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Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby XIII in non-Anglophone Europe and South America, and referred to colloquially as rugby, football, footy or league in its heartlands, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 m (74 yd) wide and 112–122 m (122–133 yd) long with H-shaped posts at both ends. It is one of the two major codes of rugby football, the other being rugby union. It originated in 1895 in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England, as the result of a split from the Rugby Football Union (RFU) over the issue of payments to players. The rules of the game governed by the new Northern Rugby Football Union progressively changed from those of the RFU with the specific aim of producing a faster and more entertaining game to appeal to spectators, on whose income the new organisation and its members depended.
A rugby league team consists of 13 players on the field, with 4 substitutes on the bench. Each of the 13 players is assigned a position, normally with a standardised number, which reflects their role in attack and defence, although players can take up any position at any time.
Danny Buderus is an Australian rugby league commentator, coach and former professional footballer who played in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative hooker, he played in the National Rugby League for Australian club, the Newcastle Knights, with whom he won a Dally M Medal, and the 2001 NRL Premiership before setting a new record for most games with the club. Buderus also played in the Super League for English club, the Leeds Rhinos, with whom he won 2011's Super League XVI. He set the record for most appearances as captain of the New South Wales State of Origin team at 15 and for most consecutive appearances for the side at 21. Buderus also played representative football for the Exiles and New South Wales Country. In 2015, he took up an interim coaching role with the Knights and continued as an assistant coach in 2016.
Five-eighth or Stand-off is one of the positions in a rugby league football team. Wearing jersey number 6, this player is one of the two half backs in a team, partnering the scrum-half. Sometimes known as the pivot or second receiver, in a traditional attacking 'back-line' play, the five-eighth would receive the ball from the scrum half, who is the first receiver of the ball from the dummy-half or hooker following a tackle.
Luke Priddis is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative hooker, he played club football in the National Rugby League for the Canberra Raiders, Brisbane Broncos and Penrith Panthers and, finally, the St. George Illawarra Dragons.
Keiron Cunningham is a professional rugby league coach and former player. A Great Britain and Wales international representative hooker, he played his entire professional career at St Helens, making nearly 500 appearances for the club between 1994 and 2010 and winning numerous trophies. He has been frequently cited as being among the best players in the Super League history and is widely regarded to be one of St Helens' greatest players of all time.
David J. Ward is an English former rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s, and coached in the 1980s and 1990s. He played at representative level for Great Britain and England, and at club level for Leeds, as a hooker, and coached at club level for Hunslet, Leeds, Batley, and Featherstone Rovers. He won a total of 12 Great Britain caps.
Richard Swain is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. A New Zealand international hooker, he played club football in Australia for the Hunter Mariners, Melbourne Storm and Brisbane Broncos and in England for Hull F.C.
James Lowes is a former professional rugby league footballer, and coach. He played for Hunslet and Leeds, but arguably his best years were spent with the Bradford Bulls, where he won many trophies. He played there from 1996 to 2003.
Percival Thomas Harris, also known by the nickname of "Bomber", was a Welsh rugby union and World Cup winning professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s, and coached rugby league in the 1960s and 1970s. He played club level rugby union (RU) for Newbridge RFC, as a hooker, and representative rugby league (RL) for Great Britain winning the 1960 Rugby League World Cup and Wales, and at club level for Hull F.C. winning the 1960 Lance Todd Trophy, as a hooker, he remained at Hull F.C. for his entire playing career, ultimately becoming an inductee in the club's Hall of Fame, he also set the record for most test matches played for Great Britain of any hooker, and coached at club level for York.
Peter J. Flanagan, also known by the nickname of "Flash", was an English rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s and 1970s. He played at representative level as a hooker for Great Britain, England and Eastern Division, and at club level for Hull Kingston Rovers and Hull FC, as a hooker, i.e. number 9.
Steve Walters, also known by the nickname of "Boxhead", is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s who at the peak of his career was considered the best hooker in the game. An Australian Kangaroos and Queensland Maroons representative, he played in the Canberra Raiders' 1st, 2nd and 3rd NSWRL grand final victories.
Brian David Noble MBE, also known by the nickname of "Nobby", is an English rugby league coach and former rugby league footballer. As a footballer, Noble was a Great Britain representative hooker, but is best known for his coaching career, during which he coached the Bradford Bulls, the Wigan Warriors, the Crusaders RL and the Salford Red Devils in the Super League, and the Great Britain national team. He was the first coach to win three Super League Grand Finals, and is one of only two coaches to have achieved that feat along with Brian McDermott. He was formerly the Director of Rugby for the Toronto Wolfpack, and also works as a pundit for BBC Sport.
Noel Raymond Kelly was an Australian professional rugby league footballer and coach, who played at club, state and national levels. He was named among the country's finest footballers of the 20th century. Kelly played as a hooker, prop forward or lock for much of his top-grade career with the Western Suburbs Magpies, whom he played for in three consecutive NSWRFL grand finals from 1961 to 1963. Kelly was named at hooker of the Western Suburbs Magpies, Queensland and Australian teams of the 20th century.
Kevin Ashcroft is a former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s and 1970s, and coached in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. He played at representative level for Great Britain and Lancashire, and at club level for the Rochdale Hornets, Dewsbury, Leigh, Warrington and Salford, as a hooker. and coached at club level for Leigh and Salford. Ashcroft is a Warrington Hall of Fame inductee.
Anthony Fisher, also known by the nickname of "Fishcake", is a Welsh former rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s and 1970s, and coached rugby league in the 1980s and 1990s. He played club level rugby union (RU) for Swansea RFC, as a hooker, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain and Wales, and at club level for Bradford Northern, Leeds and Castleford, as a prop, or hooker, and coached representative level rugby league (RL) for South Africa, and at club level for Bramley, Keighley, Doncaster and Dewsbury.
Keith Elwell, also known by the nicknames of "The Mole" or "Chiefy", is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. He played at representative level for Great Britain, England and Lancashire, and at club level for Widnes and on loan to Barrow, as a hooker.
Anthony Karalius was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. He played at representative level for Great Britain, and at club level for Widnes, St Helens, Wigan, Fulham RLFC and the Cardiff City Blue Dragons, as a hooker.
Colin Clarke is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played as a hooker in the 1960s and 1970s, and coached in the 1980s. He played at representative level for Great Britain, and at club level for Wigan, Salford and Leigh, and coached at club level for Wigan.
Hooker is one of the positions in a rugby league football team. Usually wearing jersey or shirt number 9, the hooker is one of the team's forwards. During scrums the hooker plays in the front row, and the position's name comes from their role of 'hooking' or 'raking' the ball back with the foot. For this reason the hooker is sometimes referred to in Australia as the rake. Hookers have a great deal of contact with the ball, as they usually play the role of acting halfback or dummy half, picking the ball up from the play-the-ball that follows a tackle. Hookers therefore have much responsibility in that they then decide what to do with the ball, whether that be to pass it, run with it, or occasionally to kick it. Therefore, together with the two halves and fullback, hooker is one of the four key positions that make up what is sometimes called a team's 'spine'. A trend of halves converting into hookers followed the introduction of the 10 metre rule, and many players have switched between these positions in their careers such as Geoff Toovey, Andrew Johns, Craig Gower and Peter Wallace.
References
- The Encyclopedia of Rugby League; Alan Whiticker and Glen Hudson
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