Paul Roberts is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. He played for South Sydney in the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) competition. He also played for

Blackpool Borough Blackpool Borough was a rugby league club based in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, that played in the Rugby Football League from 1954 until 1993. The club moved to Wigan in 1987 and was renamed Springfield Borough; to Chorley in 1988 and was ...

and Swinton in England.

Playing career

Roberts made his first grade debut for South Sydney in round 10 of the 1986 against the Canberra Raiders at Seiffert Oval. At the end of the 1986 season, South Sydney finished in second place on the table. Roberts played in the club's major preliminary finals defeat against Canterbury-Bankstown. During the off seasons in Australia, Roberts played with

in England between 1986 and 1987. Roberts was an integral part of the South Sydney team and in 1989 he played 21 games as the club won the minor premiership. Roberts played in South Sydney's preliminary final defeat against the Canberra Raiders at the

Sydney Football Stadium The Sydney Football Stadium, commercially known as Allianz Stadium and previously Aussie Stadium, was a football stadium in Moore Park, Sydney, Australia. Built in 1988 next to the Sydney Cricket Ground, the stadium was Sydney's premier rect ...

. In 1990, Roberts played no first grade games for Souths and only managed one appearance for the reserve grade team. This was mainly due to an off-field incident which happened in 1989 when Roberts was glassed in the eye during an altercation at a local pub. In 2013 Roberts recalled the incident saying “There were two guys, big fellas, laying into my cousin. So, you know, whaddya do?, I’ve gone running in to help but, as I did, one of them turned and glassed me. Drove it right into my face". Roberts departed South Sydney at the end of the 1991 season after the club finished 14th on the table. Roberts made a total of 126 appearances for Souths across all grades. After leaving Souths, Roberts again played in England but this time for Swinton. Roberts left Swinton after only spending one season at the club.

References

Place of birth missing (living people) Living people 1962 births South Sydney Rabbitohs players Swinton Lions players Blackpool Borough players Rugby league centres Rugby league second-rows Australian rugby league players Australian expatriate sportspeople in England {{Australia-rugbyleague-bio-1960s-stub