Nik Kosef

Versatile Cobar junior came to Manly in 1992 and was originally a lock/five-eighth. Kosef impressed with a rugged, all-purpose ability as a ball-player and tough defender. After an injury-ridden 1994 season he was one of the few Manly forwards who could hold his head high after the 17-4 loss to C’bury in the 1995 grand final. Kosef earned his place in Australia’s World Cup squad at the end of the year and played in four Tests including the 16-8 win against Great Britain in the final. The following year he played an important role as five-eighth in Manly’s grand final win against St George and represented Australia in the one-off Test against Papua-New Guinea at the end of the year. Although he did not make his State of Origin debut until 1997 Kosef’s good form saw him chosen as a reserve in Australia’s ANZac Test loss in April 1998. The ensuing seasons saw his career wracked with injury, including four knee injuries that limited his appearances with the merged N’Eagles club to just 10 matches in two years. After sorting out a contract dispute with the embattled club Kosef made his long-awaited return in 2002 but could not come to terms when Manly took over the club the following year and he retired.