Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | (1959-03-29)29 March 1959 (age 66) Murwillumbah,New South Wales, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Centre, Wing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As of 23 May 2013 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ross Conlon (born 29 March 1959) is an Australian formerrugby league footballer who played in the 1980s. He played for theWestern Suburbs Magpies,Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs andBalmain Tigers in theNew South Wales Rugby League premiership (NSWRL) as well as representative football forNew South Wales andAustralia. He was a renowned goalkicker and described as "One of the fastest players in the game."[2]
Conlon, aCentre who was equally at home on theWing, was notable for his success as a goal-kicker. He developed an 'around-the-corner' sideways shuffle before moving in to strike the ball, claiming the shuffle gave him more time. Conlon credits this habit to soccer, a game he played until the age of fifteen.[1] His goal kicking style and shuffle was later copied byIllawarra Steelers wingerRod Wishart.
Conlon played junior football with Murwillumbah. Having scored 180 points while playing in theUniversity Cup competition forMount St Mary in 1980, he was noticed by Wests coach,Roy Masters.[3]
Having only played 3 under-23s matches, Conlon debuted for Wests in round 6 of the1981 NSWRFL season, scoring a try againstNorth Sydney. His performance in a televised match was noted, with the next days paper saying, "Tall and fast, Conlon came up with a debut match that footballers dream about. The Magpies have unearthed a dashing new find."[4]
In his two seasons with Wests, Conlon scored 12 tries and 148 points, but was often second choice of goalkicker behindGreg Cox. His last game for the Magpies was in the 1982 semi-finals.
After two seasons with the Western Suburbs, Conlon signed with Canterbury in 1983. Conlon had a successful season with Canterbury, and the team made it to thepreliminary final againstParramatta Eels. Conlon dislocated his hip in the game but was able to return to first-grade in round 10 of the 1984 season.
Within a few weeks of his return from injury, Conlon was selected on the wing forNSW City in the annualCity vs Country game at theSydney Cricket Ground. He scored 14 points from a try and 5 goals. His performance for NSW City earned him selection for game I of the1984 State of Origin series forNew South Wales. Conlon played in all three game of the 1984 series for the Blues, kicking ten goals. In June 1984, withEric Grothe injured, Conlon made his first and only appearance in anAustralian representative side. He was selected for the first Test of theAshes series againstGreat Britain and kicked four goals.
Although Conlon made representative selection in 1984, his form dropped later in the season and Canterbury coach,Warren Ryan, dropped Conlon to the bench in round 24. Conlon wasn't included in any of the team line-ups for the rest of the season and he was omitted from the successful team that met Parramatta in the1984 grand final.[1]
Conlon joinedBalmain for the 1985 season and he was one of the most consistent point-scorers during the mid-1980s. In the1987 NSWRL season, he led the competition's point-scoring table with 196 points.
Conlon was a member of the Balmain team which lost to his former club, Canterbury, in the1988 grand final.
At the end of the 1988 season, at the age of only 29, Conlon retired from first-grade rugby league and returned to country football as a player and coach.[1]
Conlon coached inCasino and Murwillumbah following his retirement from playing and is now a schoolteacher.[1] In 2007 he coached the Uralla Tigers to theGroup 4 (Division 2) premiership.[5]