Bob Lindner

Bob Lindner
Personal information
Nickname Bustling
Born 10 November 1962
Australia
Playing information
Height 180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight 94 kg (14 st 11 lb)
Position Lock, Second-row
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1983–84 Souths (Brisbane)
1985–86 Wynnum Manly
1986–88 Castleford 19 9 0 0 36
1987–88 Parramatta Eels 28 10 0 0 40
1989 Gold Coast-Tweed 10 0 0 0 0
1990–92 Western Suburbs 39 8 0 0 32
1993 Illawarra Steelers 20 4 0 0 16
1993–94 Oldham 30 10 0 0 40
Total 146 41 0 0 164
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1984–93 Queensland 25 7 0 0 28
1985–93 Australia 22 6 0 0 24
Coaching information
Club
Years Team Gms W D L W%
1995–96 South Queensland Crushers 43 9 1 33 21
Source: RLP

Bob Lindner (born 10 November 1962) is a former Australian representative rugby league player and coach. He represented his country in the sport and is one of a handful of players to be man-of-the-match in State of Origin football more than once. Fifteen years after his retirement from football in Australia, he had made the most appearances and scored the most tries of any forward in State of Origin history.

BRL

Lindner played Lock for South Brisbane Magpies from 1983–84 in the Brisbane Rugby League, playing in South's losing 1984 Grand Final team alongside Mal Meninga, Gary Belcher and Peter Jackson, In 1985 he signed with the team who had defeated Souths in the 1984 Grand Final, the Wynnum-Manly Seagulls where he played alongside Queensland and Australian captain Wally Lewis, Gene Miles, Greg Dowling and Colin Scott. Ironically, the 1985 BRL Grand Final saw Souths Magpies defeat Wynnum-Manly 10-8. Lindner won his only BRL premiership in 1986 as the Seagulls defeated Past Brothers 14-6 in the Grand Final at Lang Park.

In 1986 Lindner was first selected for the Australian national team, the last player to do so from a non-NSWRL club. Representing Australia on the 1986 Kangaroo Tour, he played in all six Tests (Papua New Guinea, Great Britain and France). Despite not having played a test before his selection, Lindner was chosen as the #1 Lock-forwad on the tour following the controversial omission of incumbent test lock Wayne Pearce. Pearce had ruptured his Anterior cruciate ligament in the third test against New Zealand at Lang Park earlier in the year, and despite a sustained rehabilitation and being declared fit by his surgeon Dr Merv Cross, was ruled out by Kangaroos team doctors following a pre-tour medical. Also not considered for selection was Lindner's Queensland team mate, Manly-Warringah lock forward Paul Vautin who had broken his arm during the 1986 NSWRL season.

NSWRL

Following his successful Kangaroo tour, Lindner signed with reigning NSWRL premiers Parramatta as a much-anticipated replacement for club captain Ray Price who had retired following the Eels 1986 Grand Final win over Canterbury-Bankstown. After 28 games in two season's for the Eels in which they failed to play finals football, Lindner signed with new team the Gold Coast Giants for the 1988 NSWRL season. It was while at the Eels that Lindner gained an unwanted (and unwarranted) reputation from fans as someone who only played at his best in representative football. Unfortunately for Lindner, the man he replaced at Parramatta (Ray Price) had long been a favourite of Eels fans for his whole-hearted performances and they were harsh critics of the Queensland back rower.

Following a stint with Castleford in England, he played against New Zealand in 1987 and Great Britain in 1988.

A broken leg in a State of Origin match in 1989 ruled Lindner out of the New Zealand tour. However after joining a young Wests side, he was named man-of-the-match in the third match of the 1990 State of Origin series and at the end of the 1990 NSWRL season, he went on the 1990 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France. His whole hearted performances for the 1990 Kangaroos saw him named the player of the tour.

Lindner suffered another broken leg injury in 1991 but made a great recovery before breaking the leg again while playing against New Zealand. 1992 saw him named man-of-the-match in the second game of the State of Origin series and during the 1992 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand, he helped Australia retain The Ashes, pushing his Test tally to 19, before playing in the World Cup final win.

Wests' salary cap problems saw him join his fourth premiership club, the Illawarra Steelers, in 1993 but after playing for Australia (against New Zealand) and Queensland (an emotional try-scoring performance in the Maroons' 24-12 game 3 win, his last game for Qld), he announced his intention to leave Australia and play abroad. Lindner's player agent, the successful Sydney businessman Michael Saad, received many offers and the following year Lindner would play in England.

England

For the 1993–94 Rugby Football League season, Lindner took over as captain-coach of Oldham[1] following the departure of fellow Australian forward, Peter Tunks and successfully averted the team's relegation to Second Division.

South Queensland Crushers

Lindner then returned to Australia and linked with the short-lived South Queensland Crushers where he was originally recruited as a player but retired in order to replace Bill Gardner as club coach in 1995–96. He stood down as coach in 1997, the Crushers' final year in the Australian Rugby League premiership.

Later years

In the year 2000 Lindner was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for his contribution to Australia's international standing in rugby league. In 2008, the year of centenary celebrations for the sport in Australia, he was named at lock in Queensland's rugby league team of the century. In June 2008, he was chosen in the Queensland Rugby League's Team of the Century at lock-forward.[2]

Lindner is currently part of the National Rugby League's judiciary panel.[3]

He has also been a qualified Optometrist since 1985. Lindner's university exams actually fell during both his debut State of Origin series in 1984, and again in 1985, causing him to have to miss team bonding sessions so he could study.

References

  1. ↑ "OLDHAM RLFC INTERNATIONAL CELEBRATION". Hall of Fame. Oldham Rugby League Heritage Trust. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  2. ↑ Ricketts, Steve (2008-06-10). "Locky named No.1 but Wal's still King". The Courier-Mail. Archived from the original on 2009-05-20. Retrieved 2009-05-20.
  3. ↑ Zillman banned for four weeks for biting AAP, 19 August 2009

External links