Blake Leary
{{short description|Australian rugby league footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2013}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
|name = Blake Leary
|fullname =
|image = Blake Leary.jpg
|imagesize = 290px
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1990|12|4|df=yes}}
|birth_place = Mona Vale, New South Wales, Australia
|height = {{convert|180|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}
|weight = {{convert|97|kg|stlb|abbr=on}}
|position = {{rlp|LK|SR|HK}}
|club1 = {{nowrap|North Qld Cowboys}}
|year1start = 2012
|year1end = 14
|appearances1 = 2
|tries1 = 0
|goals1 = 0
|fieldgoals1 = 0
|points1 = 0
|club2 = Manly Sea Eagles
|year2start = 2015
|year2end = 16
|appearances2 = 27
|tries2 = 1
|goals2 = 0
|fieldgoals2 = 0
|points2 = 4
|club3 = North Qld Cowboys
|year3start = 2017
|year3end =
|appearances3 = 3
|tries3 = 0
|goals3 = 0
|fieldgoals3 = 0
|points3 = 0
|club4 = Lézignan Sangliers
|year4start = 2019
|year4end = 21
|appearances4 = 7
|tries4 = 2
|goals4 = 0
|fieldgoals4 = 0
|points4 = 8
| club5 = {{nowrap|New York Freedom}}
| year5start = 2021
| year5end =
| appearances5 = 0
| tries5 = 0
| goals5 = 0
| fieldgoals5 = 0
| points5 = 0
| teamA = {{nowrap|Queensland Residents}}
| yearAstart = 2014
| yearAend = 18
| appearancesA = 3
| triesA = 1
| goalsA = 0
| fieldgoalsA = 0
| pointsA = 4
| retired =
| updated = 6 January 2024
}}
Blake Leary (born 4 December 1990) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a {{rlp|lk|sr}} forward and {{rlp|hk}} for the New York Freedom in the North American Rugby League.
He previously played for Manly-Warringah and the North Queensland Cowboys over two separate spells in the NRL. He also played for the Lézignan Sangliers in the Elite One Championship.
Background
Lear was born in Mona Vale, New South Wales, Australia and moved to the Gold Coast, Queensland at the age of one.{{cite web|author=NRL|url=http://www.seaeagles.com.au/news/2014/10/01/promising_trio_added_to_sea_eagles_roster.html|title=Promising trio added to Sea Eagles roster|publisher=Sea Eagles|date=October 2014|access-date=2016-03-27}}
He played his junior football for the Nerang Roosters and attended Keebra Park State High School, before being signed by the Melbourne Storm in 2009. As a youngster, Leary played for the Queensland Under 18s team.
Playing career
In 2009 and 2010, Leary played for the Melbourne Storm's NYC team, scoring 17 tries, 5 goals and 1 field goal in 26 games.{{cite web|url=http://www.rleague.com//db/player/l/leary_blake/index.php|title=Rleague.com – Leary, Blake|access-date=30 August 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130205045107/http://www.rleague.com/db/player/l/leary_blake/index.php|archive-date=5 February 2013 }} He captained the team in 2010.
In 2011, Leary joined the North Queensland Cowboys, playing for their Queensland Cup team, Northern Pride RLFC. Shortly after being suspended in 2011, Leary injured his knee, requiring a knee reconstruction and missed the rest of the season. In 2012, he recovered from his knee reconstruction to train with the Cowboys first-grade squad.[http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2012/02/24/308431_sport.html Leary takes to paddock for more pain| Townsville Bulletin Sport]
In round 25 of the 2012 NRL season, Leary made his NRL debut for North Queensland against the Newcastle Knights.{{cite web |url=http://www.cowboys.com.au/news-display/Rd-25-late-mail-Cowboys-v-Knights/62495 |title=Rd 25 late mail: Cowboys v Knights – North Queensland Cowboys |access-date=2012-08-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121230140311/http://www.cowboys.com.au/news-display/Rd-25-late-mail-Cowboys-v-Knights/62495 |archive-date=30 December 2012 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.cowboys.com.au/news-display/Team-lists-Cowboys-v-Knights/62535|title=Team lists: Cowboys v Knights – North Queensland Cowboys|access-date=30 August 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120826130512/http://www.cowboys.com.au/news-display/Team-lists-Cowboys-v-Knights/62535|archive-date=26 August 2012 }}
At the beginning of 2014, Leary was released by the North Queensland outfit.
