Chris Sandow

Chris Sandow

Sandow in 2008
Personal information
Full name	Chris Sandow
Nickname	Kusto
Born	(1989-01-09) 9 January 1989 Kingaroy, Queensland, Australia
Height	173 cm (5 ft 8 in)[1]
Weight	82 kg (12 st 13 lb)
Playing information
Position	Fullback
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2008–2011	South Sydney	84	19	197	13	483
2012-	Parramatta Eels	38	10	49	3	141
	Total	122	29	246	16	624
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2011	PM'S XIII	1	1	0	0	4
2012	Indigenous All stars	1	0	1	0	2
Source: NRL Stats

Chris Sandow (born 9 January 1989 in Kingaroy, Queensland) is an Indigenous Australian professional rugby league player who plays for the Parramatta Eels in the National Rugby League competition (NRL). He plays as a fullback.

Sandow is from Bigambul / Gubbi Gubbi traditional Aboriginal territory.^[2]

Playing career

Junior career

Sandow on duty with the Indigenous Dreamtime team

Sandow grew up in Queensland playing rugby league in the Aboriginal community of Cherbourg, a three-hour drive north west of Brisbane. He later moved to Brisbane where he attended Marsden State High School and played Colts and Queensland Cup rugby for the Souths Logan Magpies. Sandow received Junior representative honors when he was selected for the Queensland Under-17 & Under-19 Squads. In 2006, while in year 12 at Marsden State High School where his classmates were Israel Folau and Antonio Winterstein,^[3] Sandow was selected for the Australian Schoolboys Squad that toured Wales, England and France, where he was awarded the man-of-the-match award in the game against the British Amateur Rugby League Association (BARLA) squad.^{[citation needed]}

Sandow's first contract was signed with the Gold Coast Titans where he spent two years in the lower grades. He was touted as a first-string back-up for star NRL half-back Scott Prince but his contract was terminated in early 2008 due to poor discipline. It was later revealed through the media that Sandow's partner had given birth to their first child and he was struggling with the distance away from his partner and first-born.^[4]

South Sydney Rabbitohs

Sandow's junior rep performance had not gone unnoticed and South Sydney's recruitment manager Mark Hughes signed Sandow to a minor $30,000 contract with the club.^[4] Sandow began playing in the National Youth Competition for the Rabbitohs squad from the beginning of the 2008 season. In June 2008, the team's star half-back Craig Wing suffered a near season-ending injury and Sandow was named to replace him in the Rabbitohs’ NRL team. At the time Sandow was to make his debut the club was sitting at the bottom of the ladder after having slumped to 11 losses from 12 matches.

In Round 13 during the 2008 season, Sandow made his first-grade debut against the Warriors in Auckland, New Zealand at Mt. Smart Stadium. On debut, Sandow kicked the game-sealing field goal in the dying seconds of the match to record Souths second victory of the season, defeating the Warriors 35-28. This marked the first time since 1999 the Rabbitohs had beaten the Warriors. In the following match, Sandow scored his first NRL career try against the Gold Coast Titans helping his side to a tight 24-23 victory that saw them come off the bottom of the table for the first time all season. Sandows fairy-tale start to the NRL continued a week later in Round 16, when after trailing 28-4 to the North Queensland Cowboys and coming back to level the scores at 28-28, he kicked the game-winning field goal to win 29-28 in what became the second biggest comeback victory in the history of the National Rugby League.

Sandow training with the Indigenous Dreamtime team

Sandow finished his debut season in the NRL by winning the 2008 Dally M Award Rookie of the Year Award.^[5] He was recognised in the Toyota Cup Team of the Year as the starting half-back and received the inaugural George Green Medal for the Indigenous Rising Star of 2008.^[6]

Sandow earned selection in the Dreamtime team, the Indigenous Australian team that defeated New Zealand Maori 34-26 in a curtain raiser game at the 2008 Rugby League World Cup opening ceremony in October.^[7]

Parramatta Eels

Sandow has signed a four-year deal with the Parramatta Eels reportedly worth between $1.6 and $2.2 million. Sandow stated that the reason he was leaving was to ensure his children are well provided for in the future.

Awards and accolades

• 2008: Peter Moore Award - Dally M Rookie of the Year
• 2008: George Green Medal for the Indigenous Rising Star of 2008
• 2008: Toyota Cup Halfback of the Year

References

External links

• South Sydney Rabbitohs profile