Playing Career
Vital Statistics
- Full Name
- Leslie Gordon Cowie
- Nickname(s)
- Chicka
- Born
- Sunday, 17th May, 1925
- Died
- Saturday, 20th May, 1995 (Aged 70 years and 3 days)
- Place Of Birth
- Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia
Honours & Awards
Based only on data available in the RLP database. This information should be used as a guide only.
- The Ashes
- 1950
- Interstate Series
- 1948, 1949, 1950, 1953, 1954
- City vs Country Firsts
- 1948, 1949, 1951, 1954, 1956
- NSWRFL Premiership (NRL)
- 1950, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955
Biography
Rockhampton's 'Chicka' Cowie, who put his age up in order to join the Army in 1942, joined Souths after playing in the Service teams during the war. In 1948, the dynamic lock represented NSW and toured with the Kangaroos (scoring 10 tries in 20 minor games) but had to wait until the following year against NZ to make his Test debut. Arguably his greatest moment came against Great Britain in 1950 when he was a member of Australia’s Third Test team that recaptured the Ashes after 30 years. Souths also won the premiership that year and Cowie went on to play an integral role in the great Rabbitohs teams of the 1950s. A demon tackler and effective blind-side attacking player, Cowie played in the 1950 final, 1951 grand final and consecutive victories over Newtown in 1954-55. Despite his team losing, 36-33, his four tries in the 1956 final against Balmain was a reflection of his positional ability. His final Test match was against NZ in 1953 and when his playing career ended in 1958, the loyal clubman continued on as a Souths selector before progressing to the Australian selection panel in 1978.
- ALAN WHITICKER
Additional Notes
Served in World War II as a private with the Australian Infantry. He put his age up so as to get enlisted. He served in the Pacific Islands. He playes in the Service teams during the war.
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.
| Representative Career - International | Comp Wins | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests (Senior International Matches) | - | 7 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 57.14% | List | ||||
| Other International Matches | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| The Ashes | 1 | 3 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67% | List | ||||
| Tour Matches | New South Wales Firsts | - | 8 | 3 | - | - | 9 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 62.50% | List | |||
| Tour Matches | Australia | - | 36 | 16 | - | - | 48 | 26 | 10 | 0 | 72.22% | List | |||
| Tour Matches | Sydney Firsts | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.00% | List | |||
| Test Series | 1 | 6 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 50.00% | List | ||||
| Representative Career - Australia | Comp Wins | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Interstate Series | 5 | 10 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 70.00% | List | ||||
| City vs Country Firsts | 5 | 5 | 4 | - | - | 12 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| Country Carnival | - | 5 | 2 | 1 | - | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| Club Career - Australia | Comp Wins | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) | 5 | 176 | 66 | - | - | 198 | 121 | 50 | 5 | 68.75% | List | ||||
| NSWRFL Finals | - | 17 | 13 | - | - | 39 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 70.59% | List | ||||
| Overall | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||||
| First Class | 234 | 90 | - | - | 270 | 184 | 76 | 7 | 78.63% | List | |||||
Test Matches - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Australia | 1948-50, 1953 | 7 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 57.14% | List | ||||
International Matches - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Australia | 1948-1949 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
Australia - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| NSW City Seconds | 1947-48, 1952-53 | 4 | - | - | - | - | 3 | 1 | 0 | 75.00% | List | ||||
| Possibles (AU) | 1948, 1952 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| NSW Firsts | 1948-51, 1953-54 | 15 | 4 | - | - | 12 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 60.00% | List | ||||
| NSW City Firsts | 1948-49, 1951, 1954, 1956 | 5 | 4 | - | - | 12 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| Sydney Firsts | 1951-53 | 4 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 75.00% | List | ||||
| Probables (AU) | 1954 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| Overall | 1947-1956 | 31 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 23 | 6 | 2 | 74.19% | List | ||||
NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) - By Year | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Season | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| South Sydney | NSWRFL 1947 | 18 | 6 | - | - | 18 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 50.00% | List | ||||
| South Sydney | NSWRFL 1948 | 9 | 3 | - | - | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 44.44% | List | ||||
| South Sydney | NSWRFL 1949 | 18 | 10 | - | - | 30 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 66.67% | List | ||||
| South Sydney | NSWRFL 1950 | 13 | 6 | - | - | 18 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 84.62% | List | ||||
| South Sydney | NSWRFL 1951 | 19 | 5 | - | - | 15 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 84.21% | List | ||||
| South Sydney | NSWRFL 1952 | 15 | 9 | - | - | 27 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 66.67% | List | ||||
| South Sydney | NSWRFL 1953 | 12 | 3 | - | - | 9 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 75.00% | List | ||||
| South Sydney | NSWRFL 1954 | 20 | 10 | - | - | 30 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 80.00% | List | ||||
| South Sydney | NSWRFL 1955 | 20 | 5 | - | - | 15 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 70.00% | List | ||||
| South Sydney | NSWRFL 1956 | 15 | 9 | - | - | 27 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 53.33% | List | ||||
| South Sydney | NSWRFL 1957 | 17 | - | - | - | - | 12 | 5 | 0 | 70.59% | List | ||||
NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| South Sydney | 1947-57 | 176 | 66 | - | - | 198 | 121 | 50 | 5 | 68.75% | List | ||||
Contributions:
Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson, Max Turner, Greg Fiveash, Rugby League Tables, Paul Carter, Alan Katzmann, Michael Borg, Wests Archives, Tony McCarron, Jason Ganter, Bill Bates, AJ Lucantonio, Tim Costello
Your Say
18/03/2014
What a fantastic player of the game of Rugby League.
A most humble and generous man. He gave his life back to the game of Rugby League.
A pity a few more of the current day players do not model their Rugby League careers on the gentlemen of this era.
17/04/2018
Leslie Gordon Cowie passed away on the 20th May, 1995 aged 70 years and 3 days, not the 25th May 1995 as stated. His funeral was on the 25th May 1995.
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