Sid Deane
Encyclopedia
Sid Deane was a foundation Australian rugby league
player. He was a Centre for the Australia national team. He played in 5 Tests between 1908 and 1914. In 1914 he became the ninth Australian national captain and the first from the North Sydney Club
.
, he commenced his footballing career with Norths rugby union. He was present at the North Sydney School of Arts in 1907 for the meeting which founded the North Sydney Bears
. He was elected onto the players committee and played at five-eighth in the inaugural round of rugby league matches played in Sydney on 20 April 1908.
Following his appearances for Australia on the inaugural Kangaroo tour of England in 1908 several English clubs made offers for him to stay and he reached agreement with the Oldham
. For the next four seasons he featured in a star-studded team including Arthur Anlezark
, Kangaroo Tom McCabe and English representatives James "Jim" Lomas
, Alf Wood and Albert Avery
. Oldham were Championship finalists for each of those four years and won in 1910 and 1911 with Deane as captain.
He had further seasons with North Sydney from 1912 to 1914, then returned to England to play with Hull for two seasons 1915-1916. He finished his career with North Sydney in 1919.
In August, 2006 Deane was named in the North Sydney Bears' Team of the Century.
in the first Ashes Test on 22 November 1908.
Following Deane's return from the English competition in 1912 he again represented New South Wales against touring New Zealand and English sides.
During the 1914 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand
Deane captained the Kangaroos in all three Ashes Tests. Australia won the second Test in July 1914 12-7. This was the first rugby league Test played at the Sydney Cricket Ground
and the first Australian home victory against the English.
and their son, Bob went on to represent Australia in 1954, and both he and another nephew Jack played for Norths as well.
After retirement he helped run the family sports store and billiards room in North Sydney and was an SP bookmaker in later life.
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. He was a Centre for the Australia national team. He played in 5 Tests between 1908 and 1914. In 1914 he became the ninth Australian national captain and the first from the North Sydney Club
North Sydney Bears
The North Sydney Bears are an Australian rugby league football club based in North Sydney, New South Wales. They currently compete in the New South Wales Cup, having exited the National Rugby League following the 1999 NRL season after 92 years of top-grade competition. The Bears are based on...
.
Club career
Born in North SydneyNorth Sydney, New South Wales
North Sydney is a suburb and commercial district on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. North Sydney is located 3 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of North Sydney...
, he commenced his footballing career with Norths rugby union. He was present at the North Sydney School of Arts in 1907 for the meeting which founded the North Sydney Bears
North Sydney Bears
The North Sydney Bears are an Australian rugby league football club based in North Sydney, New South Wales. They currently compete in the New South Wales Cup, having exited the National Rugby League following the 1999 NRL season after 92 years of top-grade competition. The Bears are based on...
. He was elected onto the players committee and played at five-eighth in the inaugural round of rugby league matches played in Sydney on 20 April 1908.
Following his appearances for Australia on the inaugural Kangaroo tour of England in 1908 several English clubs made offers for him to stay and he reached agreement with the Oldham
Oldham Roughyeds
Oldham Roughyeds is an English professional rugby league club based in Oldham, Greater Manchester. They currently play in the Championship One. Oldham is one of the original twenty-two rugby clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895....
. For the next four seasons he featured in a star-studded team including Arthur Anlezark
Arthur Anlezark
Ernest Arthur "George" Anlezark , also went by 'Alec', was an Australian rugby league and rugby union player - a dual-code rugby international....
, Kangaroo Tom McCabe and English representatives James "Jim" Lomas
James Lomas (rugby league)
James Lomas was a pioneering English rugby league footballer of the early 20th century. Hailing from Maryport, Cumberland, his career lasted for twenty-four years from 1899 to 1923. A three-quarter and prominent goal-kicker, Lomas captained the Great Britain national rugby league team.Lomas was...
, Alf Wood and Albert Avery
Albert Avery
Albert E. Avery was an English professional rugby league footballer of the 1900s and '10s who at representative level played for Great Britain, and England, and at club level for Oldham, playing at , or /, i.e...
. Oldham were Championship finalists for each of those four years and won in 1910 and 1911 with Deane as captain.
He had further seasons with North Sydney from 1912 to 1914, then returned to England to play with Hull for two seasons 1915-1916. He finished his career with North Sydney in 1919.
In August, 2006 Deane was named in the North Sydney Bears' Team of the Century.
Representative career
He made his representative debut for New South Wales in May 1908 against the New Zealand "All Golds" and later that year for a NSW side against the NZ Maori. In July Deane was selected in the Pioneer Kangaroo side to tour England and made his international debut in the centres alongside Dally MessengerDally Messenger
Herbert Henry "Dally" Messenger was an Australian rugby union and rugby league footballer, recognised as one of the greatest ever players in either code. Messenger, or 'The Master' as he was dubbed, represented his country in both rugby football codes, playing two rugby union tests and seven...
in the first Ashes Test on 22 November 1908.
Following Deane's return from the English competition in 1912 he again represented New South Wales against touring New Zealand and English sides.
During the 1914 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand
1914 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand
The 1914 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand was the British national rugby league team's second ever tour of Australasia, where it was winter and matches were played against the Australian and New Zealand national sides, as well as several local teams...
Deane captained the Kangaroos in all three Ashes Tests. Australia won the second Test in July 1914 12-7. This was the first rugby league Test played at the Sydney Cricket Ground
Sydney Cricket Ground
The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...
and the first Australian home victory against the English.
After football
Deane's wider family contributed to the development of rugby league in Australia. His brothers Os and Lal both played for North Sydney. Os represented New South Wales and Lal became a first grade and representative level referee. Deane's sister married his North Sydney and Australia team-mate Con SullivanCon Sullivan
Con Sullivan was a New Zealand international rugby league footballer of the early twentieth century who played for various Australasian representative sides.-Playing career:...
and their son, Bob went on to represent Australia in 1954, and both he and another nephew Jack played for Norths as well.
After retirement he helped run the family sports store and billiards room in North Sydney and was an SP bookmaker in later life.
Matches played
| Team | Matches | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Club | ||
| North Sydney | 35 | 1908–1919 |
| Australia (Tests) | 5 | 1908–1914 |
Sources
- Whiticker, Alan (2004) Captaining the Kangaroos, New Holland, Sydney
- Andrews, Malcolm (2006) The ABC of Rugby League, Austn Broadcasting Corpn, Sydney