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Merv 'Pale Whale' Hicks

Coaching Career

Vital Statistics

Nickname(s)
Pale Whale
Born
Wednesday, 15th December, 1943
Current Age
82 years and 106 days
Place Of Birth
Crosskeys, Caerphilly, Wales

Known Family Links

Grandson
Harry Hayes

Biography

Former Great Britain Test prop, an aggressive force on the football field, played in C’bury's 1967 grand final loss to Souths. Hicks actually played the 1970 pre-season competition with Norths but his contract was ruled to be invalid and he returned to C’bury. He finally made it to Norths in 1971, captain-coaching the club following the departure of high-profile English coach Roy Francis. Hicks later captain-coached Bowral after leaving Sydney in 1973.
- ALAN WHITICKER

Coaching Career Statistics

All statistics shown in this section are based only on data available in the RLP database, and are not necessarily a complete and/or 100% accurate representation of a player's career. This information should be used as a guide only. If you see a question mark (?), it denotes that the figure is not available.

To view a list of corresponding matches, click on the List button.

Tour Matches Southern Division - 1 0 1 0 0.00% List
Club Career - Australia     Games W L D Win %  
NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) - 44 12 30 2 27.27% List
Preseason Cup - 4 3 1 0 75.00% List
Endeavour Cup - 3 1 2 0 33.33% List
Overall     Games W L D Win %  
First Class 49 15 32 2 30.61% List

Australia - By Team

Team Years   Games W L D Win %  
Southern Division 1978   1 0 1 0 0.00% List

NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) - By Year

Team Season   Games W L D Win %  
North Sydney NSWRFL 1971   22 5 16 1 22.73% List
North Sydney NSWRFL 1972   22 7 14 1 31.82% List

NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) - By Team

Team Years   Games W L D Win %  
North Sydney 1971-72   44 12 30 2 27.27% List

Your Say

  • Anonymous
    14 Dec 2011 10:49pm

    Coached the Junee Diesels in Group 9 during the 1995 season.

  • The Defenstrator
    10 May 2012 1:36pm

    The uber-burly Hicks was affectionately known as the "Pale Whale" during his stints with Canterbury and Nth Sydney.

  • Julie
    25 Apr 2015 5:23pm

    After finishing with North Sydney, he went back to England with his family and played with Hull,commentators saying he was playing the best football of his career.Returning to Captain coach Bowral in the late seventies.

  • Julie hicks
    19 May 2015 7:49pm

    Dad went back to England and played for hull while running many pubs in Yorkshire with his wife and family, went to bow real in 1977

  • Anonymous
    17 Aug 2015 8:28am

    Went back to England after the Bears and played fo Hull.

  • Anonymous
    17 Dec 2020 1:30pm

    I believe he was Captain-coach of Orange CYMS in Group 10 NSW in 1973 as I played League with his son Paul in 1973

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Contributions: Tony McCarron, Greg Fiveash, Andrew Ferguson, Rugby League Tables, Paul Carter, Max Turner, Shawn Dollin, Alan Katzmann