Dale Shearer

Dale Shearer

Personal information
Full name	Dale Anthony Shearer
Nickname	Rowdy[1]
Born	25 July 1965 (1965-07-25) (age 46) St George, Queensland, Australia
Playing information
Height	180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight	85 kg (13 st 5 lb)
Position	Fullback, Wing, Centre, Five-eighth
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1985–89	Manly-Warringah	86	45	5	1	191
1987–88	Widnes	14	6	11	0	46
1990–91	Brisbane Broncos	27	15	48	0	156
1992–94	Gold Coast Seagulls	33	3	17	2	48
1995–96	Sth. Qld. Crushers	10	5	1	0	21
1997	Sydney Roosters	11	2	0	0	8
1998	Nth. Qld. Cowboys	13	2	2	0	12
	Total	194	78	84	3	482
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1985–96	Queensland	26	12	6	0	56
1986–93	Australia	20	12	9	0	66

Dale Shearer (born 25 July 1965 in St George, Queensland) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s. A Queensland State of Origin and Australian international representative winger/fullback of Aboriginal heritage, he played club football in Queensland, New South Wales and England. His playing career included a NSWRL Premiership win with Manly-Warringah in 1987 and a Rugby League World Cup final win in 1988. Ten years after his retirement, Shearer was still the all-time top try-scorer in State of Origin history and he was named on the wing of the Indigenous Australian team of the century.

Playing career

At the age of 18, Dale Shearer caught the attention of many people during his time at the Queensland club, Sarina Crocodiles in the Winfield State League with some impressive performances. He was a member of Mackay's second successful Foley Shield team in 1984, as well as representing Queensland in the match against New Zealand.^[2] Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles coach Bob Fulton was quick to sign him before anyone else in 1985. He made his test debut for the Kangaroos in 1986, and later in that year went on to represent Australia on their undefeated tour of England and France. He scored a record four tries against France in the final match of the tour.^[3] Shearer was a member of the Manly premiership winning side in 1987. Following the grand final victory he travelled with Manly to England for the 1987 World Club Challenge against their champions, Wigan. In the following off season he also played 14 games in the championship-winning Widnes team in England for the 1987–88 RFL championship.

Shearer's time at the Manly club went sour when he took them to court in 1989, requesting to be released from his contract after a bitter dispute.^[4] He failed to win the court case but an agreement was made to let Shearer join the Brisbane Broncos in 1990. That year he was the Broncos' top point-scorer and at the end of the 1990 NSWRL season, he went on the 1990 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France. However, Shearer was not happy with Brisbane either, and at the end of the 1991 NSWRL season he moved to the struggling Gold Coast Seagulls.

Shearer's Australian test career seemed to be over after a poor match against New South Wales in Melbourne in 1991. However, he fought his way back into the Queensland State of Origin side and was selected for Australia's three test series against New Zealand in 1993. He proved his critics wrong and was one of the stand out players in the three-test series. He was also named man-of-the-match in the third match of the 1993 State of Origin series. Shearer took the record for most tries scored by one player in State of Origin history. He played out the rest of his football career at the North Queensland Cowboys before a teary final exit from the sport in 1998.

Post-playing

After his retirement Shearer remained in Townsville to do Aboriginal representative work for local organisations in North Queensland. In 2000, he was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for his "outstanding achievement in rugby league". In August, 2008, Shearer was named at wing in the Indigenous Team of the Century.^[5]

Shearer was critically injured in a car crash at Peregian Springs on 21 February 2009.^[6] The crash came one year after the death from cancer of his wife Delyse.^[7]

In 2010 Shearer faced bankruptcy when ordered to repay approximately $1.5m to former State of Origin teammate Adrian Lam for an outstanding loan which dated back to 2005.^[8]

References

1. ^ "Rowdy's one of the best" dailymercury.com.au
2. ^ Dale Shearer at the SportingPulse Homepage for Northern Division
3. ^ "Unbeaten Kangaroos the 'Best Ever'". The Sydney Morning Herald (Fairfax Digital): pp. 39. 15 December 1986. http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?page=1&sy=smh&docID=news861215_0108_9422. Retrieved 6 October 2009. 
4. ^ Dale Shearer at yesterdayshero.com.au
5. ^ "Modern stars join greats in Indigenous Team of Century". ABC News. 9 August 2008. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/08/09/2329969.htm. Retrieved 10 August 2008. 
6. ^ Ironside, Robyn (22 February 2009). "Former Queensland State of Origin star Dale Shearer in car crash". news.com.au. http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,25090246-5001021,00.html. Retrieved 22 February 2009. 
7. ^ "Shearer mourns wife". leaguehq.com.au. 14 February 2008. http://www.leaguehq.com.au/articles/2008/02/14/1202760464634.html. Retrieved 22 February 2009. ^{[dead link]}
8. ^ Elsworthy, Sophie (29 November 2010). "Former NRL star Dale Shearer ordered to pay former Queensland teammate Adrian Lam $1.5 million over unpaid loan". The Daily Telegraph (Australia: Herald and Weekly Times). http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/former-nrl-star-adrian-lam-sues-former-queensland-teammate-for-15-million/story-e6frfgbo-1225962386969. Retrieved 29 November 2010. 

External links

• Dale Shearer at rugbyleagueproject.org
• Dale Shearer at the State of Origin official website.
• Dale Shearer at fogs.com.au
• Dale Shearer at Foley Shield fan site

Persondata
Name	Shearer, Dale
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	25 July 1965
Place of birth	St George, Queensland
Date of death
Place of death