Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Gary Bridge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Taree, New South Wales, Australia | 23 June 1961||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Five-eighth, Wing, Centre, Halfback | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: [1] As of 15 May 2019 |
Gary Bridge nicknamed "Parrot" is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. He played for Balmain and Eastern Suburbs in the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) competition and for Oldham RLFC in England.
Bridge was a Taree United junior before he switched to play with Wingham Tigers. Bridge was selected to play for NSW Country seconds in 1981 and gained attention from Balmain who elected to sign him.[ citation needed ]
Bridge joined Balmain in 1982 and made his first grade debut for the club in Round 1 against Cronulla-Sutherland. In 1983, Bridge finished as the club's top try scorer with 13 tries as Balmain finished 4th on the table. Balmain were eliminated in the semi-final by St George 17–14.[ citation needed ]
In 1985, Balmain finished second on the table and reached the minor semi final against Parramatta. Bridge captained the side as they were soundly beaten 32–4. In 1986, Bridge played in nearly every game for Balmain as they reached the preliminary final against Canterbury-Bankstown. Balmain would suffer further finals heartbreak losing to Canterbury 28–16. This would be the last match that Bridge would play for Balmain.[ citation needed ]
Between 1986 and 1987, Bridge played in England with Oldham R.L.F.C. before returning to Australia and signing with Eastern Suburbs. Bridge spent 3 seasons at Easts who struggled towards the bottom of the table before retiring at the end of 1990. [2] [3] [4] [5]
In 2015, Bridge became the coach of Taree City. On 10 December 2018, Bridge was inducted into the Group 3 rugby league hall of fame.
The Wests Tigers is an Australian professional rugby league football team, based in the Inner West of Sydney and South Western Sydney. The Tigers have competed in the National Rugby League (NRL) since being formed at the end of the 1999 NRL season as a joint-venture club between the Balmain Tigers and the Western Suburbs Magpies. The Wests Tigers started playing in the 2000 NRL season and they won their maiden premiership in 2005. It is one of only two clubs that has never lost a grand final in which it has participated. The club also won the final edition of the World Sevens in 2004. The club has only qualified for three finals series since their inception.
The Balmain Tigers are a rugby league club based in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Balmain. They were a founding member of the New South Wales Rugby League and one of the most successful in the history of the premiership, with eleven titles. In 1999 they formed a joint venture club with the Western Suburbs Magpies club to form the Wests Tigers for competition in the National Rugby League (NRL). They no longer field any senior teams in the lower divisions. At the time of the joint venture only South Sydney Rabbitohs and the St George Dragons had won more titles than the Tigers.
The Western Suburbs Magpies is an Australian rugby league football club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests, as the club is commonly referred to, was one of the nine foundation clubs of the first New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia. The club, as a sole entity, departed the top-flight competition in 1999 after forming a 50–50 joint venture with Balmain Tigers to form the Wests Tigers. The club currently fields sides in the NSW State Cup, Ron Massey Cup (Opens), S.G. Ball Cup and Harold Matthews Cup competitions.
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Scott Gale (1965-2004) was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. Nicknamed "Mr Midnight" he played for the Western Suburbs, Eastern Suburbs, Balmain, North Sydney and the Canberra Raiders in the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) competition and Hull FC in England. His sister Tarsha Gale was the first captain of NSW in Women's Rugby League.
Gary Warnecke is a former Australian professional rugby league footballer who played for Eastern Suburbs and Western Suburbs in the NSWRL competition in the 1970s and 1980s.
Jack Winchester was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1930s and 1940s. He played for Balmain in the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) competition.
Jack McCullough (1921-2005) was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s and 1950s. He played for Balmain in the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) competition during the club's second golden era where they won 3 premierships and appeared in 5 straight grand finals.
Allen Geelan is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. He played for Newtown, Eastern Suburbs, Canterbury-Bankstown and Western Suburbs in the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) competition.