Harry Wells (rugby league)

Infobox rugby league biography
playername = Harry Wells
fullname = Harry James Wells
nickname = Dealer, Bomber


caption =
dateofbirth = 1932
placeofbirth =
countryofbirth =
height =
weight =
position = Rlp|CE
club1 = Wollongong
year1start = 1950
year1end =
appearances1 =
tries1 =
goals1 =
fieldgoals1 =
points1 =
club2 = South Sydney
year2start = 1951
year2end =
appearances2 = 6
tries2 =
goals2 =
fieldgoals2 =
points2 = 9
club3 = Wollongong
year3start = 1952
year3end = 55
appearances3 =
tries3 =
goals3 =
fieldgoals3 =
points3 =
club4 = Western Suburbs
year4start = 1956
year4end = 61
appearances4 = 86
tries4 =
goals4 =
fieldgoals4 =
points4 = 99
club5 = Goulburn Workers
year5start = 1966
year5end =
appearances5 =
tries5 =
goals5 =
fieldgoals5 =
points5 =
club6 = Young
year6start = 1967
year6end = 68
appearances6 =
tries6 =
goals6 =
fieldgoals6 =
points6 =
club7 = Longreach
year7start = 1969
year7end =
appearances7 =
tries7 =
goals7 =
fieldgoals7 =
points7 =
club8 = Port Macquarie
year8start = 1970
year8end = 72
appearances8 =
tries8 =
goals8 =
fieldgoals8 =
points8 =
teamA = New South Wales
yearAstart = 1952
yearAend = 61
appearancesA = 35
triesA =
goalsA =
fieldgoalsA =
pointsA = 18
teamB = Australia
yearBstart = 1952
yearBend = 60
appearancesB = 21
triesB =
goalsB =
fieldgoalsB =
pointsB = 24
updated =
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new = yes

Harry Wells (born 1932) is a former Australian representative rugby league footballer, a centre whose club career was played with the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Western Suburbs Magpies. He has since been named among the nation's best players 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

Coming from a long line of boxers, Wells came to Sydney from Wollongong, New South Wales to join South Sydney in 1951. He won a premiership with the club in his debut year, playing on the wing in the 1951 Grand final victory over Manly.

He then returned home for a number of seasons in Wollongong from where he made his national and state representative debuts.

He returned to the Sydney premiership in 1958 with the Western Suburbs Magpies when that club earned their tag as "the Millionaires" in buying up a talent roster including Arthur Summons, Dick Poole and Ian Moir in their pursuit of an elusive premiership title. He captained the Magpies in their 1958 Grand final loss to St.George. He played a further three seasons with Wests and rekindled his representative career at this time.

Wells then played out the remainder of his career with a number of seasons in the country - at Goulburn, Young and Longreach. He made a final representative appearance against Great Britain in 1966 representing for the Monaro region. He finally hung-up his boots aged 40 in 1972 after three seasons in Port Macquarie.

Representative career

Wells first represented for New South Wales in 1952 and toured with the Kangaroos that same year playing in two Tests and twelve minor matches

He played against New Zealand in 1953 and 1959; Great Britain in 1954 and 1958; and France in 1955 and 1960. He was selected and played in three World Cup campaigns in 1954, 1957 and 1960. He made a second Kangaroo tour in 1959-60 playing in all six Tests and seventeen tour matches, scoring eleven tour tries.

In the latter part of his career he formed a great centre partnership with the young Reg Gasnier and they paired together in 12 Tests. All up Wells made 21 Test appearances.

Accolades

In 2000 Harry Wells was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for his contribution to Australia's international standing in rugby legaue. The following year he received the Centenary Medal, also for services to sport. In September 2004 he was named at centre in the Western Suburbs Magpies team of the century. In 2007 Wells 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, Wells 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 news|author=Peter Cassidy |publisher="Macquarie National News"|title=Controversy reigns as NRL releases top 100 players |url=http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2008/02/22/Controversy_reigns_as_NRL_releases_top_100_players |accessdate=2008-02-23|date=2008-02-23] [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]

ources

* Andrews, Malcolm (2006) "The ABC of Rugby League" Austn Broadcasting Corpn, Sydney
* Whiticker, Alan & Hudson, Glen (2006) "The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players", Gavin Allen Publishing, Sydney

Footnotes

External links

* [http://rugbyleagueproject.com/players/Harry_Wells.html Harry Wells stats at rugbyleagueproject.com]
* [http://www.yesterdayshero.com.au/PlayerProfile_Harry-Wells_8544.aspx Harry Wells at yesterdayshero.com.au]
* [http://www.nrlstats.com/archive/players.cfm?PlayerID=4619 Harry Wells at nrlstats.com]
* [http://www.weststigers.com.au/centenary_westsmagpies_playerbios.aspx Harry Wells Biography at weststigers.com.au]