Tom Raudonikis

Playing Career

Vital Statistics

Nickname(s)
Terrific
Born
Thursday, 13th April, 1950
Died
Wednesday, 7th April, 2021 (Aged 70 years and 359 days)
Place Of Birth
Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia

Awards & Accolades

Rothmans Medal
1972
Dally M Representative Player Of The Year
1980
National Rugby League Hall Of Fame
2008
NSWRL Hall Of Fame
2019

Known Family Links

Son
Lincoln Raudonikis

Biography

Tough, tenacious ‘Tom Terrific’ never took a backward step on the football field. Originally from Cowra, the dynamic halfback came to Wests from Wagga in 1969 on the recommendation of his country coach, former NZ international centre Graham Kennedy, and the advice of Australian captain-coach Arthur Summons. Despite Wests finishing last in 1970, Raudonikis impressed with his whole-hearted efforts with the Magpies. He first played for NSW in 1971 and toured NZ with the Australian squad that year. He made the first of 20 Test appearances against the Kiwis the following year and won the Rothmans Medal for best and fairest player. Raudonikis terrorised his opponents - halfbacks and forwards alike - with his resolute competitiveness. He was the top Australian halfback during the 1970s and captained Australia in the third and deciding Test against Great Britain on the 1973 Kangaroo tour. Raudonikis also played in two World Cup wins (1975 & 1977), four Ashes series (1973, 1974, 1978 & 1979) and against France (1978) and NZ (1978 & 1980). Testimony to his toughness was the celebrated occasion in 1977 when he was relegated to the reserve bench in an interstate match in favour of a young Steve Mortimer. NSW was losing when Raudonikis took the field late in the second half but quickly instigated a fight with his opposite number Greg Oliphant (who was being treated for an injury on the sideline!) and inspired NSW to a narrow 14-13 win with a great try. The only player to top 200 first grade games with Wests, he shocked everyone in the game when he accepted an offer from John Singleton to play for Newtown in 1980. He captained NSW in the inaugural State of Origin match and toured NZ that year where he made his final Test appearance in Australia's Second Test win in Auckland. One of Raudonikis' greatest matches was in the 1981 grand final but despite scoring a marvellous solo try he could not stave off defeat against the Eels. He spent much of the following season on the sidelines after being sent off in a reserve grade match for his tackle on P’matta hooker Ernie Garland. Suspended for 12 weeks, he left Sydney soon after for a player-coach career with Brisbane Brothers. Raudonikis later coached Brisbane Norths and Ipswich (where a young halfback named Allan Langer emerged in the mid-1980s). Like a blast from the past, and with the Wests club at the crossroads following the resignation of coach Warren Ryan toward the end of the 1994 season, Raudonikis was lured back to the club to take over the coaching reins in 1995. The former champion player quickly instilled spirit back into the ailing club and was rewarded for his efforts with his appointment as NSW State coach in the divided 1997 ARL season. After winning the 1997 State of Origin series, his team was beaten by the Wayne Bennett-coached Maroons in 1998 and with the Wests club facing the possibility of extinction, Raudonikis stood down from his Origin post in 1999. Following Wests’ merger with Balmain at the end of the year, Raudonikis returned to Queensland to live and makes sporadic media forays each year at State of Origin time.
- 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.

Competitions

Competition   App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
NRL 239 33 -   - 99 107 122 10 44.77% List
Craven Mild Cup 17 3 -   - 9 5 10 2 29.41% List
Interstate Matches 22 9 -   - 27 20 0 2 90.91% List
Tour Matches Australia 43 12 -   - 36 31 9 3 72.09% List
Endeavour Cup 3 - -   - - 2 1 0 66.67% List
City vs Country Firsts 8 4 -   - 12 7 1 0 87.50% List
Test Series 20 2 -   - 3 15 5 0 75.00% List
World Cup 9 3 -   - 9 7 1 1 77.78% List
The Ashes 12 1 -   - 6 9 3 0 75.00% List
National Panasonic Cup 3 4 -   - 12 1 1 1 33.33% List
Tour Matches New South Wales Firsts 2 1 -   - 3 2 0 0 100.00% List
NRL Finals 10 3 -   - 9 4 6 0 40.00% List
State of Origin 1 1 -   - 3 0 1 0 0.00% List


International

Test Matches - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Australia 1972-75, 1977-80 31 6 -   - 18 24 6 1 77.42% List

International Matches - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Australia 1972-1980 1 - -   - - 0 0 1 0.00% List

World Cup Matches - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Australia 1972, 1975, 1977 9 3 -   - 9 7 1 1 77.78% List


Representative

Australia - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
NSW Firsts 1970-80 24 10 -   - 30 22 0 2 91.67% List
NSW City Seconds 1971, 1977 2 1 -   - 3 2 0 0 100.00% List
NSW City Firsts 1972-76, 1978-80 8 4 -   - 12 7 1 0 87.50% List
Combined Sydney 1976 4 1 -   - 3 1 3 0 25.00% List
NSW 1980 1 1 -   - 3 0 1 0 0.00% List
Overall1970-1980 39 17 0   0 51 32 5 2 82.05% List


Club Career

NRL/NSWRL - By Year

Team Season App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Western Suburbs NSWRFL 1969 4 - -   - - 3 1 0 75.00% List
Western Suburbs NSWRFL 1970 21 2 -   - 6 6 14 1 28.57% List
Western Suburbs NSWRFL 1971 19 2 -   - 6 3 16 0 15.79% List
Western Suburbs NSWRFL 1972 20 2 -   - 6 7 12 1 35.00% List
Western Suburbs NSWRFL 1973 21 7 -   - 21 7 14 0 33.33% List
Western Suburbs NSWRFL 1974 22 9 -   - 27 12 9 1 54.55% List
Western Suburbs NSWRFL 1975 20 - -   - - 9 9 2 45.00% List
Western Suburbs NSWRFL 1976 21 - -   - - 10 9 2 47.62% List
Western Suburbs NSWRFL 1977 14 1 -   - 3 4 10 0 28.57% List
Western Suburbs NSWRFL 1978 20 3 -   - 9 13 6 1 65.00% List
Western Suburbs NSWRFL 1979 20 3 -   - 9 12 8 0 60.00% List
Newtown NSWRFL 1980 20 3 -   - 9 11 8 1 55.00% List
Newtown NSWRFL 1981 12 1 -   - 3 7 4 1 58.33% List
Newtown NSWRFL 1982 5 - -   - - 3 2 0 60.00% List

NRL/NSWRL - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Western Suburbs 1969-79 202 29 -   - 87 86 108 8 42.57% List
Newtown 1980-82 37 4 -   - 12 21 14 2 56.76% List
Overall1969-1982 239 33 0   0 99 107 122 10 44.77% List

Your Say

  • Anonymous
    08/08/2012

    The hardest most honest and competative half I have ever seen

  • Warran
    25/09/2019

    loved his heart toughness and will to win.never saw him play a dud game.

  • Anthony Mills
    16/08/2020

    I loved watching any footage I could get of Tommy, he inspired every small in stature player with heart to keep playing. I started a a hooker did the rounds and ended back in the pack as a prop but regardless of where I played he was alway a massive favorite. I still love to wear a Western Suberbs shirt to go to Hull FC games - black and white have always been my true colours - Not me Sir!

  • Anonymous
    07/04/2021

    RIP Legend Tommy 7/4/2021

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Contributions: Greg Fiveash, Andrew Ferguson, Shawn Dollin, Rugby League Tables, Alan Katzmann, Paul Carter, AJ Lucantonio, Bill Bates, Tim Costello