Michael Platt
Encyclopedia
Michael Platt is a 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 who plays for Bradford Bulls, he joined the Bulls in 2007 on a 2 year contract, which was extended during the 2008 season until 2011. Platt's 1st choice position is Full Back but he has been more effective at Centre for Bulls winning the rugby league world centre of the month for August.

Early career

Platt started his career at the Salford City Reds
Salford City Reds
Salford City Reds are an English rugby league club based in Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1873, they currently play in the Super League. They have won six Rugby Football League Championships and one Challenge Cup...

, making his début in Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...

 against the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts...

 in the final game of the 2001 season at just 17. However he never quite made the grade and was released by the club.

Michael then signed for the Rochdale Hornets
Rochdale Hornets
Rochdale Hornets RLFC is an English professional rugby league club from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. They currently play in Championship One...

. His impressive début season was somewhat blighted by a broken jaw, although he did go on to win the National League's Young Player Of The Year award in 2004.

Castleford

Michael then joined the Castleford Tigers
Castleford Tigers
Castleford Tigers are a professional rugby league club based in Castleford in West Yorkshire, England. They participate in the professional European competition Super League. They are sometimes known as 'Cas', 'Cas Tigers', 'Classy Cas' or the 'Black & Amber'...

, and helped the Tigers gain promotion in 2005. The subsequent Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...

 season was difficult in a squad which lacked quality, but Platt still managed to score 7 tries. However after a heartbreaking 29-17 defeat against Wakefield in the final game of the season, Castleford were relegated.

Bradford

Platt joined the Bradford Bulls in 2007 after a dispute between Platt and Castleford over his availability. His first season started well and he topped the try-scorers league for a number of weeks at the start of the season. He extended in contract on 2011 for a further 2 years.

International

Platt is an Irish
Ireland national rugby league team
The Ireland national rugby league team, known as the Wolfhounds, represent the island of Ireland in rugby league football. The team is organized by Rugby League Ireland and are accredited as an affiliate member of the Rugby League International Federation...

 international. He was overlooked by Tony Smith for Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....

 and this has been seen to be due to his allegiance to Ireland
Ireland national rugby league team
The Ireland national rugby league team, known as the Wolfhounds, represent the island of Ireland in rugby league football. The team is organized by Rugby League Ireland and are accredited as an affiliate member of the Rugby League International Federation...

 for the World Cup 2008
2008 Rugby League World Cup
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, and the first since the 2000 event...

 in Australia, and the continuing outstanding form of Paul Wellens. However he was called up for the Great Britain Squad for the 2007 test series with New Zealand, and played at full back for the prestigious Northern Union game against All Golds in a centenary match.

He has been named in the Ireland training squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup
2008 Rugby League World Cup
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, and the first since the 2000 event...

.

He has been named in the Ireland squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup
2008 Rugby League World Cup
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, and the first since the 2000 event...

.

External links

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