 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Steele Andrew Retchless | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1971-06-16)16 June 1971 (age 53) Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 178 cm (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 98 kg (15 st 6 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Second-row, Prop | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source:[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Steele Retchless (born 16 June 1971) is a formerUnited States internationalrugby league footballer who played as asecond-row andprop forward in the 1990s, and 2000s. He played for theBrisbane Broncos and theSouth Queensland Crushers in theARL Premiership and theLondon Broncos in theEuropean Super League. He also played for theIpswich Jets andEasts Tigers in theQueensland Cup.
Steele Retchless is the son of formerBrisbane Rugby League player Mick Retchless.
He played his junior football forFortitude Valley Diehards and made his senior début for the club in 1991. In 1993, Retchless switched toWests Panthers contesting successive finals and winning theBrisbane Rugby League premiership in his first year at the club.
Retchless joined first gradeAustralian Rugby League premiership side theBrisbane Broncos in1995. During a two-year contract he made 11 appearances. In 1997, Retchless moved to theSouth Queensland Crushers and participated in 22 matches. The Crushers picked up a second successivewooden spoon and folded at the end of the season.
The collapse of the Crushers presented an opportunity to play in Britain'sSuper League for theLondon Broncos. During seven seasons at the club, Retchless set a club record number of appearances. In 1998 againstBradford Bulls, he made a Super League record of 66 tackles in a game. That season he was named in 1998'sSuper League IIIDream Team.[2]
In 1999, Retchless scored a memorable last minute try in theChallenge Cup semi-final to earn theLondon Broncos a place in their first ever final. In his final season at the club, 2004, Retchless was awardedPlayer of the Year.
After his time in London, Retchless returned to Australia to play in theQueensland Wizard Cup forIpswich Jets in 2005. After finishing that season as a leading contender for theQantasPlayer of the Year, Retchless played a season forEasts Tigers in 2006. Easts made the finals but were subsequently beaten byRedcliffe in the major Semi-Final, with Redcliffe going on to win the premiership. Retchless won thePlayer of the Year award for Easts Tigers and alsoBest Forward in his final season.
Retchless played his last game forEasts Tigers in aQueensland Wizard Cup preliminary final defeat by theRedcliffe Dolphins in 2006.
Retchless is currently on the coaching staff at Easts Tigers alongside former InternationalDarren Smith.
He is the father to 2 boys and 1 girl.
Retchless qualified to play for theUSA Tomahawks through his grandfather,Stuart Beck, who was raised in Iowa, and his mother, who was born in Washington, D.C. Beck arrived in Australia from the United States, captaining his adopted homeland in the sport ofbaseball.