Greg Brentnall(born 5 December 1956 inWagga Wagga,New South Wales) is an Australian formerrugby leaguefootballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. AnAustralianinternational andNew South Walesrepresentativefullbackandwing,he played forCanterbury-Bankstownin theNew South Wales Rugby League premiership,winning the 1980 grand final with them.[3]
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 5 December 1956 Wagga Wagga,New South Wales | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Fullback,Wing,Centre | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As of 14 August 2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing career
editIn the 1960s and 1970s, Brentnall playedAustralian rules footballwith the Turvey Park Bulldogs in theRiverina Football League.[4]Representing New South Wales in theTeal Cup,Brentnall caught the eye of talent scouts from the then strugglingSouth Melbourne Football Clubin theVictorian Football League(VFL). Instead, he switched to rugby league, playing forTurvey Parkin the localGroup 9 Country Rugby Leaguecompetition, before taking up a contract with theCanterbury-Bankstown Bulldogsin the New South Wales Rugby League competition. His ability to catch the high ball made him a valuable fullback for many rugby league representative teams, and he represented Australia.
Brentnall played on the wing for New South Wales in the inaugural1980 State of Origin gameand scored the first try in Origin history. Later that year played in Canterbury-Bankstown's Grand Final-winning side. In 1982, he became Canterbury's firstRothmans Medalwinner and also toured with that year's undefeated Kangaroos,"The Invincibles",playing all 6 tests on tour, includingAustralia's first ever test againstPapua New Guineawhich was played immediately prior to the tour.[5]
In 2004, Greg was named as a reserve in the Berries to Bulldogs 70 Year Team of Champions. On 1 April 2007, he was inducted into the Bulldogs Ring of Champions.[6]
Post-playing
editBrentnall retired from playing after the1983 NSWRL seasonat the age of just 26 to take up the position of RL development officer in the Riverina for thirteen years. [7]
Brentnall joined the newly formedMelbourne Stormas assistant coach under former team-mateChris Anderson.Later appointed football development manager, he continues to work there and the club have honoured him by naming the young achiever (under 18 player) trophy after him. He was also appointed chairman of theVictorian Rugby League.[8]
References
edit- ^RLP
- ^Yesterday's Hero
- ^Greg BrentnallatBulldogs History Database
- ^"Museum Riverina".
- ^Greg Brentnallat theWagga WaggaSporting Hall of Fame
- ^Greg Brentnallat thebulldogs.com.au
- ^"Victorian Rugby League - Greg Brentnall".Australia: SportingPulse.Retrieved7 September2010.
- ^Roy Masters(30 September 2009)."Mortimer is my kind of player - I'm not sure why we let him go: Bellamy".The Sydney Morning Herald.Australia.Retrieved7 September2010.