Steve Jackson (rugby league footballer)
Encyclopedia
Steve Jackson is an Australia
n former rugby league
player. He played in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership
for the Canberra Raiders
, Western Suburbs Magpies
, and Gold Coast Seagulls.
, Jackson began playing rugby league when he was 5. Jackson made his first grade debut with Magpies Mackay before joining the Raiders in 1987. He played three years with the Raiders, making only 16 appearances, almost entirely from the bench.
Jackson is best remembered for coming from the bench to score the "iconic" try in the 1989
Grand Final. Jackson carried opposition players across on the tryline to win the match in overtime. Won by the Canberra Raiders 19-14 over Balmain Tigers
, it is considered by some to be one of the greatest ever grand finals. This was Jackson's last ever appearance for the Raiders, as he and team-mate Ivan Henjak
signed for the Magpies from 1990, Jackson quickly establishing himself in the starting team.
The same year Jackson made his debut for Queensland
in the third match of the 1990 series, again scoring the winning try. He went on to play 9 State of Origin
matches for Queensland
.
Joining the Gold Coast Seagulls for 2 seasons, he retired in 1993 due to back injury.
Since retiring Jackson has coached a number of teams in the Mackay area. The Mackay area Under-11s schoolboy challenge has been named in his honour.
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 former 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. He played in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership
New South Wales Rugby League premiership
The New South Wales Rugby League premiership was the first rugby league football club competition established in Australia. Run by the New South Wales Rugby League from 1908 until 1994, the premiership was the state's and later the country's elite rugby league competition...
for the Canberra Raiders
Canberra Raiders
The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership since 1982...
, Western Suburbs Magpies
Western Suburbs Magpies
The Western Suburbs Magpies are an Australian rugby league football club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests, as they are commonly referred to, were one of the nine foundation clubs of the first New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia...
, and Gold Coast Seagulls.
Career
Hailing from MackayMackay, Queensland
Mackay is a city on the eastern coast of Queensland, Australia, about north of Brisbane, on the Pioneer River. Mackay is nicknamed the sugar capital of Australia because its region produces more than a third of Australia's cane sugar....
, Jackson began playing rugby league when he was 5. Jackson made his first grade debut with Magpies Mackay before joining the Raiders in 1987. He played three years with the Raiders, making only 16 appearances, almost entirely from the bench.
Jackson is best remembered for coming from the bench to score the "iconic" try in the 1989
New South Wales Rugby League season 1989
The 1989 New South Wales Rugby League Premiership was the eighty-second season of professional rugby league football in Australia. Sixteen clubs competed for the J J Giltinan Shield and Winfield Cup during the season, which culminated in a grand final between the Canberra Raiders and Balmain Tigers...
Grand Final. Jackson carried opposition players across on the tryline to win the match in overtime. Won by the Canberra Raiders 19-14 over Balmain Tigers
Balmain Tigers
The Balmain Tigers are a rugby league football club based in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Balmain. They were a founding member of the New South Wales Rugby League and one of the most successful in the history of the premiership, with eleven titles...
, it is considered by some to be one of the greatest ever grand finals. This was Jackson's last ever appearance for the Raiders, as he and team-mate Ivan Henjak
Ivan Henjak
Ivan Henjak is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and former player. He was the former head coach for the Brisbane Broncos of the National Rugby League, having taken over from Wayne Bennett in 2009...
signed for the Magpies from 1990, Jackson quickly establishing himself in the starting team.
The same year Jackson made his debut for Queensland
Queensland State of Origin Team
The Queensland rugby league team have represented the Australian state of Queensland in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1908...
in the third match of the 1990 series, again scoring the winning try. He went on to play 9 State of Origin
Rugby League State of Origin
State of Origin is an annual best of three series of rugby league football matches contested by the Maroons and the Blues, who represent the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales respectively...
matches for Queensland
Queensland State of Origin Team
The Queensland rugby league team have represented the Australian state of Queensland in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1908...
.
Joining the Gold Coast Seagulls for 2 seasons, he retired in 1993 due to back injury.
Since retiring Jackson has coached a number of teams in the Mackay area. The Mackay area Under-11s schoolboy challenge has been named in his honour.