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Noel Mulligan

Playing Career

All information provided below is based only on data available in the RLP database and should be used as a guide only.

Vital Statistics

Nickname(s)
The Count
Born
Monday, 12th April, 1926
Died
Saturday, 11th March, 2000 (Aged 73 years and 333 days)

Competitions Won

Test Series
1948/49 France vs Australia
Interstate Series
1947, 1948, 1949, 1950
NSW City vs Country Firsts
1948, 1950

Biography

Versatile forward, originally from Port Kembla, signed with Newtown as a hooker but played most of his career as a lock. Mulligan was equally effective in the second row or as prop and also played five-eighth or centre at club level. In 1946 he represented NSW as a stopgap lock against Great Britain and made his Test debut in that position. After playing in two Tests against the visiting Lions he captain-coached Bowral in 1947 and represented Country and NSW. Returning to Newtown in 1948, he gained Kangaroo selection and played in all five Tests on tour. In 1949 he returned to Bowral and earned selection for NSW and then Australia on the tour of NZ, where he played in two Tests. Signing with St George, Mulligan's rep career continued with NSW, in 1950-51, and he made his final Test appearance against France in 1951. Noel ‘The Count’ Mulligan retired after leading Port Kembla to premiership honours in 1958 but made a comeback with Collegians in the I’warra competition in 1961. He captained Country in the early 1960s and coached Southern Division to a win over the all-conquering Great Britain side in 1962. Mulligan passed away in 2000, aged 73.
- ALAN WHITICKER

Playing Career Statistics

To view a list of corresponding matches, click on the List button.

Representative Career - International Comp WinsStartsIntAPP3ST3PTTG2FGFGPtsBin5BinOffWLDWin% 
Tests (Senior International Matches) -10-102-2---6---36130.00%List
The Ashes -5-5-----------410.00%List
Tour MatchesNew South Wales FirstsNFI-8-82-2---6---42250.00%List
Tour MatchesAustraliaAUS-32-3211-111--35---238171.88%List
Tour MatchesSydney FirstsSDF-1-11-1---3-----10.00%List
Tour MatchesSouthern DivisionSOD-2-2----------1-150.00%List
Tour MatchesSouthern NSWSOU-1-1-----------1-0.00%List
Test Series 110-102-2---6---36130.00%List
Representative Career - Australia Comp WinsStartsIntAPP3ST3PTTG2FGFGPtsBin5BinOffWLDWin% 
Tour MatchesNew South Wales Country FirstsNTF-1-12-2---6---1--100.00%List
Interstate Series 410-104-4---12---71270.00%List
NSW City vs Country Firsts 25-51-1---3---32-60.00%List
NSW City vs Country 26-61-1---3---42-66.67%List
Club Career - Australia Comp WinsStartsIntAPP3ST3PTTG2FGFGPtsBin5BinOffWLDWin% 
Country Carnival -1-1----------1--100.00%List
NSWRFL (NRL Premiership) -63-6314-14---42---3721558.73%List
NRL Finals -4-41-1---3---13-25.00%List
Overall StartsIntAPP3ST3PTTG2FGFGPtsBin5BinOffWLDWin% 
First Class 120-12033-331--101---74351161.67%List

Test Matches - By Team

TeamYears StartsIntAPP3ST3PTTG2FGFGPtsBin5BinOffWLDWin% 
Australia1946, 1948-49, 1951 10-102-2---6---36130.00%List

Australia - By Team

TeamYears StartsIntAPP3ST3PTTG2FGFGPtsBin5BinOffWLDWin% 
NSW Group 71944 1-1-----------1-0.00%List
Sydney Seconds1945 1-1-----------1-0.00%List
Probables (AU)1946, 1950-51 3-3----------12-33.33%List
NSW City Seconds1946 1-1----------1--100.00%List
NSW Firsts1946-51 14-144-4---12---83357.14%List
Rest of NSW Firsts1947 1-11-1---3----1-0.00%List
NSW Country Firsts1947, 1949 3-32-2---6---12-33.33%List
NSW City Firsts1948, 1950 3-31-1---3---3--100.00%List
Sydney Firsts1951 1-11-1---3-----10.00%List
Southern Division1954-55 2-2----------1-150.00%List
South West NSW1954 1-1----------1--100.00%List
Southern NSW1954 1-1-----------1-0.00%List

NSWRFL (NRL Premiership) - By Year

TeamSeason StartsIntAPP3ST3PTTG2FGFGPtsBin5BinOffWLDWin% 
NewtownNewtown19451945 NSWRFL 10-102-2---6---54150.00%List
NewtownNewtown19461946 NSWRFL 12-123-3---9---84-66.67%List
NewtownNewtown19481948 NSWRFL 9-93-3---9---72-77.78%List
St GeorgeSt George19501950 NSWRFL 15-152-2---6---75346.67%List
St GeorgeSt George19511951 NSWRFL 17-174-4---12---106158.82%List

NSWRFL (NRL Premiership) - By Team

TeamYears StartsIntAPP3ST3PTTG2FGFGPtsBin5BinOffWLDWin% 
Newtown1945-46, 1948 31-318-8---24---2010164.52%List
St George1950-51 32-326-6---18---1711453.13%List

Your Say

  • Paddy Deegan
    14 Jan 2012 8:58am

    Noel Mulligan shouted me my 1st beer on my 18th birthday at the Port Kembla Hotel. (Guinnerys Hotel.) Noel always drank pints and half pints in glass jugs. Must have been a hangover from his playing days in England. I had one and that was enough for me. He was a very approachable and respectable man, an inspiration. I was very impressed when re-visiting Warrawong/Port Kembla to see his name on the old Kemblawarra Oval... 500 yards from where I lived in Taurus Avenue. there was a soccer ground next to the oval. i was proud to know him.
    I had a boss here in Mackay that was familiar with his career, not sure if they played together, but Tom Payne did play for Australia. Tom was from Toowoomba. He lives here in Mackay.

  • garry marmont
    25 Oct 2019 11:36am

    noel was captain / coach of captains flat
    in group eight in 1952 & 1953 they won the
    comp in those two years

  • Barry Stephens
    24 Sep 2022 10:17am

    I played for Nowra Warrioirs and the Sth Coast in the 1950's and followed Noel's playing career with great interest. I was privileged to play for Nowra Warriors against Port Kembla in our club's knockout competition in the 1950's and enjoyed a beer with him after the match. Every time I go shopping to the supermarket I see his name on the sign near the football oval and memories flood back of those halcyon RL days on the south coast.

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Contributions: Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson, Greg Fiveash, Max Turner, Rugby League Tables, Gary Neale, Alan Katzmann, Tony McCarron, Paul Carter, Michael Borg, AJ Lucantonio, Bill Bates, Tim Costello