Andy Norval

Andy Norval (1912–1999) was an Australian rugby league player, a national and state representative lock-forward whose club career was with Sydney's Eastern Suburbs club.

Born in South Australia, where, as a youth, he played Australian Rules football, Norval began his rugby league career in the Newcastle competition before moving to Sydney where he played 105 matches with the Eastern Suburbs club in the years (1934–41). Norval a lock forward played an integral role in an Eastern Suburbs sides that swept all before them during that period, winning four premierships as well as finishing runners-up on three other occasions. Norval formed part of East's international forward pack alongside Ray Stehr, Harry Pierce and Joe Pearce.

Norval played five matches for New South Wales. He was selected on the 1937-38 Kangaroo tour playing in three Tests and twelve touring matches. His international debut was on the wing in the third Test against Great Britain and he played in that position in both Tests on the French leg of the tour.

Team mate, Dick Dunn, described Norval as the best player he had seen since beginning his first grade career in 1935. In February 2008, Norval 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.^[1][2] He has also been selected in Eastern Suburbs "Greatest-ever" team.

In 2010 Norval was named in a South Newcastle team of the century.^[3]

Footnotes