Bob O'Reilly
{{Short description|Australia international rugby league footballer}}
{{Other uses|Robert O'Reilly (disambiguation)}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
|name = Bob O'Reilly
|fullname = Robert Edward O'Reilly
|nickname =
|image =
|image_size =
|caption =
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1949|02|16|df=y}}
|birth_place = Rocklea, Queensland, Australia
|death_date =
|death_place =
|height =
|weight =
|retired = yes
|position = {{rlp|PR}}
|club1 = Parramatta Eels
|year1start = 1967
|year1end = 75
|appearances1 = 167
|tries1 = 26
|goals1 = 0
|fieldgoals1 = 0
|points1 = 78
|club2 = Penrith Panthers
|year2start = 1976
|year2end = 77
|appearances2 = 30
|tries2 = 2
|goals2 = 0
|fieldgoals2 = 0
|points2 = 6
|club3 = Eastern Suburbs
|year3start = 1978
|year3end = 79
|appearances3 = 38
|tries3 = 6
|goals3 = 0
|fieldgoals3 = 0
|points3 = 18
|club4 = Parramatta Eels
|year4start = 1980
|year4end = 82
|appearances4 = 49
|tries4 = 3
|goals4 = 0
|fieldgoals4 = 0
|points4 = 9
|club5 =
|year5start =
|year5end =
|appearances5 =
|tries5 =
|goals5 =
|fieldgoals5 =
|points5 =
|teamA = New South Wales
|yearAstart = 1970
|yearAend = 74
|appearancesA = 9
|triesA = 0
|goalsA = 0
|fieldgoalsA = 0
|pointsA = 0
|teamB = City NSW
|yearBstart = 1971
|yearBend = 74
|appearancesB = 4
|triesB = 0
|goalsB = 0
|fieldgoalsB = 0
|pointsB = 0
|teamC = Australia
|yearCstart = 1970
|yearCend = 74
|appearancesC = 16
|triesC = 0
|goalsC = 0
|fieldgoalsC = 0
|pointsC = 0
|teamD =
|yearDstart =
|yearDend =
|appearancesD =
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|updated =
}}
Robert Edward O'Reilly (born 16 February 1949) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. An Australian international and New South Wales interstate representative prop forward, he played in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership, mainly for the Parramatta Eels, but also for the Eastern Suburbs Roosters and Penrith Panthers.
Playing career
Nicknamed 'The Bear', O'Reilly enjoyed a fifteen-year Sydney first grade career debuting for Parramatta at aged eighteen in 1967 and returning to the club in 1981 to first taste premiership success. He represented Australia in nine Tests and seven World Cup matches, including the Kangaroos' victory in the 1970 World Cup. He was the first Parramatta junior to represent Australia, having played his junior football with suburban Guildford.Apter The Coaches: The Men Who Changed Rugby League {{ISBN|9781743465660}} O'Reilly is named on the Australian Players Register as Kangaroo No. 450.ARL Annual Report 2005, page 56
A decade after his first representative appearance, O'Reilly was part of Parramatta's first ever premiership-winning team of 1981. He held the record for highest number of first grade games at 284[http://www.yesterdayshero.com.au/PlayerProfile_Bob-OReilly_6350.aspx Bob O'Reilly at yesterdayshero.com.au] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004170053/http://www.yesterdayshero.com.au/PlayerProfile_Bob-OReilly_6350.aspx|date=4 October 2011 }} until overtaken by Geoff Gerard.
Accolades
O'Reilly was awarded Life Membership by the Parramatta Club in 1981.Sydney Morning Herald : 24 September 1981 (page 56)
In 2002, a team of the greatest Parramatta players, known as the Parramatta Legends, were selected based on a public vote of fans with O'Reilly being selected at prop. In the same year, O'Reilly was inducted into the Parramatta hall of fame.{{cite web|url=https://www.parraeels.com.au/about/hall-of-fame/|title=Hall of fame|website=Parramatta Eels}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080804054506/http://www.nrlstats.com/archive/players.cfm?PlayerID=247 Bob O'Reilly at nrlstats.com]
Published sources
- Whiticker, Alan & Hudson, Glen (2006) The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players, Gavin Allen Publishing, Sydney
- Apter, Jeff The Coaches : The Men Who Changed Rugby League (2014), The Five Mile Press Scoresby, Victoria
{{Parramatta Eels squad 1981 NSWRFL premiership}}
{{Australia squad - 1970 Rugby League World Cup champions}}
{{Australia 1972 Rugby League World Cup squad}}
{{1973 Kangaroo Tour squad}}
{{Parramatta Eels Hall of Fame}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oreilly, Bob}}
Category:Australia national rugby league team players
Category:Australian rugby league players
Category:City New South Wales rugby league team players
Category:Clive Churchill Medal winners
Category:Parramatta Eels players
Category:Penrith Panthers players
Category:New South Wales rugby league team players
Category:Rugby league players from Brisbane