Bob Bax

{{short description|Australian RL coach and former rugby league footballer}}

{{Infobox rugby league biography

|name = Bob Bax

|fullname = Robert Dean Bax

|nickname =

|image =

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|birth_date = {{Birth date|1925|3|23|df=y}}

|birth_place =

|death_date = {{death date and age|2000|3|11|1925|3|23|df=y}}

|death_place =

|height =

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|retired =

|position = {{rlp|HB}}

|club1 = Past Brothers

|year1start =

|year1end =

|appearances1 =

|tries1 =

|goals1 =

|fieldgoals1 =

|points1 =

|teamA = Brisbane

|yearAstart =

|yearAend =

|appearancesA =

|triesA =

|goalsA =

|fieldgoalsA =

|pointsA =

|coachteam1 = Past Brothers

|coachyear1start = 1956

|coachyear1end = 59

|coachgames1 = 81

|coachwins1 = 62

|coachdraws1 = 1

|coachlosses1 = 18

|coachteam2 = Northern Suburbs

|coachyear2start = 1960

|coachyear2end = 70

|coachgames2 = 252

|coachwins2 = 177

|coachdraws2 = 8

|coachlosses2 = 67

|coachteam3 = Northern Suburbs

|coachyear3start = 1977

|coachyear3end =

|coachgames3 = 22

|coachwins3 = 11

|coachdraws3 = 0

|coachlosses3 = 11

|coachteamA = Queensland

|coachyearAstart = 1971

|coachyearAend = 73

|coachgamesA = 5

|coachwinsA = 0

|coachdrawsA = 0

|coachlossesA = 5

|updated =

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}}

Robert Bax (1925-2000) was an Australian rugby league footballer and coach. During the 1940s, he played in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership as a half back for the Brothers club and also played for the Brisbane rugby league team in the Bulimba Cup.{{cite news|last=Kearney|first=L. H.|title=Downs Forwards will test Brisbane 13|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49669877|accessdate=13 September 2013|newspaper=The Courier-Mail|date=8 July 1949}} From 1956 to 1970 Bax coached Brothers and Norths, reaching 14 grand finals and taking nine premierships.{{cite news|title=Sport briefs|url=http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?page=1&docID=news000316_0183_8919|accessdate=14 September 2013|newspaper=Newcastle Herald|date=14 March 2000}}

Bax inherited the coaching role at the Brisbane Rugby League's reigning premiers, Northern Suburbs RLFC from Clive Churchill in 1960 and won the premiership again that year. Norths then became the first club in BRL history to win three consecutive first grade premierships when they defeated Fortitude Valley 29–5 in the 1961 grand final in front of a record club crowd of 19,824 at Lang Park.{{cite web|last=Higgison|first=Mike|title=Fantastic Footy Flashback: 1961|url=http://www.qrl.com.au/?s=article-display&id=42435|work=qrl.com.au|publisher=Queensland Rugby League|accessdate=13 September 2013}} Bax extended this record winning streak to six, claiming premierships again in 1962, 1963 and 1964.{{cite web|title=Players and coaches|url=http://www.northsdevils.com/component/docman/doc_download/26-players-and-coaches-pdf?Itemid=|work=northsdevils.com|publisher=Norths Devils|accessdate=14 September 2013}}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} He coached the side to two more grand final wins in 1966 and 1969.

In 1971, Bax became the first coach to sign an Australian rules football player: Barry Spring, who was 26 and had never played a game of rugby league. Spring frequently kicked field goals from anywhere within a 60-yard range, leading to a rule change, with two points for a field goal changing to one point in 1971.{{cite news|last=Graham Lowe|author-link=Graham Lowe|title=Man behind Titans a true visionary|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10589107|accessdate=13 September 2013|newspaper=The New Zealand Herald|date=7 August 2009}}

In 1992, Bax was part of a six-man panel selected by Rugby League Week to name an all-time greatest team to celebrate rugby league in Australia's 85th year.{{cite news|last=Heads|first=Ian|title=CHURCHILL IS TOP OF THE ALL-TIME TOP 100|url=http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?page=1&docID=news920527_0177_8974|accessdate=14 September 2013|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=27 May 1992}} Bob Bax's son, Robert Bax, operated the Brisbane law firm, Robert Bax and Associates.{{cite news|last=Murray|first=David|title=Blues legend Michael O'Connor celebrates $1.5m court win|url=http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/blues-legend-michael-oconnor-celebrates-15m-court-win/story-e6freoof-1226413175154|accessdate=13 September 2013|newspaper=The Sunday Mail|date=1 July 2012}} Bax died in 2000 at age 74 after a long illness{{cite news|title=COACHING GREAT DIES|url=http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?page=1&docID=news000314_0149_3370|accessdate=14 September 2013|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=14 March 2000}} and was buried in Nudgee Cemetery. The Norths Devils' award for "Player most likely to succeed" was named the Bob Bax Award in his honour.{{cite web|title=Norths Devils Award Winners|url=http://www.qrl.com.au/?s=article-display&id=44577|work=qrl.com.au|publisher=Queensland Rugby League|accessdate=13 September 2013}} In 2008, the Norths clubs' 75th anniversary year, Bax was named as coach of their all-time greatest team.{{cite web|title=Norths Devils 75th Anniversary Celebrations|url=http://www.northsdevils.com/component/docman/doc_download/1-75th-anniversary-pdf?Itemid=|work=northsdevils.com|publisher=Norths Devils|accessdate=14 September 2013}}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}