Steve Martin (rugby league)

Infobox rugby league biography
playername = Steve Martin
fullname = Steve Martin


caption =
country =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1957|01|07|df=yes
placeofbirth =
countryofbirth =
height =convert|165|cm|ftin|abbr=on
weight = convert|70|kg|stlb|abbr=on
position = rlp|HB
club1 = Manly-Warringah
year1start = 1978
year1end = 1981
appearances1 = 70
tries1 = 21
goals1 = 0
fieldgoals1 = 2
points1 = 65
club2 = Balmain Tigers
year2start = 1982
year2end = 1984
appearances2 = 53
tries2 = 10
goals2 = 0
fieldgoals2 = 1
points2 = 38
teamA = New South Wales
yearAstart = 1978
yearAend = 1980
appearancesA = 2
triesA = 1
goalsA = 0
fieldgoalsA = 0
pointsA = 3
teamB = Australia
yearBstart = 1978
yearBend = 1980
appearancesB = 1
triesB = 0
goalsB = 0
fieldgoalsB = 0
pointsB = 0
coachteam1 = North Sydney Bears
coachyear1start = 1990
coachyear1end = 1992
coachgames1 = 69
coachwins1 = 35
coachdraws1 = 2
coachlosses1 = 32
coachteam2 = South Sydney Rabbitohs
coachyear2start = 1998
coachyear2end =
coachgames2 = 18
coachwins2 = 3
coachdraws2 = 0
coachlosses2 = 15
source = [http://203.166.101.37/NRL08/playercareer.asp?lplayer=5259 NRL Stats] , [http://rugbyleagueproject.com/players/Steve_Martin.html RLP]

Steve Martin (born 7 January, 1955) is an Australian former professional rugby league player in the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) competition for Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and the Balmain Tigers. Martin was also a representative player at both state and international levels. He primarily played in the halfback position.

Playing career

Martin was originally an Australian Rules footballer in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales but switched to rugby league and spent 1975–1976 playing for Barrow in English club football. He came to the notice of first-grade clubs in Australia when he represented Riverina in the 1976 Amco Cup competition.

Martin debuted for Manly in 1978 and was selected for New South Wales as five-eighth. In the same year he played in both the grand final and the grand final replay win over Cronulla. Martin toured with the Kangaroos at the end of 1978, playing in eleven tour matches and one Test against France. Martin finished his debut season as the NSWRL "Rookie of the Year".

Martin was selected to represent New South Wales as an interchange for the inaugural State of Origin game in 1980. [cite web|publisher="Rugby League Tables"|title=State Of Origin - Game 1, 1980 |url=http://www.stats.rleague.com/rl/soo/game1.html |accessdate=2007-12-16]

After several positional changes at Manly, Martin moved to Balmain in an effort to consolidate his career at halfback but a series of shoulder injuries kept him from his previous form. In 1983–1984, Martin played for Leeds in England.

Coaching career

In 1986–1987, Martin captain-coached West Tamworth to two premierships but two shoulder disclocations forced his retirement as a player. Moving to the North Sydney Bears in 1990, Martin coached the club to the 1991 preliminary-final but they lost to the Canberra Raiders.

1992 was a disappointing season for the Bears and Martin resigned at the end of the year. An appointment as coach of the Featherstone Rovers in England followed before Martin returned once more to Australia and took up the coaching position at the South Sydney Rabbitohs in 1998. His tenure at the club was brief. Martin was sacked after a disagreement over the disciplining of controversial five-eighth, Julian O'Neill, late in the season and handed the position over to Craig Coleman. [cite web|publisher="South Sydney Rabbitohs"|title=Season by Season - 1998 |url= http://www.souths.com.au/tradition/seasonbyseason.asp?Year=1998&go.x=15&go.y=7&go=Submit |accessdate=2007-12-16]

Footnotes

References

*
* cite book | author=Gary Lester (editor) |title=The Sun Book of Rugby League - 1983 |year=1983
publisher="John Fairfax Marketing" |location=Sydney, New South Wales |isbn=0909558833 |pages=page 12