Kerry Hemsley

Last updated

Kerry Hemsley
Personal information
Born (1960-05-10) 10 May 1960 (age 63)
Junee, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Height185 cm (6 ft 1 in) [1]
Weight103 kg (16 st 3 lb) [1]
Position Prop
Club
YearsTeamPldTGFGP
1980–88 Balmain Tigers 13530011
1982–83 Le Pontet XIII 00
1983–84 Wigan 132008
Total14850019

Kerry Hemsley (born 10 May 1960) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. He played for the Balmain Tigers in the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) competition, primarily as a prop.

While playing for Yanco, Hemsley was selected to play for Riverina against the touring Great Britain side in 1979.

Hemsley was recommended to Balmain by his Yanco captain-coach and former Tiger, Keith Outten. [2] Hemsley spent nine seasons at Balmain, earning himself a reputation as an enforcer on the field and he became a club and crowd favourite with his long hair and beard. [3]

During the Australian off-seasons, Hemsley played in France for Le Pontet XIII in 1982–1983 and in England for Wigan in 1983–84. [4] He became the first Balmain player to appear at Wembley Stadium in a cup final when Wigan met and were defeated by Widnes Vikings. [5]

1988 was to be Hemsley's last season with Balmain. Having made the semi-finals in the previous 2 seasons, Hemsley was out of the team from round 3, with coach Warren Ryan preferring other players. [6] He returned only for the semis, after the suspension of Steve Roach. He started at prop for the 24–12 loss to Canterbury in the grand final. Following his retirement he played a further 8 years of bush football with Yanco-Wamoon and Blayney. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellery Hanley</span> English former rugby league player and coach

Cuthwyn Ellery Hanley MBE is an English former rugby league player and coach. Over a nineteen-year professional career (1978–1997), he played for Bradford Northern, Wigan, Balmain, Western Suburbs and Leeds. He won 36 caps for Great Britain, captaining the team from 1988 to 1992, and 2 for England. Nicknamed 'Mr Magic' and 'The Black Pearl', he played most often as a stand-off or loose forward after starting out as a centre or wing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balmain Tigers</span> Australian rugby league football club

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.

Stephen David Roach, nicknamed Blocker or Blocker Roach, is an Australian former professional rugby league who played as a prop forward in the 1980s and early 1990s. His most famous catchphrase is "Big Boppa".

Royce Michael Simmons is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer and coach. A one-club man, he played as a hooker for the Penrith Panthers in the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) from 1980 to 1991, winning a premiership in his final season. He later coached the Panthers from 1994 to 2001, in between coaching English sides Hull F.C. (1992–94) and St Helens (2011–12).

Allan McMahon, known by the nickname "Macca", was an Australian professional rugby league footballer and coach. He was an Australian test player and was a coach of the Canberra Raiders, Newcastle Knights and Illawarra Steelers.

Gavin John Miller is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative forward, he played the majority of his club football for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, and is an Immortal of the club. He earned two successive Dally M Player of the Year awards in 1988 and 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Bath</span> Australian RL coach and former rugby league footballer

Harry Bath, born Alfred Henry Bath, also known by the nickname of "The Old Fox", was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach who was prominent and influential in the mid-20th century. A state and international representative who played 12 matches for Other Nationalities in the International Championship from 1949 to 1955, he played as a second-row and has been referred to as the best Australian rugby league player never to be picked for the Australian national team. Following his retirement, Bath coached in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership for two decades, also achieving selection as the Australian national team coach.

Garry Jack is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. He was a representative in the Australian national team and star player with the Balmain Tigers. Jack was a fullback for the Tigers during the late 1980s, and early 1990s, under the captaincy of Wayne Pearce and the coaching of Warren Ryan. Jack also represented the New South Wales State of Origin team on 17 occasions.

Brett "Bert" Edward Kenny is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. He was a centre and five-eighth for the Australian national team and New South Wales Blues representative sides, and the Parramatta Eels. He played in 17 Tests, made 17 State of Origin appearances and won 4 premierships with Parramatta. He is considered one of the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century.

