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Phil 'Spider' Mann

  • Playing Career

Playing Career

Vital Statistics

Full Name
Phil John Mann
Nickname(s)
Spider
Born
Friday, 16th October, 1953
Current Age
72 years and 166 days
Place Of Birth
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Honours & Awards

Based only on data available in the RLP database. This information should be used as a guide only.

NSWRFL Premiership (NRL)
1981

Known Family Links

Father
Bruce Mann

Biography

At over 2m in height, Phil 'Spider' Mann was the tallest player in the game during the 1970s. At his most effective when in top stride, Mann was one of the club's best players during the series of sudden death play-offs to decide the final five semi-finalists in 1975. Although dropped from the Eels’ 1976 grand final team, he was called into first grade and played in the historic 1977 grand final draw against St George when five-eighth John Peard withdrew. Mann left the club in 1983 to play in the country and later coached Port Macquarie to three straight premierships in the Group 3 competition.
- ALAN WHITICKER

Playing 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.

Club Career - Australia   Comp Wins App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) 1 60 20 -   - 60 34 24 2 56.67% List
NSWRFL Finals - 4 - -   - - 2 1 1 50.00% List
Preseason Cup - 5 - -   - - 3 2 0 60.00% List
Midweek Cup - 7 2 -   - 6 4 3 0 57.14% List
Overall   App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
First Class 72 22 -   - 66 43 30 3 59.72% List

NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) - By Year

Team Season   App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Parramatta NSWRFL 1974   15 4 -   - 12 3 12 0 20.00% List
Parramatta NSWRFL 1975   18 4 -   - 12 11 7 0 61.11% List
Parramatta NSWRFL 1976   10 4 -   - 12 7 2 1 70.00% List
Parramatta NSWRFL 1977   4 2 -   - 6 3 0 1 75.00% List
Parramatta NSWRFL 1978   9 6 -   - 18 6 3 0 66.67% List
Parramatta NSWRFL 1980   1 - -   - - 1 0 0 100.00% List
Parramatta NSWRFL 1981   3 - -   - - 3 0 0 100.00% List

NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) - By Team

Team Years   App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Parramatta 1974-78, 1980-81   60 20 -   - 60 34 24 2 56.67% List

Your Say

  • Jon Fitzgerald
    22 Dec 2011 11:49am

    Loved watching him play - not many new but he was the highest paid player in the history of rugby league - hard to believe?

  • bob
    15 Mar 2015 2:48pm

    I have a Rugby League Week headline page I picked up from a newsagency back in maybe 1976..." Mann- Selectors Split!" I believe it was all about when Phil Mann was dropped for the 1976 Grand Final. If anyone is definite out there let me know... What a great player...with such a big stride everyone struggled to tackle him...Next time I am in Port Macquarie I might have to hunt down Phil Mann and get my piece of footy history signed by the great man know as Spider.

  • Darren Haywood
    7 May 2017 7:32pm

    Read a old footy card years ago and it had his height at 203cm

  • Graeme Holland
    2 May 2020 7:41pm

    I played with him at High School. He was a phenomenal schoolboy footballer. I then ran into him when I moved my family to the Hastings.
    Legend.

  • Ed
    28 Jan 2024 4:59pm

    Also played with Mudgee Dragons alongside former eels team mate Ron Hilditch.

  • Ed
    27 Apr 2024 7:48pm

    Junior club was Cabramatta.

  • Anonymous
    20 Sep 2024 9:16pm

    I'm glenn Johnston I played for Kincumber colts in the central coast Phil mann played for doyalson I tried to tackle him he carried me on his back three quarters of the field to score under the posts to the laughter of the crowd that guy was unstoppable the only way would have been to trip him

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