Geoff Toovey

Playing Career

Vital Statistics

Born
Tuesday, 17th June, 1969
Current Age
54 years and 276 days
Place Of Birth
Belrose, New South Wales, Australia

Awards & Accolades

Clive Churchill Medal
1996
Dally M Hooker Of The Year
1999

Biography

Despite giving away size and weight to almost every player on the football field, the champion halfback-turned-hooker rose to the position of Manly, NSW and Australian Test captain in an inspirational career. A local junior who finished his career as the longest serving captain in Manly’s history, Toovey’s schoolboy good looks and diminutive frame often attracted heavy-handed treatment from opposing players. He made his first grade debut in 1988 against Great Britain in the Lions’ tour match won by Manly, 20-0, at Brookvale Oval. The following seasons saw him play above himself at club level. After making his State of Origin debut in 1990 he was selected on the first Australian Tour of Papua New Guinea (1991) - appearing in four matches including both Tests. Named Manly captain in 1993, the year started badly when he suffered a broken jaw in a trial match against Auckland in NZ. A total knee reconstruction then put his 1994 campaign on hold but he returned to his best form to lead Manly into the semi-finals. Although he missed out on the Kangaroo Tour that year Toovey’s ‘never-say-die’ attitude was exactly what was needed by the embattled ARL during the Super League war. After securing the halfback role in the third State of Origin match in 1995 Toovey played in all three Test victories against NZ. After the disappointing loss to C’bury in the grand final he was selected in Australia’s World Cup squad and was captain Brad Fittler’s halfback partner in the 16-8 win against Great Britain in the final. 1996 proved to be a watershed year for the popular Sea Eagle captain – playing for NSW in all three wins, starring in an Australian team that defeated Fiji 84-14, leading Manly to a 20-8 win in the grand final, winning the Clive Churchill Medal for best and fairest player and, finally, captaining Australia in the 52-6 thrashing of Papua New Guinea at Port Moresby in October. In 1997 Toovey returned from a double hernia operation in the off-season to captain NSW to a 2-1 win in the State of Origin series before representing Australia again in the one-off Test against Rest of the World. Playing half, five-eighth and hooker during a season in which he passed 200 first grade games, the season ended with a jolt when he was accidentally stomped on the face in the 22-18 loss to Newcastle in the grand final. A renowned tackler with the ability to scurry out of the ruck area, Toovey shifted to hooker in Australia’s ANZac Test loss in the unified NRL season in 1998 and was used in this role in NSW’s unsuccessful State of Origin campaign (he was ruled unfit with the flu on the morning of the third and deciding match of the series). By the following year he was regularly playing hooker at club level and was named the inaugural captain of the newly merged N’Eagles at the end of the year. Although he made a welcome return to the State of Origin arena in 2000 Toovey was overlooked for Australia’s World Cup squad at year’s end. The little tyro finally called it quits at the conclusion of the 2001 season – bringing an end to the career of one of the game’s most courageous players.
- 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 %  
National Panasonic Cup 3 1 -   - 4 1 2 0 33.33% List
NRL 286 35 -   - 140 167 111 8 58.39% List
Tour Matches Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 1 1 -   - 4 1 0 0 100.00% List
NRL Finals 15 1 -   - 4 7 8 0 46.67% List
Tooheys Challenge Cup 1 - -   - - 0 1 0 0.00% List
City vs Country 4 - -   - - 2 2 0 50.00% List
State of Origin 15 - -   - - 11 3 1 73.33% List
Tour Matches Australia 5 1 -   - 4 5 0 0 100.00% List
World Cup 5 - -   - - 4 1 0 80.00% List
Test Series 3 - -   - - 3 0 0 100.00% List
Anzac Tests 1 - -   - - 0 1 0 0.00% List


International

Test Matches - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Australia 1991, 1995-96, 1998 12 - -   - - 10 2 0 83.33% List

International Matches - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Australia 1991-1997 1 - -   - - 1 0 0 100.00% List

World Cup Matches - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Australia 1991, 1995 5 - -   - - 4 1 0 80.00% List


Representative

Australia - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
NSW 1990, 1995-00 15 - -   - - 11 3 1 73.33% List
NSW City 1990-91, 1996-97 4 - -   - - 2 2 0 50.00% List
Overall1990-2000 19 0 0   0 - 13 5 1 68.42% List


Club Career

NRL/NSWRL - By Year

Team Season App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Manly NSWRL 1988 7 1 -   - 4 6 1 0 85.71% List
Manly NSWRL 1989 18 2 -   - 8 8 9 1 44.44% List
Manly NSWRL 1990 23 6 -   - 24 16 7 0 69.57% List
Manly NSWRL 1991 24 2 -   - 8 14 9 1 58.33% List
Manly NSWRL 1992 22 2 -   - 8 10 10 2 45.45% List
Manly NSWRL 1993 17 2 -   - 8 12 5 0 70.59% List
Manly NSWRL 1994 18 5 -   - 20 14 4 0 77.78% List
Manly ARL 1995 15 6 -   - 24 12 3 0 80.00% List
Manly ARL 1996 23 3 -   - 12 19 4 0 82.61% List
Manly ARL 1997 25 3 -   - 12 17 6 2 68.00% List
Manly NRL 1998 25 3 -   - 12 13 12 0 52.00% List
Manly NRL 1999 21 - -   - - 7 13 1 33.33% List
Northern Eagles NRL 2000 22 - -   - - 8 14 0 36.36% List
Northern Eagles NRL 2001 26 - -   - - 11 14 1 42.31% List

NRL/NSWRL - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Manly 1988-99 238 35 -   - 140 148 83 7 62.18% List
Northern Eagles 2000-01 48 - -   - - 19 28 1 39.58% List
Overall1988-2001 286 35 0   0 140 167 111 8 58.39% List

Your Say

  • Anonymous
    01/11/2013

    Toughest player to ever lace on a boot. Incredibly competitive who has always bled maroon and white. Inspirational!

  • Dave A
    03/08/2014

    This may sound over the top, but Geoff Toovey would have to be the toughest player in the history of rugby league. i am not a manly fan but even I can still appreciate how he could smash forwards twice his size, cop massive punishment and play on through injury. Great speed and absolutely no mongrel. Fantastic player who could also do your tax return.

  • Anonymous
    03/09/2018

    toughest player ever. i remember stopping glen lazarus dead and driving him back 10 metres. An absolute giant for one of the smallest players on the field

  • Tim
    24/06/2019

    Toovey was everything good about rugby league

  • Anonymous
    28/03/2020

    Brilliant player

  • Rob
    02/06/2020

    True legend done a great job coaching as well

  • Want to have your say about this player? Add a comment.

Contributions: Rugby League Tables, Andrew Ferguson, Shawn Dollin, AJ Lucantonio, Paul Carter, Greg Fiveash, Alan Katzmann, Max Turner, Steven Russo, Bill Bates

Sources: ARL Rugby League Yearbook 1997, NRL Rugby League Yearbook 1999, NRL Rugby League Yearbook 2000, NRL Rugby League Yearbook 2001, NRL Rugby League Yearbook 2002, ARL Rugby League Yearbook 1996, NRL Rugby League Yearbook 1998, NSWRL Rugby League Yearbook 1989-90, NSWRL Rugby League Yearbook 1988-89, NSWRL Rugby League Yearbook 1990-91, NSWRL Rugby League Yearbook 1991-92, NSWRL Rugby League Yearbook 1992-93, NSWRL Rugby League Yearbook 1994, ARL Rugby League Yearbook 1995, Match Video