In July 2014, Leary played for the Queensland Residents team.{{cite web|url=http://www.nrl.com/qld-residents-bursting-with-pride/tabid/10874/newsid/79797/default.aspx|title=Qld Residents bursting with Pride|publisher=National Rugby League|date=2014-06-29|access-date=2016-03-27}}
At the end of the season the forward started in the second row for the Pride's Queensland Cup{{Cite web |title=Pride v Tigers |url=https://www.qrl.com.au/draw/qrl-premiership/2014/round-30/pride-v-tigers/ |access-date=2024-09-23 |website=Queensland Rugby League |language=en}} & NRL State Championship titles. On 1 October 2014, Leary signed a two-year contract with the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles starting in 2015.{{cite web|url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/the-manly-sea-eagles-have-signed-northern-pride-backrower-blake-leary/story-e6frf3ru-1227018477438?from=public_rss|title=Home | Live Scores & Latest News|publisher=Fox Sports|access-date=2016-03-27}}
On 14 November 2016, Leary returned to North Queensland, signing with the Townsville Blackhawks after two seasons with Manly.{{Cite web | url=http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/sport/local-sport/blake-leary-knocks-back-super-league-offer-to-join-blackhawks/news-story/a940c92d50423b2d114f018ba96b088b | title=Subscribe to the Townsville Bulletin }} Over the 2017 pre-season, Leary trained with his former club, the North Queensland Cowboys. He scored a try in North Queensland's 11-10 trial win over the Sydney Roosters but did not earn an NRL contract with the club.{{Cite web |url=http://www.cowboys.com.au/news/2017/02/07/trial_teams_named_fo.af_news.html |title=Trial teams named for Mackay – Cowboys |access-date=17 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170217143522/http://www.cowboys.com.au/news/2017/02/07/trial_teams_named_fo.af_news.html |archive-date=17 February 2017 |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |url=http://www.cowboys.com.au/news/2017/02/11/top_flight_rugby_cli.af_news.html |title=Cowboys prevail over Roosters – Cowboys |access-date=17 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170217223409/http://www.cowboys.com.au/news/2017/02/11/top_flight_rugby_cli.af_news.html |archive-date=17 February 2017 |url-status=dead }}
In round 6 of the 2017 NRL season, Leary was recalled by North Queensland side, coming off the bench against the Wests Tigers.{{Cite web | url=http://www.cowboys.com.au/news/2017/04/08/team_list_cowboys_v_.html | title=Team list: Cowboys v Tigers | date=8 April 2017 }} He would play three games for the Townsville based club in 2017, starting at hooker in two of those games. In 2018, Leary returned to the Gold Coast, joining the Burleigh Bears in the Intrust Super Cup in Queensland, the Burleigh club took the title in 2019.
=NY Freedom=
On 23 May 2021, it was announced on the NY Freedom Instagram social media account that Leary had signed for the New York Freedom to play in their inaugural 2021 season in the North American Rugby League.{{cite web|date=23 May 2021|accessdate=24 May 2021|website=NY Freedom Instagram|title=New Signing – Blake Leary|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CPG2dFngtUi/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/instagram/newyork_rl/2577987330124207394_2577987326810591059 |archive-date=25 December 2021 |url-access=registration}}{{cbignore}}
Statistics
=NRL=
| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:90%; text-align:center; width:85%;" | |||||
| width=2%|Season
!width=8%|Team !width=2%|Matches !width=2%|T !width=2%|G !width=2%|GK % !width=2%|F/G !width=2%|Pts | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal"| 2012
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |{{Leagueicon|North Queensland|16}} North Queensland Cowboys | 1|| 0|| 0|| –|| 0|| 0 | |||||
| style="background:#eaeaea;"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal"| 2013 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal"| 2015
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |{{Leagueicon|Manly|16}} Manly Warringah Sea Eagles | 13|| 1|| 0|| –|| 0|| 4 | |||||
| style="background:#eaeaea;"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal"| 2016 | 14 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center; font-weight:normal"| 2017
|style="text-align:center;"|{{Leagueicon|North Queensland|16}} North Queensland Cowboys | 3|| 0|| 0|| –|| 0|| 0 | |||||
| class="sortbottom"
! colspan=2| Career totals ! 32 ! 1 ! 0 ! — ! 0 ! 4 |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20160807090933/http://www.seaeagles.com.au/team/profiles/blake_leary.html Manly Sea Eagles profile]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20120604005616/http://www.cowboys.com.au/playerprofiledisplay/Cowboys/Blake%20Leary/3549 2012 North Queensland Cowboys profile]
{{Northern Pride squad - 2014 Queensland Cup premiers}}
{{Burleigh Bears squad - 2019 Queensland Cup premiers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leary, Blake}}
Category:Australian rugby league players
Category:Burleigh Bears players
Category:Manly Warringah Sea Eagles players
Category:New York Freedom Rugby League players
Category:North Queensland Cowboys players
Category:Northern Pride RLFC players
Category:People educated at Keebra Park State High School
Category:Queensland Residents rugby league team captains
Category:Queensland Residents rugby league team players
Category:Rugby league players from New South Wales
Category:Rugby league second-rows