Playing Career
Vital Statistics
- Full Name
- Johnny William Greaves
- Born
- Saturday, 8th May, 1943
- Current Age
- 82 years and 326 days
- Place Of Birth
- Portland, New South Wales, Australia
Honours & Awards
Based only on data available in the RLP database. This information should be used as a guide only.
- The Ashes
- 1966, 1967/1968
- World Cup
- 1968
- Test Series
- Australia vs New Zealand 1967
- Interstate Series
- 1966, 1967, 1968
- City vs Country Firsts
- 1967, 1968
- NSWRFL Premiership (NRL)
- 1962, 1963
- Preseason Cup
- 1963
Biography
St George junior left the star-studded club in the early 1960s for the chance to play first grade with C’bury. After playing for NSW in 1966, Greaves was chosen in the final two Tests against Great Britain. The following year, C’bury knocked the Dragons out of the final and after playing in the grand final loss to Souths Greaves was selected to tour with the Kangaroos. He played 14 matches on tour, including two Tests against Great Britain and another two against France, and Test partner Reg Gasnier later rated him one of the best centres with whom he had ever played. After missing the 1969 season, Greaves made a great comeback from knee injury to captain C’bury into the 1970 semi-finals. He departed the club in 1972 for the opportunity to captain-coach Campbelltown and represented Country Firsts the following year - partnering a young player named Mick Cronin in the centres.
- 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.
| Representative Career - International | Comp Wins | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests (Senior International Matches) | - | 12 | 5 | - | - | 15 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 75.00% | List | ||||
| The Ashes | 2 | 4 | - | - | - | - | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| World Cup | 1 | 4 | 2 | - | - | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| Tour Matches | St George Dragons | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
| Tour Matches | Australia | - | 20 | 8 | - | - | 24 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 70.00% | List | |||
| Tour Matches | New South Wales Firsts | - | 1 | 2 | - | - | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
| Tour Matches | New South Wales Country Firsts | - | 2 | - | 2 | - | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
| Test Series | 3 | 8 | 3 | - | - | 9 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 62.50% | List | ||||
| Representative Career - Australia | Comp Wins | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Interstate Series | 3 | 7 | 5 | - | - | 15 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 71.43% | List | ||||
| City vs Country Firsts | 2 | 3 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67% | List | ||||
| Club Career - Australia | Comp Wins | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) | 2 | 133 | 51 | 27 | - | 207 | 74 | 56 | 3 | 55.64% | List | ||||
| NSWRFL Finals | - | 5 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 3 | 0 | 40.00% | List | ||||
| Preseason Cup | 1 | 21 | 7 | - | - | 21 | 8 | 11 | 2 | 38.10% | List | ||||
| Midweek Cup | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| Endeavour Cup | - | 3 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67% | List | ||||
| Overall | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||||
| First Class | 189 | 71 | 29 | - | 271 | 128 | 80 | 10 | 67.72% | List | |||||
Test Matches - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Australia | 1966-68 | 12 | 5 | - | - | 15 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 75.00% | List | ||||
World Cup Matches - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| Australia | 1966-1968 | 4 | 2 | - | - | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
Australia - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| NSW City Seconds | 1965-66 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.00% | List | ||||
| NSW Firsts | 1966-68 | 7 | 5 | - | - | 15 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 71.43% | List | ||||
| NSW City Firsts | 1967-68 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| Sydney Firsts | 1970 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| NSW Country Firsts | 1973-74 | 3 | - | 2 | - | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67% | List | ||||
| Southern Division | 1974 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| Overall | 1965-1974 | 16 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 75.00% | List | ||||
NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) - By Year | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Season | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| St George | NSWRFL 1962 | 9 | 10 | - | - | 30 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 55.56% | List | ||||
| St George | NSWRFL 1963 | 12 | 3 | - | - | 9 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 66.67% | List | ||||
| Canterbury | NSWRFL 1964 | 9 | 3 | - | - | 9 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 11.11% | List | ||||
| Canterbury | NSWRFL 1965 | 12 | 4 | - | - | 12 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 41.67% | List | ||||
| Canterbury | NSWRFL 1966 | 13 | 6 | - | - | 18 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 53.85% | List | ||||
| Canterbury | NSWRFL 1967 | 18 | 2 | - | - | 6 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 77.78% | List | ||||
| Canterbury | NSWRFL 1968 | 15 | 3 | - | - | 9 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 46.67% | List | ||||
| Canterbury | NSWRFL 1970 | 11 | 4 | - | - | 12 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 54.55% | List | ||||
| Canterbury | NSWRFL 1971 | 13 | 3 | - | - | 9 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 69.23% | List | ||||
| Canterbury | NSWRFL 1972 | 21 | 13 | 27 | - | 93 | 12 | 9 | 0 | 57.14% | List | ||||
NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) - By Team | |||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
| St George | 1962-63 | 21 | 13 | - | - | 39 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 61.90% | List | ||||
| Canterbury | 1964-68, 1970-72 | 112 | 38 | 27 | - | 168 | 61 | 50 | 1 | 54.46% | List | ||||
| Overall | 1962-1972 | 133 | 51 | 27 | 0 | 207 | 74 | 56 | 3 | 55.64% | List | ||||
Contributions:
Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson, Greg Fiveash, Rugby League Tables, Paul Carter, Alan Katzmann, Tony McCarron, Max Turner, Wests Archives, AJ Lucantonio, Tim Costello
Your Say
15/08/2020
I remember him as a very good player. I admired his size, speed and ability to step. He and John McDonald from Toowoomba were my favourite centres from that era.They Really played well and came into their own in the 67 Kangaroo team.
AJT
29/04/2023
A fast and strong Dragons centre but had too many centres rated above him in the early 60’s. Still was sad to see him leave our great club.
17/05/2025
6th inductee into the Canterbury Hall of Fame in 2025.
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