queensland captain Cameron Smith.
After 260 games for the club, but by now being overlooked for a spot in the starting line-up ahead of the younger Jake Turpin, McCullough left the Broncos on 21 May 2020 to join the Newcastle Knights for the remainder of the 2020 season. [7] He played in 8 matches for the Knights and scored two tries before having his season ended by a hamstring injury. [8] [9] He was then removed from the Knights' playing squad list to make way for the mid-season signing of Blake Green. [10]
Newcastle chose not to renew McCullough's contract and he was able to return to Brisbane after taking up a player option in his contract for 2021. [11]
On 15 February 2021, he signed a three-year deal to join St. George Illawarra. [12] He made his debut for St. George Illawarra in round 1 of the 2021 NRL season against rivals Cronulla-Sutherland where the Dragons lost 32-18 at Kogarah Oval. [13]
McCullough was selected for the Queensland Maroons in Game 2 of the 2021 State of Origin Series, following an injury to incumbent hooker Harry Grant. [14] In round 22 of the 2021 NRL season, McCullough was taken from the field with an ankle injury in the Saints loss against Penrith. On 17 August 2021, it was announced that McCullough would be ruled out for the remainder of the season. [15]
On 10 November 2022, McCullough announced his immediate retirement from rugby league with a year remaining on his contract with St. George Illawarra. [16]
| Season | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 |  Brisbane Broncos | 3 | - | - | - | 0 |
| 2009 | 26 | 2 | - | - | 8 | |
| 2010 | 21 | 6 | - | - | 24 | |
| 2011 | 26 | 2 | - | - | 8 | |
| 2012 | 25 | 4 | - | - | 16 | |
| 2013 | 24 | 3 | - | - | 12 | |
| 2014 | 23 | 3 | - | 1 | 13 | |
| 2015 | 27 | 5 | - | - | 20 | |
| 2016 | 21 | 1 | - | - | 4 | |
| 2017 | 18 | 2 | - | - | 8 | |
| 2018 | 22 | 3 | - | - | 12 | |
| 2019 | 22 | 1 | 1 | - | 6 | |
| 2020 | 3 | - | - | - | 0 | |
| 2020 |  Newcastle Knights | 8 | 2 | - | - | 8 |
| 2021 |  St. George Illawarra Dragons | 22 | - | - | - | 0 |
| 2022 | 20 | 2 | - | - | 8 | |
| Totals | 311 | 36 | 1 | 1 | 147 |
The Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Football Club Ltd., commonly referred to as the Broncos, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos play in Australia's elite competition, the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership. The club has won six premierships, including two New South Wales Rugby League premierships, a Super League premiership and three NRL premierships. The Broncos have won two World Club Challenges. The Broncos have achieved four minor premierships during its 35 years in multiple competitions. Prior to 2015, Brisbane had never been defeated in a grand final, and since 1991, the club has failed to qualify for the finals five times. The club is one of the most successful clubs in the National Rugby League since it began in 1998, winning three premierships. The club is one of the most successful clubs in the history of rugby league, having won 59.9% of games played since its induction in 1988, second only to Melbourne Storm with 67.3%.
Dean Young is an Australian professional rugby league coach who is the assistant coach of the North Queensland Cowboys in the National Rugby League (NRL) and a former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s.
