Playing Career
Vital Statistics
- Nickname(s)
- The Count
- Born
- Monday, 12th April, 1926
- Died
- Saturday, 11th March, 2000 (Aged 73 years and 334 days)
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
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 % | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NRL | 63 | 14 | - | - | 42 | 37 | 21 | 5 | 58.73% | List | ||||
| NRL Finals | 4 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 25.00% | List | ||||
| Tour Matches | New South Wales Firsts | 3 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0.00% | List | |||
| Tour Matches | Australia | 32 | 11 | 1 | - | 35 | 23 | 8 | 1 | 71.88% | List | |||
| Test Series | 10 | 2 | - | - | 6 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 30.00% | List | ||||
| The Ashes | 5 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0.00% | List | ||||
| City vs Country Firsts | 5 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 60.00% | List | ||||
| Interstate Matches | 10 | 4 | - | - | 12 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 70.00% | List | ||||
| Tour Matches | Sydney Firsts | 1 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00% | List | |||
| Country Carnival | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| Tour Matches | Southern Division | 2 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.00% | List | |||
| Tour Matches | Southern NSW | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | |||
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Test Matches - By Team | ||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
| Australia | 1946, 1948-49, 1951 | 10 | 2 | - | - | 6 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 30.00% | List | |||
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Australia - By Team | ||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
| NSW Group 7 | 1944 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | |||
| Sydney Seconds | 1945 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | |||
| Probables (AU) | 1946, 1950-51 | 3 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 2 | 0 | 33.33% | List | |||
| NSW City Seconds | 1946 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
| NSW Firsts | 1946-51 | 14 | 4 | - | - | 12 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 57.14% | List | |||
| Rest of NSW Firsts | 1947 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | |||
| NSW Country Firsts | 1947, 1949 | 3 | 2 | - | - | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 33.33% | List | |||
| NSW City Firsts | 1948, 1950 | 3 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
| Sydney Firsts | 1951 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00% | List | |||
| Southern Division | 1954-55 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50.00% | List | |||
| South West NSW | 1954 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
| Southern NSW | 1954 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | |||
| Overall | 1944-1955 | 32 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 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 1945 | 10 | 2 | - | - | 6 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 50.00% | List | |||
| Newtown | NSWRFL 1946 | 12 | 3 | - | - | 9 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 66.67% | List | |||
| Newtown | NSWRFL 1948 | 9 | 3 | - | - | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 77.78% | List | |||
| St George | NSWRFL 1950 | 15 | 2 | - | - | 6 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 46.67% | List | |||
| St George | NSWRFL 1951 | 17 | 4 | - | - | 12 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 58.82% | List | |||
NRL/NSWRL - By Team | ||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
| Newtown | 1945-46, 1948 | 31 | 8 | - | - | 24 | 20 | 10 | 1 | 64.52% | List | |||
| St George | 1950-51 | 32 | 6 | - | - | 18 | 17 | 11 | 4 | 53.13% | List | |||
| Overall | 1945-1951 | 63 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 37 | 21 | 5 | 58.73% | List | |||
Contributions:
Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson, Gary Neale, Rugby League Tables, Greg Fiveash, Alan Katzmann, Paul Carter, Michael Borg, Bill Bates, AJ Lucantonio, Tim Costello
Your Say
14/01/2012
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.
25/10/2019
noel was captain / coach of captains flat
in group eight in 1952 & 1953 they won the
comp in those two years
24/09/2022
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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