John Muggleton

John Muggleton is a former rugby league player who represented Parramatta Eels in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership, New South Wales in State of Origin competition and the Australian national team (1982). He initially played as a fullback with Balmain, but moved to Parramatta in 1980 and the following year, jumped suddenly into first grade just as the Eels won their first premiership. 1982 saw Muggleton become as a second rower an integral part of Parramatta’s most dominant NRL team, providing a second kicker to support Peter Sterling, who was later to become his brother-in-law, and showing abundant ball skills to create opportunities for a famous backline of Sterling, Brett Kenny, Mick Cronin, Steve Ella and Eric Grothe, Sr. Muggleton was chosen for the 1982 Kangaroo tour, which became known as “The Invincibles” as it steamrolled England and France to win all 22 games, mostly by huge margins.

However, after that, Muggleton had a great deal of trouble retaining his place amidst a succession of injuries and much competition from Mark Laurie, Peter Wynn and Steve Sharp in Parramatta’s second row. By 1984, he was used chiefly as a reserve, and in 1985 Muggleton had a spell in the UK playing for Hull, alongside Sterling, in the then Rugby League First Division. That year, he played only one match in first grade for Parramatta after returning to Australia, but was recalled successfully in 1986 and, developing as a goalkicker, was able to keep his place and establish himself firmly in 1987 with the retirement of long-standing lock Ray Price. A highlight that year was a booming field goal to beat St. George 21 points to 20 with the last kick of the day. However, in 1988 Muggleton was again out of favour and in his last two years he started only two first grade matches. After this, Muggleton turned to coaching, being most successful with North Sydney’s struggling President’s Cup outfit in 1993 where he lifted them from twelfth to sixth.

Currently Muggleton is an Australian rugby union coach and the current defensive coach of the Llanelli Scarlets.^[1] His previous coaching roles include the Wallabies. He was part of the Georgia rugby union coaching staff at the Rugby World Cup of 2011.

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