Eric Simms

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Eric Simms (born 1945 in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia) was an Australian Aboriginal rugby league player. His position of choice was at fullback although

he could also play as a centre. Simms played his entire first grade career for South Sydney in the New South Wales rugby league competition.

[edit] Playing career

Eric Simms attended school in Raymond Terrace, before moving to La Perouse in Sydney, where he signed for South Sydney in 1965. That year, Souths reached the grand final, with Simms playing in the centres.

Simms went on to play 206 first grade games, scoring a total of 1,843 career points. In 1969, he broke the record for the most points scored in a premiership season with 265, previously held by Dave Brown of Eastern Suburbs. He held the record until broken by Mick Cronin over a decade later.

In the 1968 Rugby League World Cup, Simms gained the distinction of becoming the fourth Aboriginal to represent Australia in rugby league. He scored 50 points in four games at the 1968 World Cup, a record which still stands today. He played in the 1970 World Cup in England two years later and scored 37 points in total.

Simms was one of the game's greatest exponents of the field goal. He holds the record for the most number of field goals in one season (1969, with 19) and most in a single match (1970, with 5). It has been suggested that his proficiencies at field goals partly led to the decision to change the value of a field goal from two to one point in 1971¹. Simms left South Sydney in 1976 to join the New South Wales country side Crookwell, and retired from rugby league after one season.

[edit] References

¹See entries for 'Aboriginal Players' and 'Eric Simms' in The ABC of Rugby League, Malcolm Andrews, ABC Books, August 2006

[edit] External links

Eric Simms at eraofthebiff.com

v • d • e South Sydney Rabbitohs squad - 1967 NSWRFL Premiers (17th Title)

1 Kevin Longbottom • 2 Brian James • 3 Eric Simms • 4 Bob Moses • 5 Michael Cleary • 6 Jim Lisle • 7 Ivan Jones • 8 John Sattler • 9 Elwyn Walters • 10 John O'Neill • 11 Bob McCarthy • 12 Alan Scott • 13 Ron Coote • Coach: Clive Churchill

v • d • e

National Rugby League top points scorers

1908 Horrie Miller • 1909 Arthur Conlin • 1910 Dally Messenger • 1911 Dally Messenger • 1912 Dally Messenger • 1913 Harold Horder • 1914 Harold Horder • 1915 Wally Messenger • 1916 Charles Fraser • 1917 Charles Fraser • 1918 Harold Horder • 1919 A McPherson • 1920 Frank Burge • 1921 Rex Norman • 1922 Harold Horder • 1923 Arthur Oxford • 1924 Jack Courtney • 1925 Benny Wearing • 1926 Jack Courtney • 1927 Alf Blair • 1928 Benny Wearing • 1929 Jim Craig • 1930 Jim Craig • 1931 Jack Lynch • 1932 Les Mead • 1933 Syd Christensen • 1934 Dave Brown • 1935 Dave Brown • 1936 Syd Christensen • 1937 Jack Beaton • 1938 Tom Kirk • 1939 Neville Smith • 1940 Tom Kirk • 1941 Neville Smith • 1942 Ray Lindwall • 1943 Tom Kirk • 1944 Tom Kirk • 1945 Dick Dunn • 1946 Tom Kirk • 1947 Pat Devery • 1948 Jack Lindwall • 1949 Bill Keato • 1950 Bill Keato • 1951 Ron Rowles • 1952 Ron Rowles • 1953 Ron Rowles • 1954 Ron Rowles • 1955 Doug Fleming • 1956 Doug Fleming • 1957 Darcy Russell • 1958 Harry Bath • 1959 Darcy Russell • 1960 Brian Graham • 1961 Bob Landers • 1962 Don Parish • 1963 Fred Griffiths • 1964 Fred Griffiths • 1965 Fred Griffiths • 1966 Bob Lanigan • 1967 Eric Simms • 1968 Eric Simms • 1969 Eric Simms • 1970 Eric Simms • 1971 Graeme Langlands • 1972 Allan McKean • 1973 Graeme Langlands • 1974 Graham Eadie • 1975 Graham Eadie • 1976 Graham Eadie • 1977 Michael Cronin • 1978 Michael Cronin • 1979 Michael Cronin • 1980 Steve Gearin • 1981 Steve Rogers • 1982 Michael Cronin • 1983 Michael Eden • 1984 Steve Gearin • 1985 Michael Cronin • 1986 Terry Lamb • 1987 Ross Conlon • 1988 Gary Belcher • 1989 Andy Currier & Ricky Walford • 1990 Mal Meninga • 1991 Daryl Halligan • 1992 Daryl Halligan • 1993 Daryl Halligan • 1994 Daryl Halligan • 1995 Matthew Ridge • 1996 Jason Taylor • 1997 Jason Taylor & Ryan Girdler • 1998 Ivan Cleary • 1999 Matt Geyer • 2000 Joel Caine • 2001 Andrew Johns & Ben Walker • 2002 Hazem El Masri • 2003 Hazem El Masri • 2004 Hazem El Masri • 2005 Brett Hodgson • 2006 Hazem El Masri • 2007 Hazem El Masri

v • d • e Australia squad - 1968 Rugby League World Cup champions (2nd title)

1 Eric Simms • 2 Lionel Williamson • 3 Graeme Langlands • 4 Johnny Greaves • 5 Johnny Rhodes • 6 Bob Fulton • 7 Billy Smith • 8 John Wittenberg • 9 Fred Jones • 10 Arthur Beetson • 11 Dick Thornett • 12 Ron Coote • 13 Johnny Raper (c) • 14 Elton Rasmussen • Coach: Harry Bath •

v • d • e South Sydney Rabbitohs squad - 1968 NSWRFL Premiers (18th Title)

1 Eric Simms • 2 Michael Cleary • 3 Bob Honan • 4 Arthur Branighan • 5 Brian James • 6 Denis Pittard • 7 Bob Grant • 8 Jim Morgan • 9 Elwyn Walters • 10 John O'Neill • 11 John Sattler • 12 Bob Moses • 13 Ron Coote • 14 Paul Sait • Coach: Clive Churchill

v • d • e South Sydney Rabbitohs squad - 1970 NSWRFL Premiers (19th Title)

1 Eric Simms • 2 Michael Cleary • 3 Paul Sait • 4 Arthur Branighan • 5 Ray Branighan • 6 Denis Pittard • 7 Bob Grant • 8 John Sattler • 9 Elwyn Walters • 10 John O'Neill • 11 Bob McCarthy • 12 Gary Stevens • 13 Ron Coote • 14 Bob Honan • Coach: Clive Churchill

v • d • e Australia squad - 1970 Rugby League World Cup champions (3rd title)

1 Eric Simms • 2 Lionel Williamson • 3 John Cootes • 4 Paul Sait • 5 Mark Harris • 6 Bob Fulton • 7 Billy Smith • 8 John O'Neill • 9 Ron Turner • 10 Bob O'Reilly • 11 Bob McCarthy • 12 Ron Costello • 13 Ron Coote (c) • 14 Ray Branighan • 15 Elwyn Walters •

v • d • e South Sydney Rabbitohs squad - 1971 NSWRFL Premiers (20th Title)

1 Eric Simms • 2 Keith Edwards • 3 Paul Sait • 4 Bob Honan • 5 Ray Branighan • 6 Denis Pittard • 7 Bob Grant • 8 John Sattler • 9 George Piggins • 10 John O'Neill • 11 Bob McCarthy • 12 Gary Stevens • 13 Ron Coote • Coach: Clive Churchill