Geoff Toovey

Despite giving away size and weight to almost every player on the football field, the champion halfback-turned-hooker rose to the position of Manly, NSW and Australian Test captain in an inspirational career. A local junior who finished his career as the longest serving captain in Manly’s history, Toovey’s schoolboy good looks and diminutive frame often attracted heavy-handed treatment from opposing players. He made his first grade debut in 1988 against Great Britain in the Lions’ tour match won by Manly, 20-0, at Brookvale Oval. The following seasons saw him play above himself at club level. After making his State of Origin debut in 1990 he was selected on the first Australian Tour of Papua New Guinea (1991) - appearing in four matches including both Tests. Named Manly captain in 1993, the year started badly when he suffered a broken jaw in a trial match against Auckland in NZ. A total knee reconstruction then put his 1994 campaign on hold but he returned to his best form to lead Manly into the semi-finals. Although he missed out on the Kangaroo Tour that year Toovey’s ‘never-say-die’ attitude was exactly what was needed by the embattled ARL during the Super League war. After securing the halfback role in the third State of Origin match in 1995 Toovey played in all three Test victories against NZ. After the disappointing loss to C’bury in the grand final he was selected in Australia’s World Cup squad and was captain Brad Fittler’s halfback partner in the 16-8 win against Great Britain in the final. 1996 proved to be a watershed year for the popular Sea Eagle captain – playing for NSW in all three wins, starring in an Australian team that defeated Fiji 84-14, leading Manly to a 20-8 win in the grand final, winning the Clive Churchill Medal for best and fairest player and, finally, captaining Australia in the 52-6 thrashing of Papua New Guinea at Port Moresby in October. In 1997 Toovey returned from a double hernia operation in the off-season to captain NSW to a 2-1 win in the State of Origin series before representing Australia again in the one-off Test against Rest of the World. Playing half, five-eighth and hooker during a season in which he passed 200 first grade games, the season ended with a jolt when he was accidentally stomped on the face in the 22-18 loss to Newcastle in the grand final. A renowned tackler with the ability to scurry out of the ruck area, Toovey shifted to hooker in Australia’s ANZac Test loss in the unified NRL season in 1998 and was used in this role in NSW’s unsuccessful State of Origin campaign (he was ruled unfit with the flu on the morning of the third and deciding match of the series). By the following year he was regularly playing hooker at club level and was named the inaugural captain of the newly merged N’Eagles at the end of the year. Although he made a welcome return to the State of Origin arena in 2000 Toovey was overlooked for Australia’s World Cup squad at year’s end. The little tyro finally called it quits at the conclusion of the 2001 season – bringing an end to the career of one of the game’s most courageous players.