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
- Born
- Sunday, 1st July, 1951
- Current Age
- 74 years and 345 days
Biography
Manly junior was graded as a 16-year-old in 1967. A compact five-eighth/lock with an enormously high workrate, Martin played his first grand final in 1970 and was on hand to win consecutive premierships with the club in 1972-73. A bone-jarring tackler for his size, he represented NSW Colts in 1972 but higher rep honours eluded him during his career. Martin spent the 1975 season as captain-coach of Sawtell on the North Coast (representing NSW Country) before resuming his career with Manly. He went on to play in the club's grand final win over P’matta in 1976 and was first choice to replace Bob Fulton as captain the following year. A falling out with coach Frank Stanton saw him replaced as club captain by Max Krilich but Martin continued to produce his best for the club. His last match for Manly was as lock in the 16-0 win over Cronulla in the grand final replay in 1978 – his fourth premiership success with the club.
- ALAN WHITICKER
Additional Notes
Playing Career Statistics
To view a list of corresponding matches, click on the List button.
| Representative Career - International | Comp Wins | Starts | Int | APP | 3ST | 3PT | T | G | A | GK % | 1FG | 2FG | FG | Pts | Bin5 | Bin | Off | W | L | D | Win% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tour Matches | New South Wales Country FirstsNTF | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 0.00% | List | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Representative Career - Australia | Comp Wins | Starts | Int | APP | 3ST | 3PT | T | G | A | GK % | 1FG | 2FG | FG | Pts | Bin5 | Bin | Off | W | L | D | Win% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NSW City vs Country Firsts | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 100.00% | List | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NSW City vs Country | 1 | 3 | - | 3 | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | 100.00% | List | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club Career - Australia | Comp Wins | Starts | Int | APP | 3ST | 3PT | T | G | A | GK % | 1FG | 2FG | FG | Pts | Bin5 | Bin | Off | W | L | D | Win% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NSWRFL (NRL Premiership) | 4 | 156 | 3 | 159 | 34 | - | 34 | - | - | - | - | 102 | - | - | - | 115 | 40 | 4 | 72.33% | List | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NRL Finals | - | 18 | 2 | 20 | 2 | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | 6 | - | - | - | 9 | 9 | 2 | 45.00% | List | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preseason Cup | - | 28 | - | 28 | 10 | - | 10 | - | - | - | - | 30 | - | - | - | 19 | 8 | 1 | 67.86% | List | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Midweek Cup | - | 4 | - | 4 | 1 | - | 1 | 0 | / | 1 | 0.00% | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | - | 3 | 1 | - | 75.00% | List | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Overall | Starts | Int | APP | 3ST | 3PT | T | G | A | GK % | 1FG | 2FG | FG | Pts | Bin5 | Bin | Off | W | L | D | Win% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First Class | 192 | 3 | 195 | 46 | - | 46 | 0 | / | 1 | 0.00% | - | - | - | 138 | - | - | - | 140 | 50 | 5 | 71.79% | List | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Australia - By Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | Starts | Int | APP | 3ST | 3PT | T | G | A | GK % | 1FG | 2FG | FG | Pts | Bin5 | Bin | Off | W | L | D | Win% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NSW Firsts | 1972 | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 0.00% | List | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NSW City Seconds | 1973-74 | 2 | - | 2 | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | 100.00% | List | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NSW Country Firsts | 1975 | 2 | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | 50.00% | List | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NSWRFL (NRL Premiership) - By Year | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | Season | Starts | Int | APP | 3ST | 3PT | T | G | A | GK % | 1FG | 2FG | FG | Pts | Bin5 | Bin | Off | W | L | D | Win% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ManlyManly | 19691969 NSWRFL | 3 | - | 3 | 2 | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | 6 | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | 100.00% | List | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ManlyManly | 19701970 NSWRFL | 5 | - | 5 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | 3 | - | 40.00% | List | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ManlyManly | 19711971 NSWRFL | 24 | - | 24 | 6 | - | 6 | - | - | - | - | 18 | - | - | - | 19 | 5 | - | 79.17% | List | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ManlyManly | 19721972 NSWRFL | 24 | - | 24 | 4 | - | 4 | - | - | - | - | 12 | - | - | - | 20 | 3 | 1 | 83.33% | List | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ManlyManly | 19731973 NSWRFL | 24 | - | 24 | 9 | - | 9 | - | - | - | - | 27 | - | - | - | 19 | 4 | 1 | 79.17% | List | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ManlyManly | 19741974 NSWRFL | 23 | - | 23 | 5 | - | 5 | - | - | - | - | 15 | - | - | - | 14 | 9 | - | 60.87% | List | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ManlyManly | 19761976 NSWRFL | 22 | - | 22 | 5 | - | 5 | - | - | - | - | 15 | - | - | - | 17 | 5 | - | 77.27% | List | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ManlyManly | 19771977 NSWRFL | 17 | - | 17 | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 3 | - | - | - | 11 | 6 | - | 64.71% | List | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ManlyManly | 19781978 NSWRFL | 14 | 3 | 17 | 2 | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | 6 | - | - | - | 10 | 5 | 2 | 58.82% | List | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NSWRFL (NRL Premiership) - By Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | Starts | Int | APP | 3ST | 3PT | T | G | A | GK % | 1FG | 2FG | FG | Pts | Bin5 | Bin | Off | W | L | D | Win% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manly | 1969-74, 1976-78 | 156 | 3 | 159 | 34 | - | 34 | - | - | - | - | 102 | - | - | - | 115 | 40 | 4 | 72.33% | List | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Contributions:
Greg Fiveash, Rugby League Tables, Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson, Alan Katzmann, Max Turner, Paul Carter, Tony McCarron, AJ Lucantonio
Sources:
Widnes RLFC History , RFL Player Registers
Your Say
13 Oct 2011 5:52pm
A lot of people rate terry randall as one of the toughest players to lace a boot,this bloke was just as tough.
