Playing Career
Vital Statistics
- Born
- Sunday, 14th December, 1952
- Current Age
- 71 years and 107 days
Biography
When chosen to tour NZ in 1971, Balmain centre Geoff Starling became the youngest player to represent Australia (at 18 years 178 days). Starling played in two minor games on the tour before making his Test debut the following year against the Kiwis. In 1972 Starling went to France for the World Cup and was a 1973 Kangaroo tourist. The red-haired centre played in all five Tests on the tour and his fine career seemed set to continue until 1974 when he inexplicably lost weight and not surprisingly lost all form. He spent time in hospital in 1975 but after a short-lived comeback in 1976, he was forced to retire. It was not until much later that his illness was properly diagnosed. Starling was found to be suffering from Addison's disease - a failure of the adrenal gland to produce cortisone. After ten years, Starling won his private battle with the disease but not without immense personal and professional sacrifice.
- 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 % | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Craven Mild Cup | 13 | 4 | - | - | 12 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 30.77% | List | ||||
NRL | 65 | 22 | 5 | - | 76 | 22 | 42 | 1 | 33.85% | List | ||||
Tour Matches | Australia | 16 | 8 | - | - | 24 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 68.75% | List | |||
Interstate Matches | 3 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
Endeavour Cup | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | ||||
City vs Country Firsts | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
Test Series | 7 | 5 | - | - | 12 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 85.71% | List | ||||
World Cup | 4 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 1 | 1 | 50.00% | List | ||||
The Ashes | 3 | 1 | - | - | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67% | List | ||||
| ||||||||||||||
Test Matches - By Team | ||||||||||||||
Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
Australia | 1972-73 | 11 | 5 | - | - | 15 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 72.73% | List | |||
World Cup Matches - By Team | ||||||||||||||
Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
Australia | 1972 | 4 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 1 | 1 | 50.00% | List | |||
| ||||||||||||||
Australia - By Team | ||||||||||||||
Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
NSW City Seconds | 1971, 1973 | 2 | - | 4 | - | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
NSW Firsts | 1971-72 | 3 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
NSW City Firsts | 1972 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
Overall | 1971-1973 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
| ||||||||||||||
NRL/NSWRL - By Year | ||||||||||||||
Team | Season | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
Balmain | NSWRFL 1971 | 19 | 9 | 5 | - | 37 | 9 | 10 | 0 | 47.37% | List | |||
Balmain | NSWRFL 1972 | 20 | 6 | - | - | 18 | 6 | 13 | 1 | 30.00% | List | |||
Balmain | NSWRFL 1973 | 22 | 7 | - | - | 21 | 7 | 15 | 0 | 31.82% | List | |||
Balmain | NSWRFL 1974 | 4 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0.00% | List | |||
NRL/NSWRL - By Team | ||||||||||||||
Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
Balmain | 1971-74 | 65 | 22 | 5 | - | 76 | 22 | 42 | 1 | 33.85% | List |
Contributions:
Greg Fiveash, Andrew Ferguson, Shawn Dollin, Rugby League Tables, Alan Katzmann, Paul Carter, Max Turner, Bill Bates
Your Say
08/06/2011
there are not enough words to describe how good he was,champion player,champion human being!
08/11/2011
my absolute favorite league player of all time. Anyone know howto contact him? Anyone have any photos?
14/02/2012
I remember him as a great player, I have been informed that he still lives in the Balmain area.
04/04/2012
what a player he would of been he score the most trys on tour to england its a shame he had those illness or we be looking at a legend
15/07/2012
i actually have a balmain jersey signed by geoff
21/09/2013
I am a Saints fan of old, but I remember Geoff Starling very well. It is only my opinion, but he was destined to be one of the greats of the game. What a sad way to end his career.
19/01/2014
I remember him! He was an absolute world beater! So tragic for everyone that his career ended so abruptly. I am glad he was able to get on top of it eventually.
06/04/2014
Broke my heart in 1972 scoring a length of the field intercept try within the last 5 minutes against Wests at Lidcombe. A tall man with great pace -Like Mark Harris.
20/09/2014
I actually have his Balmain No,3 jersey. He worked with my father Ken Doyle and gave him the jersey.
21/10/2014
I used to see Geoff every year and mention to him that he was a great player. As usual he downplayed the fact that he represented Australia.
13/04/2016
I worked at an rsl club in the early 80,s which is not there any more and he would drop in for a beer sometimes --His dad also named Goeff Starling senior was there every day having a beer a very nice person . Young Geoff come in one day and I gave him a beer I knew who he was straight away and it was great to talk to him -when he went to play with Bob Fulton they were first choice centres on tour -- mick Cronin and Steve Rodgers were the back up centres - I remember him scoring a try on the old Leichhardt oval it was round with the white picket fences against st George dragons
01/03/2018
I remember being on the hill at the SCG in April 1971 and although Balmain went down 38-13 to a rampaging St George that day I witnessed for the first time live Geoff "Sparrow" Starling. The try he scored that day was magical
14/08/2020
I marked Geoff in a Jersey Flegg match against Balmain in 1971. He was a big fast unit then, but I never imagined he would be on the Kangaroo tour to NZ a year later. I ran into Geoff at a club presentation in around 1973 and had the opportunity yo have a few beers with him. Lovely bloke who could have been anything if he had the opportunity.
07/09/2021
I first played against Geoff at school, he Rozelle, me Drummoyne.
Early 70’s I competed with Geoff in Balmain Athletic Club. So many Monday and Wednesday nights training at Leichhardt Oval, when it ran East-West.
In those days, Athletics was ‘amateur’ and so once he began ‘professional’ League in ‘71, Balmain AAC lost a great competitor and personality.
When selected for Australia as a Test Centre against NZ in ‘72, he was the then youngest to ever represent.
He went to France with the World Cup team that year and toured as a Kangaroo in ‘73, when he played in all Tests.
On his return to Australia, he became sick, lost weight, condition and couldn’t continue in League.
Many years later, his illness was finally diagnosed.
Memories of Good times????????????
25/02/2022
First saw Geoff play against Queensland in the very early seventies(70s) i saw a champion in the making,a tall well balanced centre three quarter,a young man with an old head on his shoulder.it was so sad to learn of his debilitating disease. A future immortal .
Want to have your say about this player? Add a comment.