Larry O'Malley
Encyclopedia
Larry 'Jersey' O'Malley (1883 – 1967) was an Australia
n rugby league
player for the Eastern Suburbs
club. He was the fifth Australian rugby league
captain and the second from the Eastern Suburbs Club.
Before switching codes and joining the Eastern Suburbs club in rugby league's foundation year, 1908, O'Malley played rugby union firstly for the East Borough and then the Sydney Rugby Union Clubs in 1906-07.
O'Malley had a reputation as a tough 'no nonsense' forward. He made his representative debut for New South Wales
in rugby league's inaugural interstate match in 1908. Later that year he was selected for Australia
's first 'Kangaroo Tour
'. He played in 34 matches including all three Tests and was sent off twice in matches on the tour. His 34 game effort stands as the record for the most matches played on a Kangaroo tour. The following season he captained Australia in two Test Matches against New Zealand
.
During the 1908 'Kangaroo Tour
' O'Malley signed with the English
club, Warrington
for the 1910 English season. He returned to Australia and enjoying successive premierships with the Eastern Suburbs
club in 1911, 1912 and 1913. He was also a member of the Eastern Suburbs side that won the City Cup
in 1914.
O'Malley retired from playing the game at the end of the 1914 season but went on to become a first grade referee.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
player for the Eastern Suburbs
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
club. He was the fifth Australian rugby league
Australian Rugby League
The Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...
captain and the second from the Eastern Suburbs Club.
Before switching codes and joining the Eastern Suburbs club in rugby league's foundation year, 1908, O'Malley played rugby union firstly for the East Borough and then the Sydney Rugby Union Clubs in 1906-07.
O'Malley had a reputation as a tough 'no nonsense' forward. He made his representative debut for New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
in rugby league's inaugural interstate match in 1908. Later that year he was selected for Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
's first 'Kangaroo Tour
Kangaroo Tour
Kangaroo Tour is the name given to Australian national rugby league team tours of Great Britain and France. The first Kangaroo Tour was in 1908. Traditionally, Kangaroo Tours took place every four years and involved a three-Test Ashes series against Great Britain and a number of tour matches...
'. He played in 34 matches including all three Tests and was sent off twice in matches on the tour. His 34 game effort stands as the record for the most matches played on a Kangaroo tour. The following season he captained Australia in two Test Matches against New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Kangaroo Tour
Kangaroo Tour is the name given to Australian national rugby league team tours of Great Britain and France. The first Kangaroo Tour was in 1908. Traditionally, Kangaroo Tours took place every four years and involved a three-Test Ashes series against Great Britain and a number of tour matches...
' O'Malley signed with the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
club, Warrington
Warrington
Warrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
for the 1910 English season. He returned to Australia and enjoying successive premierships with the Eastern Suburbs
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
club in 1911, 1912 and 1913. He was also a member of the Eastern Suburbs side that won the City Cup
City Cup
The City Cup was a rugby league competition involving Australian premiership teams. The post season tournament was a regular feature in the years 1912 - 1925. City Cups were also played in 1937, 1942 and 1959....
in 1914.
O'Malley retired from playing the game at the end of the 1914 season but went on to become a first grade referee.
Playing record
- Club: Eastern SuburbsSydney RoostersThe Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
1908-09 and 1911–14) 62 games, 4 tries - Representative: Australia (1908–09) 5 Tests, and New South Wales (1908–13) 9 appearances.
Sources
- Whiticker, Alan (2004) Captaining the Kangaroos, New Holland, Sydney