Jack Reardon (1914-1991) was an Australian

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 11 ...

footballer who played in the 1930s and 1940s and who later became a sports journalist. An Australian international and both a New South Wales and Queensland representative , he played club football in country New South Wales before moving to Queensland and playing in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership. He is also well known for his football journalism and being the first to suggest '

state of origin A State of Origin competition is a type of sporting event between players representing their state or territory. State of Origin began in Australian rules football on 8 October 1977 between Western Australia (WA) and Victoria, at Subiaco Ov ...

' selection rules for interstate rugby league.

Playing career

Reardon came from

Ballina, New South Wales Ballina () is a town in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia, and the seat of the Ballina Shire local government area. Ballina's urban population at June 2018 was 26,381. The town lies on the Richmond River and serves as a g ...

to play for the Marist Brothers club of the Lismore district. He achieved selection for the

New South Wales rugby league team The New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1907. Also known as the Blues due to their sky blue jerseys, the team competes in the an ...

before being lured north in 1936 to play in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership for the Norths club. In his first year in Brisbane he was selected to represent Queensland, and the following year he was named vice-captain for the 1937-38 Kangaroo Tour. He is listed on the ''Australian Players Register'' as Kangaroo No. 212. He captained his club, Norths, to a premiership in 1938 and in 1939 was named captain of Queensland. He won another premiership with Norths in 1940.

Post-playing career

Reardon later became a football journalist for Brisbane's '' Courier Mail''. He suggested the adoption of '

' selection rules as far back as 1964 but was met with derision from New South Wales. He died in 1991. For his thirty years' service as the ''Courier Mails senior rugby league writer, in 2006 he was inducted into

Suncorp Stadium Lang Park, also known as Brisbane Football Stadium, by the sponsored name Suncorp Stadium, and nicknamed: 'The Cauldron', is a multi-purpose stadium in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Milton. The current facility co ...

's Sports Media Hall of Fame. On 16 August 2008, the year of the Centenary of Rugby League, Norths Devils announced their greatest team ever, naming Reardon at centre.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reardon, Jack 1914 births 1991 deaths Australia national rugby league team players Australian rugby league journalists Australian rugby league players Ballina Seagulls captains Ballina Seagulls players New South Wales rugby league team players Norths Devils players Queensland rugby league team players Rugby league centres