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Pat Thorton was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played one season in the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL).
Playing in Newcastle's lower grades since 1947, Thornton was a successful player for the Central Charlestown Butcher Boys club at the hooker position. Prior to his first grade stint, Thornton was remembered for his rivalry with Bob Crane of the (now defunct) Northern Suburbs Bulldogs RLFC. He was also noted for his heavily aggressive play in scrums, leading to frequent scrum infringements, which consequently resulted in many penalty calls from the referees.
Thornton made his professional rugby league debut with South Sydney in the opening round of the 1953 season against the Western Suburbs Magpies. [1] He made three more consecutive appearances for the club, before making his final first grade appearance in Round 4. [2]
He retired from rugby league on 2 June 1954, citing that the weekly Saturday afternoon games were interfering with his work commitments. Thornton also stated he wanted to spend more time with family, although numerous pundits believed Thornton's decision to retire from the game occurred out of frustration and dissatisfaction from the referees' officiating around scrum penalties, especially after Central's game against the Western Suburbs Rosellas in May that year. [3]
Francis Anthony Sponberg was a professional rugby league footballer who played for Western Suburbs, Canterbury-Bankstown and for the New South Wales Rugby League team. He is the younger brother of Bill Sponberg - who also played for Canterbury.
The 1908 NSWRFL season was the inaugural season of the New South Wales Rugby Football League's premiership, Australia's first rugby league football club competition, in which nine clubs competed from April till August 1908. The season culminated in the first premiership final, for the Royal Agricultural Society Challenge Shield, which was contested by Eastern Suburbs and South Sydney. In 1908 the NSWRFL also assembled a New South Wales representative team for the first ever interstate series against Queensland, and towards the end of the season, the NSWRFL's leading players were absent, having been selected to go on the first Kangaroo tour of Great Britain.
The 1952 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the forty-fifth season of the rugby league competition based in Sydney. Ten teams from across Sydney contested for the J. J. Giltinan Shield during the season which culminated in a grand final between Western Suburbs and South Sydney.
The 1947 New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership was the fortieth season of Sydney’s top-level rugby league competition, Australia’s first. For the first time, the number of clubs in the league reached double digits due to the admission of Manly-Warringah and Parramatta to the first grade competition. The season culminated in a grand final between the Balmain and Canterbury-Bankstown clubs.
In rugby league football, the Laws of the Game are the rules governing how the sport is played. The Laws are the responsibility of the Rugby League International Federation, and cover the play, officiating, equipment and procedures of the game.
Peter George Rowles is an Australian former rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. In union he represented Australia and in league he played in the NSWRFL Premiership for the Western Suburbs and Newtown clubs.
Bill Carson (1933–1985) was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s. An Australia national and New South Wales state representative forward, he played his club football in the New South Wales Rugby Football League for Sydney's Western Suburbs club.
Harry Roy Almond (1891–1960) was an Australian rugby league player who played in the 1910s.
George Bishop (1902-1972) was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s and 1930s. He played for Balmain and later became a well known referee in the New South Wales Rugby Football League (NSWRFL) competition.
Neil Matterson was an Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s.
Albert Hilton Burdus was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the New South Wales Rugby League Premiership in the 1900s and 1910s. He played 5 seasons - 1 for Cumberland and four with Western Suburbs.
Alan Crumpton was an Australian professional rugby league footballer of the 1940s and 1950s. He played five seasons in the New South Wales Rugby League Premiership for the Canterbury-Bankstown club.
Billy Stokes was an Australian professional rugby league footballer of the 1940s. He played 5 seasons in the New South Wales Rugby League Premiership - all for South Sydney. He was also the father of former 1960s rugby league player Bill Stokes.
Leon Quinlivan was an Australian professional rugby league footballer. He played 5 seasons in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership (NSWRFL), all for South Sydney. He is the brother of Clinton, Alan, Oscar and Jack Quinlivan - who were also rugby league players.
Arthur Dean was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played four seasons for the South Sydney Rabbitohs of the New South Wales Rugby League Premiership.
Johnny Brown was an Australian professional rugby league footballer. He played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs from 1937 to 1940 and the Balmain Tigers in 1941 and 1943.
James Thomas Collins was an Australian professional rugby league footballer, who played for Canterbury-Bankstown of the New South Wales Rugby League Premiership. He played seven seasons playing interchangeably between five-eighth and half-back.
Kevin Webb is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer, who played for Parramatta and Eastern Suburbs of the New South Wales Rugby League Premiership (NSWRFL).
Greg Purcell is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer. He played four seasons in the New South Wales Rugby League Premiership for South Sydney and Cronulla-Sutherland.
William Geoghegan was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played for Annandale of the New South Wales Rugby League Premiership.