Ross Conlon is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s. He played for the Western Suburbs Magpies, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and Balmain Tigers in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership (NSWRL) as well as representative football for New South Wales and the Australia. He was a renowned goalkicker and described as "One of the fastest players in the game."

John "Chicka" Ferguson is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative winger, in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership for the Newtown Jets, Eastern Suburbs Roosters and finally the Canberra Raiders, with whom he won the 1989 and 1990 NSWRL premierships. A prolific try-scorer, who topped the NSWRL's scoring list in 1988, Ferguson also played in England with Wigan, helping them to victory in the 1985 Challenge Cup Final. He has since been named in Australia's indigenous team of the century (1908–2008).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cliff Lyons</span> Australian international rugby league footballer

Cliff Lyons is an indigenous Australian former international rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. A Clive Churchill Medallist and two-time Dally M Medallist, he made 309 first-grade appearances with the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, winning grand finals with them in 1987 and 1996. Lyons also represented New South Wales and Australia, being part of the successful 1990 Kangaroo Tour of Great Britain and France.

Phil Blake is a British-born Australian former rugby league footballer and a professional rugby union coach.

David Brooks is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. A one-club man, Brooks played his entire first-grade career with the Balmain Tigers in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership. Brooks primarily played in the second-row.

John Kevin Dorahy, also known by the nickname of "Joe Cool", is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer and coach. He played in the Australian New South Wales Rugby League premiership and also represented for NSW Country, New South Wales Origin and Australia. Dorahy later played and coached in the English Championship, and coached in the Super League. He began his playing career at fullback and in later years moved into the centres. As coach of Wigan, he is one of a select few to have a guided his club to the league championship and Challenge Cup 'double'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craig Smith (rugby league, born 1971)</span> New Zealand rugby league footballer and coach

Craig Smith is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer who played as a prop in the 1990s and 2000s. He played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Illawarra Steelers, St. George Illawarra Dragons and the Newcastle Knights as well as representing New Zealand, New Zealand Māori and Queensland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norm Robinson</span> Australian former RL coach and professional rugby league footballer

Norman "Latchem" Robinson was an Australian professional rugby league footballer, coach, selector and club administrator for the Balmain Tigers club in Sydney and a City, State and National selector and manager. He also served as NSW and Australian coach in 1948 and 1958 respectively.

Anthony "Tony" Myler is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s who also became a coach. A Great Britain international representative stand-off, he played club football in England for Widnes, with whom he won the Premiership during the 1982–83 season, as well as a stint in Australia with the Balmain Tigers. Tony Myler is the brother of the rugby league footballer John Myler and the uncle of Stephen Myler

Ian Thomson is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. An Australian international and New South Wales interstate representative front row forward, he played club football for Manly-Warringah, with whom he won the 1978 NSWRFL Premiership, as well as Balmain.

Steve Edmed is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. Primarily a prop, he played for the Balmain Tigers, North Queensland Cowboys and Sheffield Eagles.

References

  1. 1 2 ‘Balmain’; Sydney Morning Herald Grand Final Wrap-Around, 8 September 1988, p. 3S
  2. Chris Karas (12 March 2008). "Tiger greats honoured". The Weekly Times. Archived from the original on 26 October 2008. Retrieved 4 October 2008.
  3. Nick Walshaw (30 May 2008). "Enforcers being rubbed out of game" . Retrieved 4 October 2008.
  4. "Kerry Hemsley". wigan.rlfans.com. Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
  5. "Brett Kenny". Wigan Warriors. Archived from the original on 24 August 2007. Retrieved 4 October 2008.
  6. Greg Growden (29 August 1988). "Pot of gold and black". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  7. Josh Massoud (18 May 2012). "Catching up with former Balmain Tigers hardman Kerry Hemsley". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 28 November 2012.

Sources