Paul McNicholas (rugby league)

Paul McNicholas (born 26 May 1975) is a former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He played at representative level for Ireland, and at club level for South Sydney Rabbitohs (two spells), Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, North Queensland Cowboys, and Hull F.C., as a prop, or second-row.

Paul McNicholas
Personal information
Full namePaul McNicholas
Born (1975-05-26) 26 May 1975 (age 49)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Height199 cm (6 ft 6 in)
Weight119 kg (18 st 10 lb)
PositionSecond-row, Prop
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1996–99 South Sydney 26 0 0 0 0
2000–01 Cronulla Sharks 30 1 0 0 4
2002 South Sydney 8 0 0 0 0
2003 North Queensland Cowboys 7 1 0 0 4
2004–05 Hull F.C. 44 4 0 0 16
Total 115 6 0 0 24
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2005–06 Ireland 3 0 0 0 0
Source: [1]

Background

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McNicholas was born in Sydney, Australia.

Playing career

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McNicholas made his first grade debut for South Sydney in round 1 of the 1996 ARL season against Manly at Brookvale Oval. He played off the bench in Souths 44-6 loss. In the 1999 NRL season, McNicholas played 15 games for South Sydney including what was meant to be their final ever game when they played against Parramatta. Souths lost the match 34-16 and were ejected from the competition ahead of the 2000 NRL season due to not meeting the NRL's controversial criteria. For the 2000 season, McNicholas signed a contract to join Cronulla. In 2001, he played 20 games including Cronulla's preliminary final loss to Newcastle. When South Sydney were re-admitted back to the competition in 2002, McNicholas signed for the club and played in their first game since the readmission which was a 40-6 loss against arch-rivals the Sydney Roosters. In 2003, McNicholas joined North Queensland and featured in eight games. McNicholas spent the final two years of his career playing for Hull F.C. in the Super League.[2][3]

International honors

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McNicholas won three caps for Ireland in 2005–2006 while at Hull.[4]

References

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  1. ^ "Paul McNicholas – Career Stats & Summary – Rugby League Project". Rugby League Project.
  2. ^ "Heart on their Sleeve". rabbitohs.com.au.
  3. ^ "Brothers in arms: how Bulldogs helped hunted Bunnies bounce back from the brink of extinction". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  4. ^ Williams, Graham; Lush, Peter; Farrar, David (2009). The British Rugby League Records Book. London League. pp. 104–105. ISBN 978-1-903659-49-6.
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