Geoff Starling

  • Playing Career

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


International

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


Representative

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
Overall1971-1973 6 1 4   0 11 6 0 0 100.00% List


Club Career

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

Your Say

  • Donna Callaway
    08/06/2011

    there are not enough words to describe how good he was,champion player,champion human being!

  • bob scanlon
    08/11/2011

    my absolute favorite league player of all time. Anyone know howto contact him? Anyone have any photos?

  • Dave
    14/02/2012

    I remember him as a great player, I have been informed that he still lives in the Balmain area.

  • Anonymous
    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

  • Anonymous
    15/07/2012

    i actually have a balmain jersey signed by geoff

  • Allan Keates
    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.

  • Anonymous
    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.

  • Red
    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.

  • Kyla
    20/09/2014

    I actually have his Balmain No,3 jersey. He worked with my father Ken Doyle and gave him the jersey.

  • Anonymous
    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.

  • Roy
    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

  • Scott Towers-Hammond
    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

  • George
    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.

  • Ross McGuigan
    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????????????

  • lylr f. reed
    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 .

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