Playing Career
Vital Statistics
- Born
- Sunday, 20th July, 1952
- Current Age
- 71 years and 253 days
Biography
Newtown junior was graded as a 15-year-old hooker from the club's President's Cup team. Shifting to the centres Pringle made his first grade debut in 1972 at age 18 and represented NSW Colts before moving to lock forward. He joined Balmain in 1975 and toured NZ with a Combined Sydney side the following year. A whole-hearted player he was struck down by a mystery virus that attacked his nervous system at the end of the 1979 season. Pringle resumed his career but later made way for Wayne Pearce in the Balmain pack. He left the club in 1983 to captain-coach Cessnock.
- 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 % | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Endeavour Cup | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | ||||
Craven Mild Cup | 13 | 3 | - | - | 9 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 53.85% | List | ||||
NRL | 182 | 46 | - | - | 138 | 88 | 84 | 10 | 48.35% | List | ||||
NRL Finals | 6 | 2 | - | - | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 50.00% | List | ||||
City vs Country Firsts | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
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Australia - By Team | ||||||||||||||
Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
NSW Firsts | 1972 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | |||
NSW City Seconds | 1973 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
NSW City Firsts | 1974 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
Combined Sydney | 1976 | 5 | 3 | - | - | 9 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 40.00% | List | |||
Overall | 1972-1976 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 50.00% | List | |||
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NRL/NSWRL - By Year | ||||||||||||||
Team | Season | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
Newtown | NSWRFL 1972 | 17 | 5 | - | - | 15 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 58.82% | List | |||
Newtown | NSWRFL 1973 | 23 | 8 | - | - | 24 | 15 | 7 | 1 | 65.22% | List | |||
Newtown | NSWRFL 1974 | 20 | 5 | - | - | 15 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 45.00% | List | |||
Balmain | NSWRFL 1975 | 21 | 5 | - | - | 15 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 47.62% | List | |||
Balmain | NSWRFL 1976 | 18 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 50.00% | List | |||
Balmain | NSWRFL 1977 | 21 | 12 | - | - | 36 | 13 | 7 | 1 | 61.90% | List | |||
Balmain | NSWRFL 1978 | 20 | 4 | - | - | 12 | 8 | 11 | 1 | 40.00% | List | |||
Balmain | NSWRFL 1979 | 16 | 5 | - | - | 15 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 50.00% | List | |||
Balmain | NSWRFL 1980 | 3 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0.00% | List | |||
Balmain | NSWRFL 1981 | 17 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 29.41% | List | |||
Balmain | NSWRFL 1982 | 6 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 4 | 1 | 16.67% | List | |||
NRL/NSWRL - By Team | ||||||||||||||
Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
Newtown | 1972-74 | 60 | 18 | - | - | 54 | 34 | 23 | 3 | 56.67% | List | |||
Balmain | 1975-82 | 122 | 28 | - | - | 84 | 54 | 61 | 7 | 44.26% | List | |||
Overall | 1972-1982 | 182 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 138 | 88 | 84 | 10 | 48.35% | List |
Contributions:
Greg Fiveash, Andrew Ferguson, Rugby League Tables, Paul Carter, Shawn Dollin, Steven Russo, Alan Katzmann, AJ Lucantonio
Your Say
11/08/2011
Hi,
Does anyone know the whereabouts of Neil nowadays?
04/01/2012
fabulous open ball runner,most times when he touched the ball a try would seem likely,whole hearted all rounder.
17/02/2012
Bring Back the Biff!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2JttyTZBc0
16/04/2012
great person
20/04/2012
Marrickville boy. Legend has it that he tried out for Newtown when he was 13 & was graded in 3rd grade until the selectors found out his true age & told to comeback in a few years. Broke my heart when he left Newtown. Great cover defender & good ball runner. Always gave 100% . Living in Queensland these days & a regular at Newtown re union days at Henson Park .
Sorry to here about his son's passing.
07/05/2012
I remember Neil's supreme skills as a copybook tackler. Around the legs and down to the bootlaces.
