Daryl Halligan

Daryl Halligan
Personal information
Full name Daryl John Halligan
Nickname Chook
Born 25 July 1966 (1966-07-25) (age 45)
Waikato, New Zealand
Height 192 cm (6 ft 4 in)
Weight 96 kg (15 st 2 lb)
Playing information
Rugby union
Position Fullback
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1986–1990 Waikato 56 32 97 360
Rugby league
Position Wing
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1991–93 North Sydney Bears 64 23 225 2 544
1994–00 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 166 57 630 2 1490
Total 230 80 855 4 2034
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1992–98 New Zealand 20 4 60 1 137
As of 30 July 2009
Source: Rugby League Project

Daryl Halligan (born 25 July 1966[1] in Waikato, New Zealand) is a rugby league football commentator and former professional player. A New Zealand international winger, he was the pre-eminent goal-kicker of his era, retiring as the highest point scorer in Australian premiership history. Halligan played club football in Australia for the North Sydney Bears and Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, winning the 1995 ARL Premiership with the latter.

Before defecting to the professional code of rugby league, Halligan played amateur rugby union for Waikato. In rugby league Halligan was renowned as a fine goalkicker, his 855 first grade goals coming at an impressive 80% success rate.

He played on the wing for the Canterbury Bulldogs in their loss in the 1998 NRL grand final to the Brisbane Broncos.

He was the first person to score 2,000 points in the NRL. At the time of his retirement he held the competition point-scoring record at 2,034 points. He also scored 80 tries, and kicked 4 field goals.

Halligan is noted for revolutionising goal-kicking by using a plastic tee from which to kick.[2]

Halligan is currently a commentator with Sky Network Television in New Zealand.

He also taught Johnathan Thurston how to kick conversions. It was said at an interview that Halligan taught Thurston whilst Johnathan was at Sydney club the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. Also that Halligan hated the way Thurston "hooks" the ball. Halligan taught Thurston to control the hook so it comes in or goes out.

References

  1. ^ Matt Logue. "Legend Q&A". Rugby League Week (Sydney, NSW: PBLMedia) (23 April 2008): pgs 30–31. 
  2. ^ Alan Whiticker & Glen Hudson (2007). The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players. Wetherill Park, New South Wales: Gary Allen Pty Ltd. p. 215. ISBN 978-1-877082-93-1. 

External links