Tom Gorman (rugby league)

Infobox rugby league biography
playername = Tom Gorman
fullname = John Thomas Gorman
nickname = Gentleman Tom


caption =
country =
position =
currentclub =
dateofbirth = 6 June, 1901
placeofbirth = Mackay, Queensland
countryofbirth = Australia
dateofdeath = 22 June, 1978
placeofdeath = Brisbane, Queensland
countryofdeath =
height = 173cm
weight = convert|74|kg|stlb|abbr=on
club1 = Brothers (Toowoomba)
year1start = 1920
year1end = 1925
appearances1 =
tries1 =
goals1 =
fieldgoals1 =
points1 =
club2 = Brothers (Brisbane)
year2start = 1926
year2end = 1930
appearances2 =
tries2 =
goals2 =
fieldgoals2 =
points2 =
teamA = Queensland (v NSW)
yearAstart = 1921
yearAend = 1930
appearancesA = 26
triesA =
goalsA =
fieldgoalsA =
pointsA = 16
teamB = Queensland (v Others)
yearBstart = 1921
yearBend = 1928
appearancesB = 9
triesB =
goalsB =
fieldgoalsB =
pointsB = 6
teamC = Australia
yearCstart = 1924
yearCend = 1930
appearancesC = 10
triesC =
goalsC =
fieldgoalsC =
pointsC = 0
updated =
source =
new = yes

Tom Gorman (1901 - 1978) was an Australian rugby league player. He was a Centre three-quarter for the Australian national team. He played in 10 Tests between 1924 and 1930 as captain on 7 occasions. Born in Mackay, Queensland, Gorman was the first Queenslander to lead a Kangaroo touring side to Britain. He has been named amongst the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century [ [http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2008/02/22/Controversy_reigns_as_NRL_releases_top_100_players Century's Top 100 Players] ]

Club career

He played with the Toowoomba Clydesdales from 1919 until 1925. In 1924-25, alongside Herb Steinohrt he was in the Toowoomba sides which beat all comers including Sydney premiers Souths, Brisbane, Ipswich and visiting representative sides including New South Wales, Victoria, Great Britain and New Zealand.

He moved to the Brothers club in Brisbane in 1926 becoming that club's first professional player. He played six seasons with Brothers till the end of the 1931 season.

Queensland representative career

Gorman first debuted for Queensland in 1921. He played in the champion Queensland teams that defeated New South Wales in five consecutive interstate series (1922-1926).

He captained Queensland to a series win over New South Wales in 1928, then through to his last playing season in 1930.

Australian representative career

Gorman made his Test debut against England in the 1924 Ashes series as one of seven Queenslanders to appear in the 1st Test. From 1924 to 1930 he appeared in ten consecutive Ashes tests.

His first appearance as captain in the 1st test loss to Great Britain in Brisbane in 1928 marked the first occasion that the Kangaroos wore jerseys of green and gold. Previously they had worn the merged blue and maroon colours of NSW and Queensland.

Post playing

In retirement Gorman went into the hotel business in Brisbane. He served the Queensland Rugby League as an administrator.

In 2007 he was inducted into the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame. [ [http://rl1908.com/Hoffame/index.htm Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame] ] . In February 2008, Gorman was named in the list of Australia's "100 Greatest Players" (1908–2007) which was commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia. [cite web|publisher="NRL & ARL"|title=Centenary of Rugby League - The Players |url=http://www.centenaryofrugbyleague.com.au/site/the-players.aspx?cat=3&list=true |accessdate=2008-02-23|date=2008-02-23]

References

* [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A090057b.htm Tom Gorman at the Online Dictionary of Australian Biographies]
* [http://www.sahof.org.au/hallOfFame/memberProfile/index.php?memberID=382&memberType=athlete Thomas Gorman biography at Sport Australia Hall of Fame]

ources

* [http://nz.leagueunlimited.com/news.php?newsid=16380 "Queensland Team of the Century named" - article at nz.leagueunlimited.com]
* Whiticker, Alan (2004) "Captaining the Kangaroos", New Holland, Sydney
* Andrews, Malcolm (2006) "The ABC of Rugby League" Austn Broadcasting Corpn, Sydney
* cite book | author=Alan Whiticker & Glen Hudson |title=The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players (with Queensland Section) |year=1995
publisher="Gary Allen Pty Ltd" |location=Smithfield, New South Wales |isbn=9781877082931 |pages=page 512
* [http://www.nqsports.com.au/index.php?page=29&person=45 Tom Gorman at nqsports.com.au]
* [http://www.qrl.com.au/qrl_history/qld_rep_g.php Queensland representatives at qrl.com.au]