Greg Dowling

Greg Dowling
Personal information
Born (1959-01-15) 15 January 1959
Townsville, Queensland
Playing information
Position prop
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
Norths (Brisbane)
Wynnum-Manly
1988–91 Brisbane Broncos 69 6 0 0 24
Wigan
Total 69 6 0 0 24
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1984–87 Queensland 11 4 0 0 16
1984–87 Australia 12 0 0 0 0
Source: Rugby League Project nd Yesterday's Hero

Gregory Dowling (born 15 January 1959 in Townsville, Queensland) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s. He represented both Australia and Queensland.

A prop from Ingham, Queensland, Dowling started his career with the Wynnum-Manly Seagulls. At the end of their 1986 season, he went on the 1986 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France. He was later selected as a member of the foundation team for the Brisbane Broncos in 1988. He was named the 1989 Brisbane Broncos season's player of the year.[1] Injury forced him into retirement in 1991.

Greg Dowling played Left-prop, i.e. number 8, in Wigan's 34-8 victory over Warrington in the 1985 Lancashire Cup final during the 1985–86 season at Knowsley Road, St. Helens, on Sunday 13 October 1985.[2]

Greg Dowling played Left-prop, i.e. number 8, in Wigan's 18-4 victory over Hull Kingston Rovers in the John Player Special Trophy final during the 1985–86 season at Elland Road, Leeds on Saturday 11 January 1986.[3]

After playing he became a commentator for the ABC and a columnist for the Cairns Post.[4]

In 2000 Dowling was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for his contribution to Australia's international standing in rugby league.

Greg Dowling currently resides in Townsville with two children called Lauren and Lachlan and his wife Rhonda. After moving on from his McDonalds franchise on the tablelands in 2008, he began his retirement. Soon realizing this was not for him he started new project which started at the end of 2009, an Oporto franchise in the Willows Shopping Centre Townsville.

Greg Dowling is perhaps best remembered for scoring a freakish try during the 1984 State of Origin series. In Game 2 of the series, played on a wet and muddy Sydney Cricket Ground, Qld captain Wally Lewis put up a chip-kick only metres out from the try line. The ball hit the crossbar on the full and bounced back down. Somehow Dowling managed to catch the slippery ball on the full only centimetres from the ground to score under the posts, helping the Maroons to a series winning 14-2 win.

He is also remembered for his sideline fight with New Zealand prop Kevin Tamati during the first test of the 1985 Trans-Tasman series at Lang Park after both players had been sent to the sin-bin by French referee Julien Rascagneres. Both players received an 8-day suspension as a result of the fight.

References

  1. ↑ "Honour Board". broncos.com.au. Brisbane Broncos. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
  2. ↑ "1985-1986 Lancashire Cup Final". wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  3. ↑ "1985–1986 John Player Special Trophy Final". wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  4. ↑ http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=7-2048-0-0-0&sID=75118&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=5710932&sectionID=75118

External links

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