Billy Cann

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**Billy Cann**
Personal information
Australian national rugby league team
Full name	Billy Cann
Date of birth	1882
Date of death	1958
Senior clubs*
Years	Club	Apps (points)
1908–1916	Souths	75 (107)
Representative teams
1908–1912 1908–1912	New South Wales Australia	6 (42) 8 (5)
* Professional club appearances and points counted for domestic first grade only.

W. A. "Billy" Cann (1882–1958) was an Australian rugby league player for Souths, New South Wales and Australia. He primarily played at lock. Cann was also a long-term administrator at Souths.

1 Biography
2 References
3 Sources
4 External links

[edit] Biography

[edit] Playing career

Cann, a contemporary of Dally Messenger and Albert Rosenfeld, began his playing career as a Rugby union three-quarter at Souths. Frustrated at being ignored by Rugby union selectors, he joined the rebel New South Wales rugby league team which played the New Zealand All Golds in 1907.

Cann was unable to play in Souths' first premiership win in 1908 as he was on tour, but he was a member of the premiership winning teams of 1909 and 1914.

[edit] Representative career

Cann toured England with the Kangaroos in 1908–1909 and 1911–1912 as well as two tours to New Zealand with the New South Wales team.

[edit] Off-field

Cann was a member of Souths' committee from 1908 as well as a delegate to the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL). During the 1950's, Cann was a vice-president of the NSWRL.

In 1921–1922, Cann was co-manager of the Kangaroo tour along with Souths' secretary, George Ball.

[edit] Accolades

Cann is credited with shaping the role of the lock in the new code. John Quinlan (1911–1912 tour co-manager) said of Cann: "It was he who introduced the typical Australian style of fast forward play in which the backs and forwards combine so effectively and spectacularly. It is no reflection on his successors to say the original model remains the greatest gem."^[1]

In February 2008, Cann was named in the list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players (1908–2007) which was commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia. ^[2]

[edit] References

^ Malcolm Andrews (1992). ABC of Rugby League. Sydney, New South Wales: ABC Enterprises, page 65. ISBN 0733301762.
^ Centenary of Rugby League - The Players. NRL & ARL (2008-02-23). Retrieved on 2008-02-23.

[edit] Sources

Whiticker, Alan and Hudson, Glen (2007). The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players. Wetherill Park, New South Wales: Gary Allen Pty Ltd, page 74. ISBN 9781877082931.
Malcolm Andrews (1992). ABC of Rugby League. Sydney, New South Wales: ABC Enterprises, page 65. ISBN 0733301762.