Brett Firman

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Brett Firman scores in the 2005 Preliminary Final
Brett Firman scores in the 2005 Preliminary Final

Brett Firman plays for the Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League. He can play both halfback and five-eighth.

Firman began his career with the Cronulla Sharks, winning a Premier League Grand Final in 2002 before moving to the St George Illawarra Dragons. He quickly became a first-grade regular, and was in the running for the 2003 Dally M Rookie of the Year award before the awards were cancelled due to industrial action from the Rugby League Players' Association. Firman continued with the Dragons in 2004, but broke his leg playing Premier League in round 3 after being dropped in favour of Mathew Head. Head impressed many observers, and it became obvious at the end of the season that the Dragons would have to choose between the two players as they could not afford both under the NRL salary cap. The Dragons chose to re-sign Head, despite Firman still having a year on his contract with the club. Firman moved to the Sydney Roosters for 2005, with coach Ricky Stuart hoping for him to form a combination with Brett Finch in order to replace retiring great Brad Fittler. The Roosters had a bad start to the year, and Firman was soon dropped to Premier League and was seemingly unwanted by the club. He was released mid-season to join with the Cowboys, where he partnered 2005 Dally M medal winner Johnathon Thurston in the halves. The Cowboys reached the finals for the second successive year after finishing in 5th position, and despite being beaten 50-6 by the Wests Tigers in the first week, they beat Melbourne Storm in the second week, and then the Parramatta Eels in the preliminary final, with Firman scoring an important try, putting the club in their first ever Grand Final, against the Tigers. Firman trialled with the Penrith Panthers over the 2006 offseason after gaining an early release from the North Queensland Cowboys, he was finally awarded a fulltime contract to play with the Panthers for the 2007 NRL season after the club's second trial match against the Gold Coast Titans on March 3.