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Post by Electric Eel on May 29, 2020 21:37:59 GMT 10
 Bob O'Reilly Born - 1948 Parramatta 1967 - 1975 1980 - 1982 Games - 216 Wikipedia |
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Post by Electric Eel on May 29, 2020 21:38:18 GMT 10
The first Parramatta junior (Guildford) to represent Australia while playing for the club made his first grade debut at age 18 in 1967. Bob O'Reilly quickly forged a reputation as a bruising prop-forward, earning him the nickname 'The Bear', but developed a skill as a ball-player during his latter career. Chosen for Australia in the 1970 World Cup he proved a major force in Australia's brutal win over Great Britain in the final at Leeds. Tours of NZ (1971), England and France (1973 Kangaroos) followed but after playing in two Tests against Great Britain in 1974, his career went into decline. O'Reilly has described his stay at Penrith as the nadir of his career before he resurrected his reputation at Easts at the end of the 1970s. Back at Parramatta in 1980, he contemplated retirement until the signing of mentor Jack Gibson as coach for 1981. O'Reilly provided the much-needed spark of experience in attack with the Eels and the club duly won its maiden premiership. In 1982, a chronic ankle injury ended his 15-year career but not before establishing the then first grade record 291 games with all clubs (316 games in all grades). After spending a period as assistant Parramatta coach to John Monie, he became a lower grade coach under Mick Cronin in the early 1990s.
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Post by Electric Eel on May 29, 2020 21:38:36 GMT 10
Robert Edward O'Reilly (born 16 February 1949) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. An Australian international and New South Wales interstate representative prop forward, he played in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership, mainly for the Parramatta Eels, but also for the Eastern Suburbs Roosters and Penrith Panthers.
Playing career
Nicknamed 'The Bear', O'Reilly enjoyed a fifteen year Sydney first grade career debuting for Parramatta at aged eighteen in 1967 and returning to the club in 1981 to first taste premiership success. He represented Australia in nine Tests and seven World Cup matches, including the Kangaroos' victory in the 1970 World Cup. He was the first Parramatta junior to represent Australia, having played his junior football with suburban Guildford. O'Reilly is named on the Australian Players Register as Kangaroo No. 450.
A decade after his first representative appearance, O'Reilly was part of Parramatta's first ever premiership-winning team of 1981. He held the record for highest number of first grade games at 284 until overtaken by Geoff Gerard.
Accolades
O'Reilly was awarded Life Membership by the Parramatta Club in 1981. In 2002, a team of the greatest Parramatta players, known as the Parramatta Legends, were selected based on a public vote of fans with O'Reilly being selected at prop. In the same year, O'Reilly was inducted into the Parramatta hall of fame.
Wikipedia
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1981 1982 1983 1986 