Leigh McWilliams

Leigh McWilliams
Personal information
Born (1978-07-19) 19 July 1978 (age 46)
Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
Height180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight95 kg (14 st 13 lb)
Playing information
PositionHooker
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1999–05 North Qld Cowboys 67 4 0 0 16
Source: [1]
As of 10 February 2020

Leigh McWilliams (born 19 July 1978) is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played for the North Queensland Cowboys in the National Rugby League. He primarily played hooker.

Background

McWilliams was born in Newcastle, New South Wales and played his junior rugby league for the Singleton Greyhounds.[2][3] In 1995, while attending Singleton High School, he was selected in the Australian Schoolboys squad that toured Great Britain and France.[4]

Playing career

McWilliams was a Newcastle Knights junior before joining the Hunter Mariners, where he represented the Australian Super League under-19 side in 1997.[5] In 1998, following the demise of the Hunters, McWilliams joined the North Queensland Cowboys, where he played for their Queensland Cup feeder side, the Townsville Stingers.

In Round 22 of the 1999 NRL season, he made his NRL debut for the Cowboys in their 8–40 loss to the Cronulla Sharks.[6] He played just one more game in his rookie season, spending the majority of the year playing for the Cairns Cyclones in the Queensland Cup.

In Round 13 of the 2000 NRL season, McWilliams scored his first NRL try in a 50–4 win over the St George Illawarra Dragons. That season he played 12 games for the Cowboys, starting eight in his preferred position of hooker. Over the next two seasons, McWilliams only featured sporadically for the Cowboys. In 2003, he started 14 games for the Cowboys at hooker before his season ended due to injury.[7][8] In 2004, McWilliams became a regular in the Cowboys side, playing 20 games as the club qualified for the finals for the first time.[9]

In 2005, McWilliams played just seven NRL games for the Cowboys, spending the majority of the season with the North Queensland Young Guns. On 17 September 2005, he started at lock in the Young Guns' 36–6 Queensland Cup Grand Final win over the Burleigh Bears.[10][11] He retired at the end of the 2005 season.[12]

Statistics

NRL

Statistics are correct to the end of the 2005 season[13]
Season Team Matches T G GK % F/G Pts
1999 North Queensland 2 0 0 — 0 0
2000 North Queensland 12 1 0 — 0 4
2001 North Queensland 3 0 0 — 0 0
2002 North Queensland 9 0 0 — 0 0
2003 North Queensland 14 2 0 — 0 8
2004 North Queensland 20 1 0 — 0 4
2005 North Queensland 7 0 0 — 0 0
Career totals 67 4 0 — 0 16

References

  1. ^ RLP
  2. ^ "North Queensland Toyota Cowboys". www.cowboys.com.au. Archived from the original on 7 March 2005. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  3. ^ "Archived copy". www.cowboys.com.au. Archived from the original on 6 August 2001. Retrieved 12 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^ "Get-together for cream of schoolboys footy | Newcastle Herald | Newcastle, NSW". 5 September 2012.
  5. ^ "Hunter Mariners Rugby League". www.rl1908.com. Archived from the original on 24 February 2004. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  6. ^ "NRL 1999 - Round 22 - Rugby League Project".
  7. ^ "Cowboys lose McWilliams for six weeks - ABC News". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 29 June 2003.
  8. ^ "Raiders, Broncos undefeated, Knights deny Storm - ABC News". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 5 April 2003.
  9. ^ "Cowboys come back to trounce Comets". ABC News. 15 February 2004.
  10. ^ "Young Guns Play Burliegh in Queensland Wizard Cup Final » League Unlimited".
  11. ^ "Townsville Bulletin: Young Guns' inexperience cause for concern [ 14sep05 ]". townsvillebulletin.news.com.au. Archived from the original on 13 September 2005. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  12. ^ "Darryl's Rugby League Page - Player Movements".
  13. ^ Ferguson, Shawn Dollin and Andrew. "Leigh McWilliams - Career Stats & Summary - Rugby League Project". www.rugbyleagueproject.org.