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Bob Fulton
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | December 1, 1947 | |
| Place of birth | Warrington,UK, England | |
| Nickname | Bozo | |
| Professional clubs* | ||
| Years | Club | Apps (points) |
| 1966-1976 | Manly-Warringah Eastern Suburbs |
213 {129 tries} |
| Representative teams | ||
| New South Wales Australia |
||
|
* Professional club appearances and points |
||
Robert (Bob) Fulton AM (b.1947 in Warrington, England) was an Australian rugby league player of the 1960s and 1970s. He is regarded as an “Immortal” of the Australian game.
Signed to the Manly Sea Eagles by club secretary Ken Arthurson as a teenage sensation from Wollongong, he exceeded expectations. A crafty and prodigously talented centre / five-eighth, the bigger the occasion the more Bob Fulton liked it. His blinding acceleration, strength and reading of the play got him through gaps that others couldn't even imagine. A fiercely determined competitor, he would often resort to his own ingenuity and gamesmanship to turn a match - invariably it was successful.
In 1985 he was selected as one of the initial four post-war “Immortals” of the Australian game with Churchill, Raper and Gasnier.
He has racked up impressive statistics throughout his career, including playing 268 club games, scoring 147 tries, 26 goals, and 58 field goals for both Manly (club record 129 tries in 213 games from 1966 to 1976 & playing in their 1972, 1973 & 1976 premierships as a centre) and Easts and later played for Warrington (1965-79).
For New South Wales he played 16 games from 1967-78, scoring 14 tries. Representing Australia, he scored 12 tries in 20 test matches. He also played in 15 World Cup Games, 2 Internationals and 22 Tour Matches (1968-78). In 1994 Fulton was inducted as a Member of the Order of Australia.
As a coach, he led Manly to two premiership victories in 1987 and 1996 & losing grand finals in 1980(with Easts) and in 1983, 1995 & 1997 (Manly). He was also a successful national coach taking the Kangaroos on successful tours to Great Britain and France in 1990 & 1994 and to New Zealand in 1989 & 1993. He also coached Australia to world cup success at Wembley Stadium in both 1992 & 1995. He presided over the national team during its transition to dominance where the Australian side clearly had players far superior to Great Britain, France and New Zealand. Yet at times these contests were surprisingly close as Fulton-coached sides snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and set up exciting deciding matches. Ironic for a player himself so instinctive, he coached football sides to play a low risk, structured and tightly controlled style of game. In this regard he was ahead of his time and achieved a fair measure of success but thus his players often lacked the flair, imagination or initiative to take a game by the scruff of the neck and win it with a flash of brilliance.
In recent times, "Bozo" has been a selector of the New South Wales and Australian sides. He is also a member of the Continuous Call Team on Radio 2GB with Ray Hadley, Steve Roach, Darryl Brohman, Andrew Moore, and Tony Megahey.