Steve Roach

One of the true personality players of the modern game, Steve Roach tempered his talents as a bull-like prop with a natural ability to seek out controversy on the playing field. Joining Balmain from Wollongong Wests in the early 1980s, he displayed a determined running style and great ball skills. 'Blocker' Roach first played for NSW in 1984 and scored a try on debut in the Test against NZ in 1985. In 1986, he played Tests against NZ, Papua New Guinea and Great Britain before injuring his elbow on the Kangaroo tour. A knee injury wiped the 1987 season but he returned to the international arena to play in the Bicentennial Test match against the Rest of the World. On the eve of the 1988 semi-finals series, Roach was cited for a tackle on Chris Mortimer and his suspension saw him miss the grand final (despite travelling to England in a vain effort to serve the suspension before the grand final). He was still one of the first forwards chosen for the World Cup final in NZ but his reputation was catching up with him. After playing with Warrington in 1988-89, NSW coach Jack Gibson preferred not to use him in his State teams in 1989 but this did not stop Roach from walking into the Australian tour of NZ. In a controversial end to the 1989 grand final, he was replaced by coach Warren Ryan with Balmain leading 14-8 and had to watch from the sidelines as the Tigers lost in extra time. Injury and suspension, (for patting referee Eddie Ward on the head after being sin-binned), kept him out of 1990's rep fixtures but he still made his second Kangaroo tour, playing in all five Tests. Roach was dropped from Australia's losing Test team against NZ in 1991 and, after receiving a late call-up to the Papua New Guinea tour, he broke his ankle in his first match and never regained his Test spot. His last season was memorable for all the wrong reasons. Suspended for 'placing his foot' on the chest of a Brisbane opponent, Roach returned to the field and despite being cautioned for a highly questionable tackle, NSWRL General Manager John Quayle chose not cite him. It was probably best that he retired when he did, with a decade of loyal service to his club and 19 Test caps to his credit, to take on a role with Channel 9 and Optus. In October 1999, Roach was controversially sacked from Channel 9’s Footy Show and subsequently joined 2UE and 2GB’s league coverage. Autobiography, Doing My Block (1992).