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).

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 icon.

International
Test Matches - By Team
Team	Years	App	T	G			GK %	FG	Pts	W	L	D	Win %
Australia	1985-86, 1988-91	19	3	-				-	12	16	3	0	84.21%
Overall	1985-1991	19	3	0				0	12	16	3	0	84.21%
International Matches - By Team
Team	Years	App	T	G			GK %	FG	Pts	W	L	D	Win %
Australia	1985-1988	1	-	-				-	-	1	0	0	100.00%
Overall	1988	1	0	0				0		1	0	0	100.00%
World Cup Matches - By Team
Team	Years	App	T	G			GK %	FG	Pts	W	L	D	Win %
Australia	1985-86, 1988-90	8	2	-				-	8	7	1	0	87.50%
Overall	1985-1990	8	2	0				0	8	7	1	0	87.50%
Representative
Australia - By Team
Team	Years	App	T	G			GK %	FG	Pts	W	L	D	Win %
New South Wales	1984-86, 1988, 1990-91	17	-	-				-	-	9	8	0	52.94%
NSW City Firsts	1984	1	-	-				-	-	1	0	0	100.00%
NSW Country Firsts	1985-86	2	-	-				-	-	0	2	0	0.00%
NSW Country	1988, 1990	2	-	-				-	-	0	2	0	0.00%
Overall	1984-1991	22	0	0				0		10	12	0	45.45%
Club Career
Australian League Matches - By Year
Team	Years	App	T	G			GK %	FG	Pts	W	L	D	Win %
Balmain	NSWRFL 1982	14	-	-				-	-	6	7	1	42.86%
Balmain	NSWRFL 1983	20	2	-				-	8	13	7	0	65.00%
Balmain	NSWRL 1984	21	6	-				-	24	11	10	0	52.38%
Balmain	NSWRL 1985	17	1	-				-	4	11	6	0	64.71%
Balmain	NSWRL 1986	22	-	-				-	-	14	8	0	63.64%
Balmain	NSWRL 1987	5	-	-				-	-	2	3	0	40.00%
Balmain	NSWRL 1988	22	2	-				-	8	16	6	0	72.73%
Balmain	NSWRL 1989	20	1	-				-	4	13	6	1	65.00%
Balmain	NSWRL 1990	18	-	-				-	-	11	7	0	61.11%
Balmain	NSWRL 1991	17	-	-				-	-	5	11	1	29.41%
Balmain	NSWRL 1992	10	-	-				-	-	3	6	1	30.00%
Overall	1982-1992	186	12	0				0	48	105	77	4	56.45%
Australian League Matches - By Team
Team	Years	App	T	G			GK %	FG	Pts	W	L	D	Win %
Balmain	1982-92	186	12	-				-	48	105	77	4	56.45%
Overall	1982-1992	186	12	0				0	48	105	77	4	56.45%
Australian Finals Matches - By Team
Team	Years	App	T	G			GK %	FG	Pts	W	L	D	Win %
Balmain	1982-1990	10	-	-				-	-	4	6	0	40.00%
Overall	1983-1990	10	0	0				0		4	6	0	40.00%
English League Career - By Year
Team	Years	App	T	G			GK %	FG	Pts	W	L	D	Win %
Warrington	Championship 1988/89	?	-	-				-	-
Overall	1988-1989	?	1	0				0	4	?	?	?	?
English League Career - By Team
Team	Years	App	T	G			GK %	FG	Pts	W	L	D	Win %
Warrington	1988-89	?	1	-				-	4	?	?	?	?
Overall	1988-1989	?	1	0				0	4	?	?	?	?

Last modified: Sun, 12 May 2013 22:07:56 +1000 (Sydney time)