Spectacular to watch, very effective and usually perormed with complete safety to Neil and the ball carrier. He was a great front on and covering defender. Oh, and a top attacking player as well.
A truely great lock forward.
07/05/2012
Started his career with the Blues like he was going to something really special, but somehow it never got to the top level.
Pringle had so much potential as a loose forward (and as a pivot), I likened him to the dynamic Nev Hornery who also shone for a short time (circa 1970) and then his career just petered out.
16/06/2012
Running off Brian Lockwood was like drinking mothers to me ,it was so good. U were a star that should have gone further.Hope u are having a rewarding life wherever u are.
01/07/2012
Apart from his undoubted skill he is almost single -handedly responsible for the professional era. It was he who challenged the big boys in court.
22/10/2012
A living legend,I watched him at leichardt oval in 1979 in a fight with ray price,he almost killed price. Very tough man bing
20/08/2013
WHAT A GREAT PLAYER AND GREAT BLOKE
08/10/2013
I meet with Neil on the gold coast for work reasons in the building industry,
A complete gentleman with a heart of gold.
25/11/2013
i became a balmain supporter because of him. he worked at the local liquor store in Stanmore,
25/04/2014
I loved watching Neil with the Tigers. He was a cheeky bugger.. would steal the ball, then when his nemesis, ref greg Hartley would ping him, would raise his arms, act incredulous and ask what he did to deserve a penalty. My favourite player: cunning, fast and thoroughly enjoying every minute on the paddock
22/07/2014
neil who i have known personally since working together for o.brien glass in 1967, is a very compassionate human being and a great rugby league player, his representive career was curtailed due to football polictics, which i remind him each time when we get together for a quite drink,he was right up there with the greats , past and present,and has been a very loyal mate, not just to me but to everyone who knows him, neil is is a champion in every respect of life, in fact none come any better, crackers caco
07/10/2014
Sadly he has had to go through the anguish of losing his son in 2013 due to a mental illness.
22/10/2014
Neil pringle,,was a wholehearted player,& wonderful ball runner,& a tough defender, who always tackled around the legs, he was my favourite balmain player in the 70s
16/11/2014
great bloke and legend of rugby league always there to help other people
09/02/2015
wonderful,wholehearted lock forward in the 70s for the mighty Balmain tigers,formed a formidable partnership with brian lockwood,
12/02/2015
what a top bloke. have a beer every now and then. a champion then and still one now
30/03/2016
Lives in Qld accidentally met him in Orange this Easter and had conversation with him. A lovely bloke. Still strong looking but a lot less hair. Like most of us at this age.
12/05/2016
What can you say about Neil one of the best players to ever play the game.
15/07/2017
Top bloke.
Met him after state of origin 2017.
Absolute legend bloke.
Very priveledged to have met him and a lot of other legends of leugue!!????
02/10/2017
Met Neil and Mary when he had the Coolangatta Sands Hotel. He was best mates with Larry Corowa. A really genuine good bloke with great senses of humour. Enjoyed having a beer with him. Although his career had finished and I was still playing. I remembered him as brilliant lock forward when I was a young junior here in Qld. He lived on the Goldy and probably still does.
07/03/2018
Wonderful wholehearted player for the balmain tigers in the middle to late 70s,with a never say die attitude,
28/08/2019
had a great partnership with brian lockwood in the mid seventies that magic flick pass
03/10/2019
great player running of flick passes from brian lockwood
13/01/2020
Neil Pringle was my first ever favourite player,,and is one the reasons I became a passionate balmain tigers fan,, he was such a wholehearted player who covered enormous ground and a tough copy book tackler, one of the finest players in the 1970s not to play for Australia, thanks for the memories,,
03/12/2020
Went to school with Neil at Marrickville De La Salle, and played with him for the school, a tough boy even at fifteen or so, but a real nice guy.
06/04/2021
Neil lives at Cooly on the Gold Coast, a great man, I had the pleasure to play with him in Reserve grade on a couple of occasions. He was passionate and gave 110%, he is fit and going well and has time for everyone.
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