14 Sep 2012 4:49pm
ian was my favorite player growing up he was tough and talented and in my opinion one of the best players to have not played 4 australia
16 Sep 2012 3:15pm
In my mind still the best ankle tackler I have seen and a tireless and very tough player.
My recollection is that he actually captained the 1975 Country firsts team in their upset win over a star-studded city team.
And four premiership wins; a great career.
20 Oct 2012 8:12am
when we arrived at dee why in 1968 from norway.at aged 6 ,i went to brooky oval and saw one of the greatest footy players play.to this day i say ian martin provided the space some of his more noted outside backs got.ian martin was the reason me and my friends went to brooky every week.full stop
26 Oct 2012 10:46pm
The greatest player never to play for Australia. Martin 's workrate was phenomenal and 4 premierhips Al's. A true Manly legend
27 Mar 2014 6:48pm
Ian Martin very good player with a deviating knee snapping tackle and mostly kept the great bob Fulton at inside centre.
18 Jun 2014 4:58pm
I remember watching Ian play u18s for forest union. He was brilliant. Inspired me to stay long term with forest
16 Aug 2014 7:08pm
great player in any era, 15/10 for toughness.
deserved more rep jumpers as recognition for sustained quality in an era of toughness and champions
17 Oct 2014 11:45pm
I PLAYED WITH HIM AND AGAINST HIM.
THE BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF HIS TIME.
22 Apr 2018 11:21pm
Ian also played for Warren ,a country town of NSW..
22 Apr 2018 11:23pm
He also played for Warren NSW.
14 Aug 2019 11:22pm
Watched Ian Martin from 1969 through his career with manly until 1978. Just one of the best Manly players in the 1970s.
and my top 3 players of Dennis Ward and John McDonald. Why he never was selected to play for Australia was an injustice.
I would say that he is a major reason why Manly won 4 titles.
Well done Ian.
1 Nov 2019 10:20pm
I went to Kindergarten and Narraweena Primary School with Ian. He always wanted to play Rugby League in the Playground, even as a very small a child. Our Families knew each other in the Neighbourhood and hung out together. He had two older Brothers I remember as nice blokes.
The best 5/8 never to have played for Australia.
25 Jul 2021 11:41am
An old Primary School mate at Narraweena PS and Neighbor, Isn was often referred to as the “best 5/8 never to play for Australia. Brilliant Player who unfortunately played his best football under the shadow of Bob Fulton.
15 Jun 2023 12:41am
Yeah, played with him at crim hill. The best in attack and defence. Always did the hard yards for noddy when he played grade. Good man.
27 Aug 2024 6:08am
Will always be one of the first mentioned when talking of the Game's most underrated players.
He is the best player I ever got to play with and the fact that when he returned to Manly after two stints in Country Rugby League 1976 and 1978 it produced premierships.
One of only four players to play in four premierships wins for Manly.
29 Aug 2024 10:57am
Whey did he stop playing at 27 years old?
Seems to be common in that era.
31 Aug 2025 5:19pm
I remember Ian would get down low and and holding the ball against his chest he would present both forearms and bump off would be tacklers. Tough as they come. What an awesome team in the 70s the Sea Eagles were.
31 Aug 2025 11:50pm
I remember Ian would get down low and and holding the ball against his chest he would present both forearms and bump off would be tacklers. Tough as they come. What an awesome team in the 70s the Sea Eagles were.
1 Sep 2025 3:33pm
I remember Ian would get down low and and holding the ball against his chest he would present both forearms and bump off would be tacklers. Tough as they come. What an awesome team in the 70s the Sea Eagles were.
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