Jim Craig (rugby league)

Infobox rugby league biography
playername = Jim Craig
fullname = James Hampton Craig


caption = Craig as captain of a 1924 Queensland side
country =
position = Versatile back
currentclub =
dateofbirth = 1895
placeofbirth =
countryofbirth =
dateofdeath = 1959
height =
weight =
club1 = Balmain Tigers
year1start = 1915
year1end = 1921
appearances1 = 53
tries1 =
goals1 =
fieldgoals1 =
points1 = 108
club2 = University
year2start = 1922
year2end =
appearances2 = 12
tries2 =
goals2 =
fieldgoals2 =
points2 = 23
club3 = Ipswich
year3start = 1923
year3end = 1928
appearances3 =
tries3 =
goals3 =
fieldgoals3 =
points3 =
club4 = Western Suburbs
year4start = 1929
year4end = 1930
appearances4 = 25
tries4 =
goals4 =
fieldgoals4 =
points4 = 155
teamA = New South Wales
yearAstart = 1920 & 1929
yearAend =
appearancesA = 3
triesA =
goalsA =
fieldgoalsA =
pointsA = 19
teamB = Queensland
yearBstart = 1923
yearBend = 1928
appearancesB = 33
triesB =
goalsB =
fieldgoalsB =
pointsB = 100
teamC = Australia
yearCstart = 1921
yearCend = 1928
appearancesC = 7
triesC =
goalsC =
fieldgoalsC =
pointsC = 12
coachteam1 = Western Suburbs
coachyear1start =
coachyear1end =
coachgames1 =
coachwin%1 =
coachpremierships1 =
coachteam2 = North Sydney
coachyear2start =
coachyear2end =
coachgames2 =
coachwin%2 =
coachpremierships2 =
coachteam3 = Canterbury
coachyear3start =
coachyear3end =
coachgames3 =
coachwin%3 =
coachpremierships3 =
updated =
source =
new = yes

James Hampton Craig (1895–1959) was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach. He was a versatile back for the Australian national team. He played in 7 Tests between 1921 and 1928 as captain on 3 occasions and has since 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

Craig grew up in Balmain in Sydney and made his first grade debut as a winger in 1915 with the Balmain Tigers. He played five seasons with the club excluding 1918 when he was on military duty. Balmain won the premiership in all five of those years.

Following his Kangaroo Tour representative appearances in 1922 he played a season with the University club in Sydney. Then in 1923 he relocated to Queensland and took the captain-coach position with Ipswich for the next six seasons.

The last two seasons of his sixteen year career were with the Western Suburbs Magpies. He led the side to their maiden title over St George in season 1930 in the first ever Grand Final played to determine the premiership.

Accolades

Jim Craig was a player of unparalleled versatility. It is known that he represented in Tests at fullback, centre, halfback and hooker with some of his club & tour football played at winger, five-eighth and lock forward. Whiticker's reference reports that the great Dally Messenger regarded Craig as the greatest player Messenger ever saw. [Whiticker quote p77] .

Craig was the NSWRL's top points scorer in seasons 1929 and 1930.

In 2005 he was admitted into the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame [ [http://rl1908.com/Hoffame/index.htm Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame] ] .

In February 2008, Craig 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]

Representative career

He first represented for New South Wales against a touring English side in 1920. While a Queensland resident from 1923-28 he represented that state on 23 occasions and then in 1929 he twice again represented for New South Wales.

He was selected on the 1921-22 Kangaroo Tour of England and made his Test debut in the first Test at Leeds. He appeared in 23 minor tour matches notching a total of 58 points as a try scorer and goal kicker.

In the 1924 domestic Ashes series against England Craig was named as Australian captain in all three Tests. Again in 1928 he played in all three Tests of the domestic Ashes series in sides lead by his Queensland rival Tom Gorman.

Post playing

After football Craig coached Wests, Norths and Canterbury during the 1930s, helping Canterbury to their maiden premiership in 1938.

Matches played

References

ources

* Whiticker, Alan (2004) "Captaining the Kangaroos", New Holland, Sydney
* Andrews, Malcolm (2006) "The ABC of Rugby League" Austn Broadcasting Corpn, Sydney
* [http://nz.leagueunlimited.com/news.php?newsid=16380 "Queensland Team of the Century named" - article at nz.leagueunlimited.com]