Bob O'Reilly

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Bob O'Reilly
Personal information
Full nameRobert Edward O'Reilly
Born (1949-02-16) 16 February 1949 (age 76)
Rocklea, Queensland, Australia
Playing information
Position Prop
Club
YearsTeamPldTGFGP
1967–75 Parramatta Eels 167260078
1976–77 Penrith Panthers 302006
1978–79 Eastern Suburbs 3860018
1980–82 Parramatta Eels 493009
Total2843700111
Representative
YearsTeamPldTGFGP
1970–74 New South Wales 90000
1971–74 City NSW 40000
1970–74 Australia 160000
Source: [1]

Robert Edward O'Reilly (born 16 February 1949) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. An Australian international and New South Wales interstate representative prop forward, he played in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership, mainly for the Parramatta Eels, but also for the Eastern Suburbs Roosters and Penrith Panthers.

Contents

Playing career

Nicknamed 'The Bear', O'Reilly enjoyed a fifteen-year Sydney first grade career debuting for Parramatta at aged eighteen in 1967 and returning to the club in 1981 to first taste premiership success. He represented Australia in nine Tests and seven World Cup matches, including the Kangaroos' victory in the 1970 World Cup. He was the first Parramatta junior to represent Australia, having played his junior football with suburban Guildford. [2] O'Reilly is named on the Australian Players Register as Kangaroo No. 450. [3]

A decade after his first representative appearance, O'Reilly was part of Parramatta's first ever premiership-winning team of 1981. He held the record for highest number of first grade games at 284 [4] until overtaken by Geoff Gerard.

Accolades

O'Reilly was awarded Life Membership by the Parramatta Club in 1981. [5] In 2002, a team of the greatest Parramatta players, known as the Parramatta Legends, were selected based on a public vote of fans with O'Reilly being selected at prop. In the same year, O'Reilly was inducted into the Parramatta hall of fame. [6]

References

  1. Bob O'Reilly stats at rugbyleagueproject.com
  2. Apter The Coaches: The Men Who Changed Rugby League ISBN   9781743465660
  3. ARL Annual Report 2005, page 56
  4. Bob O'Reilly at yesterdayshero.com.au Archived 4 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Sydney Morning Herald : 24 September 1981 (page 56)
  6. "Hall of fame". Parramatta Eels.

Published sources