Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Steve Topper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | 16 April 1961||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Halfback, Hooker | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: [1] As of 26 February 2019 |
Steve Topper (born 16 April 1961) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. Topper was a foundation player for Illawarra playing in the club's first game. Topper is the older brother of former Cronulla-Sutherland player Stuart Topper.
Topper made his first grade debut for Souths in Round 1 1979 against Newtown at Redfern Oval. [2]
In 1980, Topper was selected to play for NSW Country against NSW City.
In 1982, Topper joined newly admitted Illawarra and played in the club's first ever game which was against Penrith at WIN Stadium and ended in a 17–7 loss. [3] [4]
Topper played with Illawarra until the end of the 1984 season before retiring.
The St. George Dragons is an Australian rugby league football club from St George District in Sydney, New South Wales that played in the top level New South Wales competition and Australian Rugby League competitions from the 1921 until the 1997 ARL season, as well as the unified 1998 National Rugby League season. On 23 September 1998, the club formed a joint venture with the Illawarra Steelers, creating the St. George Illawarra Dragons team which competed in the 1999 NRL season and continues to compete in the league today. As a stand-alone club, it fields teams in the NSWRL underage men's and women's competitions, Harold Matthews Cup, S.G. Ball, and Tarsha Gale Cup.
The Illawarra Steelers are an Australian rugby league football club based in the city of Wollongong, New South Wales. The club competed in Australia's top-level rugby league competition from 1982, when they, along with the Canberra Raiders, were admitted into the then Sydney Rugby League premiership until 1998, when they merged with the St. George Dragons on 23 September 1998 to form a new joint venture team, the St. George Illawarra Dragons, before selling its remaining share in the club to WIN Corporation in 2018. Over those seventeen seasons the club received three wooden spoons, made the play-offs twice and had a total of three of its players selected to play for the Australia national rugby league team.
Mark Gasnier is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. A rugby league New South Wales State of Origin and international representative centre, he played eleven seasons in the National Rugby League with the St. George Illawarra Dragons, punctuated by two seasons of rugby union played with the French club Stade Français. Gasnier was a member of the Dragons' NRL premiership-winning team in 2010. He retired at the end of the 2011 season. He is the nephew of the 1960s St. George star Reg Gasnier.
Leichhardt Oval is a rugby league and soccer stadium in Lilyfield, New South Wales, Australia. It is currently one of three home grounds for the Wests Tigers National Rugby League (NRL) team, along with Campbelltown Stadium and Western Sydney Stadium. Prior to its merger with the Western Suburbs Magpies, it was the longtime home of the Balmain Tigers, who used the ground from 1934–1994 and 1997–1999. It was named after Ludwig Leichhardt.
Rod Wishart is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played the 1980s and 1990s. A New South Wales State of Origin and Australian international representative goal-kicking winger, he played club football with the Illawarra Steelers and the St. George Illawarra Dragons in the National Rugby League.
Reece Simmonds is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. He was born in Sydney, and played in the National Rugby League (NRL) for the St George Illawarra Dragons and the South Sydney Rabbitohs (2007).
Parramatta Stadium was a sports stadium in Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia, 23 kilometres west of Sydney's central business district. The stadium was the home ground of several western Sydney-based sports teams, at the time of closure the most notable were the Parramatta Eels of the National Rugby League and the Western Sydney Wanderers of the A-League.
Luke "The General" Patten is a former professional rugby league footballer and NRL match official. A Junior Kanaroo and Country New South Wales representative fullback he played for the Illawarra Steelers, St George Illawarra Dragons and the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in Australia and the Salford City Reds in the Super League. Patten won the 2004 NRL Premiership with the Bulldogs.
Nathan Blacklock is an Australian former professional rugby league and, briefly, rugby union footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. An Australia national rugby league representative wing, he played for the Sydney City Roosters and the St. George Dragons before they formed a joint-venture with the Illawarra Steelers to form the St. George Illawarra Dragons, with whom he continued playing, becoming the National Rugby League's top try-scorer for three consecutive seasons from 1999 to 2001. Blacklock also played in the Super League for Hull FC, with whom he won the 2005 Challenge Cup.
Brett Mullins is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s, and early 2000s. A New South Wales State of Origin and Australian international representative back, he played his club football for Australian clubs the Canberra Raiders and Sydney Roosters, and for English club, the Leeds Rhinos. He was described as "one of the most exciting attacking weapons in rugby league."
Paul McGregor is an Australian professional rugby league coach who was until August 2020, the head coach of the St. George Illawarra Dragons in the NRL, and a former professional rugby league footballer who played as a centre in the 1990s and 2000s.
Michael William Cronin OAM is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer and coach. He was a goal-kicking centre for the Australian national team and a stalwart for the Parramatta Eels club. He played in 22 Tests and 11 World Cup matches between 1973 and 1982. Cronin retired as the NSWRL Premiership's and the Australian Kangaroos' all-time highest point-scorer and has since been named amongst the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century.
Wayne Bartrim, is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He was selected to represent Australia and Queensland during his career, which he spent playing for the Gold Coast Seagulls, St. George Dragons and the St. George Illawarra Dragons in Australia and the Castleford Tigers in England. Bartrim primarily played his club career as a lock, but played his representative career as a hooker.
Rugby league, in New South Wales, is the most popular participation and spectator sport. It currently has the highest attendance and television audiences of the various codes of football in the state, far outstripping any other competitors. The state has over 400,000 active participants in the sport with a further 1 million playing the sport in schools, over 500 active clubs across the state, and 10 clubs in the national professional competition, named the NRL.
The Helensburgh Tigers are an Australian rugby league football team based in Helensburgh, a country town of the Illawarra region. The club are a part of Country Rugby League and has competed in the Illawarra Rugby League premiership since its inception in 1911.
The Dapto Canaries are an Australian rugby league football team based in the Wollongong suburb of Dapto. The club are a part of Country Rugby League and have competed in the Illawarra Rugby League premiership since its inception in 1911.
Justin Hunt is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who last played for the Wests Tigers in the National Rugby League. The son of former Parramatta premiership winger Neil Hunt and grandson of former South Sydney player Jim Hunt, Hunt previously played for South Sydney, Parramatta and St. George Illawarra. He primarily played as a fullback and wing.
Alan Fallah is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s for the Western Suburbs Magpies and was also an NRL touch judge.
Damien Cook is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a hooker for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the NRL and Australia at international level.
Hame Sele is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a lock and second-row forward for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the NRL.