Mark Geyer

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Mark Geyer (also known as MG or the "Rugby League Rebel"; born December 7, 1968), was a rugby league second row forward and one of the most controversial players of the 1990s - during which time he was seemingly more often in the headlines for what he did off the field than for showing the talent he undoubtedly possessed on it. He played for Penrith, Balmain and the Western Reds during his career from 1986 to 2000, the highlight of which was Penrith's maiden premiership win in 1991.

Geyer first played for Penrith in 1986 as a seventeen-year-old whose size and ability to run were already noted from his experience in the lower grades. The following year, he established a regular first grade place as was seen as so promising that he was given a place in the City Seconds team after only a handful of top grade appearances. He established himself as one of the most promising young forwards in the game the following year, when his 196-centimetre (6 foot 5 inch) and 108kg (17 stone) body showed itself extremely effective at breaking the defensive line of opposition sides one off the ruck. He was rewarded for his promise with a place in the President's XIII against the touring British Lions that year, and his second row partnership with John Cartwright was established as one of the finest in club rugby league: the size of both men terrorising many opponents.

Geyer's reputation for controversy began that winter when he served a six-match suspension for the first five matches of 1989 with English club Sheffield Eagles, thus giving Penrith his services for four more games than they would have otherwise. Geyer gained a place in New South Wales State of Origin team that year but could do nothing to prevent a whitewash by arguably Queensland's finest-ever side. 1990 was destroyed by a succession of injuries, but Geyer was seen as so good as to be impossible to omit from the Kangaroo Tour. He played his first Test on that tour, and in 1991, despite a controversial five-match suspension for an incident involving Wally Lewis in the second State of Origin game, Geyer was back to his best in the finals despite niggling injuries. In the grand final, he set up all three Penrith tries and was only denied the Clive Churchill Medal by having been sin-binned earlier in the second half.

However, this is where is best days ended and trouble set in for him - never to go away for the rest of his career. He missed Australian the tour of Papua New Guinea due to injury but failed to play in Penrith's World Club Challenge against Wigan due to passport problems. In 1992, though, a sensation occurred when he tested positive to a random drug test and was suspended for ten matches. The death of team-mate Greg Alexander's brother Ben made Geyer so frustrated that Penrith cancelled his contract. For 1993 he signed with Balmain, but was sacked when he failed to make training in January the following year. Although it was thought Geyer might play for South Sydney (following Balmain coach Alan Jones) he, against the wishes of his manager, spent a season with Umina on the Central Coast.

Moving to Perth with the newly formed Western Reds, Geyer showed excellent form despite one four-match suspension, but the following two years were decimated by suspensions totalling sixteen games due to Geyer's inability to control his feelings - along with several injuries. Late in 1996, Geyer played his best rugby since the 1991 Grand Final, but a year later News Corporation closed the door on the Western Reds. Geyer spent the last three years of his career back at Penrith but queries concerning his fitness meant he was used mainly from the interchange bench.

Since his retirement, Geyer has continued to write extensively on how he saw the game during his career. He is probably the first rugby player to maintain his own website. His younger brother Matt Geyer also plays rugby league, for the Melbourne Storm.

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