Bob Lindner

Hard-running forward was a regular in the Australian Test team for the better part of a decade without being able to find stability with one club. Lindner played lock with Brisbane Souths (1983-84) and Wynnum-Manly (1985-86) before representing Australia on the 1986 Kangaroo Tour. He played in all six Tests (Papua New Guinea, Great Britain and France) but stays at P’matta (as a much-touted replacement for Ray Price) and the G’Coast were short-lived. Representative honours continued, however, and following a stint with Castleford in England he played against NZ in 1987 and Great Britain in 1988. A broken leg in a State of Origin match in 1989 ruled him out of the NZ tour but after joining a young Wests club in 1990 he was later named player of the 1990 Kangaroo Tour of England and France. Lindner suffered another broken leg injury in 1991 but made a great recovery before breaking the leg again while playing for Australia against NZ. 1992 saw him taking on the visiting Great Britain side, pushing his Test tally to 19 matches, before playing in the World Cup final. Wests' salary cap problems saw him join his fourth premiership club, I’warra, in 1993 but after playing for Australia (against NZ) and Queensland (an emotional try-scoring performance in the Maroons' 24-12 win), he announced his intention to leave Australia to play with Oldham. Lindner took over as captain-coach of the English following the departure of Peter Tunks and successfully averted the team’s relegation to Second Division. He then linked with the short-lived South Queensland Crushers where he was originally recruited as a player but retired in order to replace Bill Gardner as club coach in 1995-96. Lindner stood down as coach in 1997, which was also the Crushers’ final year in the ARL premiership.