The 1998 NRL season was the 91st season of professional rugby league football in Australia, and the inaugural season of the newly formed National Rugby League (NRL). After the 1997 season, in which the Australian Rugby League and Super League organisations ran separate competitions parallel to each other, they joined to create a reunited competition in the NRL. The first professional rugby league club to be based in Victoria, the Melbourne Storm was introduced into the League, and with the closure of the Hunter Mariners, Western Reds and South Queensland Crushers, twenty teams competed for the premiership, which culminated in the 1998 NRL grand final between the Brisbane Broncos and Canterbury-Bankstown. It was also the final season for the Illawarra Steelers and the St. George Dragons as their own clubs prior to their merger into the St. George-Illawarra Dragons for the 1999 NRL season
The St. George Illawarra Dragons are an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing both the Illawarra and St George regions of New South Wales. The club has competed in the National Rugby League (NRL) since 1999 after a joint-venture was formed between the St. George Dragons and the Illawarra Steelers. The club officially formed as the game's first joint-venture club on 23 September 1998 and remains the only inter-city team in the NRL. The team has its headquarters and leagues clubs in both Wollongong and the Sydney suburb of Kogarah, and trains and plays games regularly at WIN Stadium in Wollongong, as well as at Jubilee Oval in Kogarah. From 1999 to 2006 the club was jointly owned by the St. George Dragons 50% and Illawarra Steelers 50%. In 2006 WIN Corporation purchased 50% of the Illawarra Steelers stake in the club before purchasing the rest of the Illawarra Steelers' share in August 2018.
The 2008 National Rugby League season consisted of 26 weekly regular season rounds, starting on 14 March, followed by four weeks of play-offs, culminating in a Grand Final on 5 October.
The 2009 Brisbane Broncos season was the 22nd in the club's history and their first without foundation coach Wayne Bennett. They competed in the NRL's 2009 Telstra Premiership and by the 12th round were leading the competition, but then suffered one of their worst post-State of Origin form slumps ever and spent rounds 16 to 22 outside the top eight. The team managed to finish the regular season 6th, qualifying for the finals for the 18th consecutive year. The Broncos then came within one match of the grand final but were knocked out for the 3rd season in a row by eventual premiers the Melbourne Storm.
Benjamin Hunt is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who captains and plays as a halfback for the St. George Illawarra Dragons in the National Rugby League (NRL) and hooker for Australia at international level.
The Indigenous Australian rugby league team is a rugby league football team that represents Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders. The team was first formed in 1973 and currently plays in an annual All Stars Match against a National Rugby League NRL All Stars team.
Joshua Dugan is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who last played as a fullback and centre for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the NRL and Australia at international level.
Gerard Beale is a New Zealand international rugby league professional footballer who last played for the St. George Illawarra Dragons in the NRL.
Korbin Sims is a Fiji international rugby league footballer who last played as a prop, loose forward and second-row forward for Hull Kingston Rovers in the Super League.
Tariq Sims is a Fiji international rugby league footballer who plays as a prop for the Melbourne Storm in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Tyson Lomano David Frizell is a professional rugby league footballer who usually plays as a second-rower for the Newcastle Knights in the NRL. He has played for Wales in the 2011 Four Nations and 2013 Rugby League World Cup and Australia at international level.
Jake Granville is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who primarily plays as a utility forward for the North Queensland Cowboys in the National Rugby League (NRL). Earlier in his career, Granville primarily played at hooker, where he won the 2015 NRL Grand Final and 2016 World Club Challenge with North Queensland after previously playing for the Brisbane Broncos. Granville is one of only two players in the NRL era to have played at both fullback and front row, the first being Matt Adamson.
Jack Bird is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a centre, five-eighth and second-row forward for the St. George Illawarra Dragons in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Nita Maynard is a New Zealand rugby league footballer who currently plays for the Newcastle Knights in the NRL Women's Premiership.
Maitua Feterika is a New Zealand rugby league footballer.
Georgia Page is an Australian rugby league footballer who plays as a second-row. She previously played for the St George Illawarra Dragons and Newcastle Knights in the NRL Women's Premiership, Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the NSWRL Women's Premiership and played rugby union for the Melbourne Rebels in the Super W.
Brendan Piakura is a Cook Islands international rugby league footballer who plays as a second-row forward for the Brisbane Broncos in the National Rugby League (NRL).
Simone Karpani is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who currently plays for the Newcastle Knights in the NRL Women's Premiership. Her position is lock. She previously played for the Sydney Roosters.
