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Richard Swain

  • Playing Career

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
Wednesday, 2nd July, 1975
Current Age
50 years and 343 days
Place Of Birth
Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia

Competitions Won

Test Series
2002 Baskerville Shield
NRL Premiership
1999
Challenge Cup
2005
World Club Challenge
2000

Biography

NZ-born, but raised in Tamworth, Swain moved to Newcastle where he attended University. After being selected for I’warra Under 21s in 1994, he asked Newcastle lower grade coach Peter Sharp for a trial when he couldn’t transfer his degree course to Wollongong. A member of the Knights’ reserve grade team that won the 1995 premiership, Swain made his first grade debut with Super League club Hunter Mariners in 1997, playing hooker, lock and centre. Swain claimed the first grade hooker role at Melbourne and in 1999, played his part in the Storms’ miraculous grand final win against St George I’warra. Despite Melbourne’s troubled 2000-01 seasons, Swain marked himself as tough competitor (playing in 100 consecutive games with the club) and a relentless defender (much was made of his becoming the first player to make 1000 tackles in the 2001 season). After playing in 20 Tests for the Kiwis between 1999 and 2002, he was cut from Melbourne at the end of the season and joined the Broncos. The following year he left Brisbane for English club Hull.
- ALAN WHITICKER

Playing Career Statistics

To view a list of corresponding matches, click on the List button.
Representative Career - International   Comp Wins Starts Int APP ST PT T G   A GK % 1FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
Tests (Senior International Matches) - 18 2 20 4-4 15     - - 46 - 1 - 11 8 1 55.00% List
Anzac Tests - 1 1 2 --- -     - - - - - - - 2 - 0.00% List
Tri-Nations - 2 1 3 --- -     - - - - - - 2 1 - 66.67% List
World Cup - 6 - 6 --- -     - - - - - - 5 1 - 83.33% List
Tour Matches New ZealandNZL - 8 1 9 1-1 15     - - 34 - 1 - 6 2 1 66.67% List
Test Series 1 3 - 3 --- 4     - - 8 - - - 1 1 1 33.33% List
Club Career - Australia   Comp Wins Starts Int APP ST PT T G   A GK % 1FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
Super League/NRL Premiership 1 154 12 166 17-17 18 / 30 60.00% - - 104 - - - 86 76 4 51.81% List
NRL Finals - 6 2 8 1-1 -     - - 4 - - - 4 4 - 50.00% List
Club Career - UK   Comp Wins Starts Int APP ST PT T G   A GK % 1FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
Super League - 89 - 89 5-5 0 / 1 0.00% - - 20 - 1 - 54 31 4 60.67% List
Challenge Cup 1 5 - 5 --- -     - - - - - - 4 1 - 80.00% List
Super League Finals - 6 - 6 1-1 -     - - 4 - - - 2 4 - 33.33% List
World Club Challenge 1 1 - 1 --- -     - - - - - - 1 - - 100.00% List
UK Top Division - 89 - 89 5-5 0 / 1 0.00% - - 20 - 1 - 54 31 4 60.67% List
Overall   Starts Int APP ST PT T G   A GK % 1FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
First Class  269 20 289 27-27 49     - - 206 - 2 - 163 117 9 56.40% List

Test Matches - By Team

Team Years   Starts Int APP ST PT T G   A GK % 1FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
New Zealand 1999-03   18 2 20 4-4 15     - - 46 - 1 - 11 8 1 55.00% List

World Cup Matches - By Team

Team Years   Starts Int APP ST PT T G   A GK % 1FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
New Zealand 1999-2000   6 - 6 --- -     - - - - - - 5 1 - 83.33% List

Super League/NRL Premiership - By Year

Team Season   Starts Int APP ST PT T G   A GK % 1FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
HunterHunter 19971997 Super League Telstra Cup   6 7 13--- 4 / 11 36.36% - - 8 - - - 4 9 - 30.77% List
MelbourneMelbourne 19981998 NRL Premiership   22 5 273-3 -     - - 12 - - - 18 8 1 66.67% List
MelbourneMelbourne 19991999 NRL Premiership   28 - 283-3 -     - - 12 - - - 19 9 - 67.86% List
MelbourneMelbourne 20002000 Telstra NRL Premiership   27 - 271-1 -     - - 4 - - - 14 12 1 51.85% List
MelbourneMelbourne 20012001 Telstra NRL Premiership   26 - 265-5 -     - - 20 - - - 11 14 1 42.31% List
MelbourneMelbourne 20022002 Telstra NRL Premiership   24 - 245-5 12 / 16 75.00% - - 44 - - - 9 14 1 37.50% List
BrisbaneBrisbane 20032003 Telstra NRL Premiership   21 - 21--- 2 / 3 66.67% - - 4 - - - 11 10 - 52.38% List

Super League/NRL Premiership - By Team

Team Years   Starts Int APP ST PT T G   A GK % 1FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
Hunter 1997   6 7 13 --- 4     - - 8 - - - 4 9 - 30.77% List
Melbourne 1998-02   127 5 132 17-17 12 / 16 75.00% - - 92 - - - 71 57 4 53.79% List
Brisbane 2003   21 - 21 --- 2 / 3 66.67% - - 4 - - - 11 10 - 52.38% List

English Career - By Year

Team Season   Starts Int APP ST PT T G   A GK % 1FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
Hull FCHull FC 2004   32 - 322-2 - / 1 0.00% - - 8 - - - 21 10 2 65.63% List
Hull FCHull FC 2005   19 - 192-2 -     - - 8 - - - 13 8 - 68.42% List
Hull FCHull FC 2006   27 - 27--- -     - - - - 1 - 20 10 - 74.07% List
Hull FCHull FC 2007   16 - 161-1 -     - - 4 - - - 6 8 2 37.50% List

English Career - By Team

Team Years   Starts Int APP ST PT T G   A GK % 1FG FG Pts Bin5 Bin Off W L D Win%  
Hull FC 2004-07   94 - 94 5-5 - / 1 0.00% - - 20 - 1 - 58 32 4 61.70% List

Your Say

  • linda and Nigel
    25 Sep 2015 1:32pm

    A favourite storm player. Hope life is treating yoy well SwainYThink of you often. Go Storm tomorrow. Nigel and Llinda

  • Matthew Foreman
    29 Apr 2018 1:40pm

    Remembering growing up and really enjoy watching this player. It was Buderus v Swain constantly for who was the best hooker of the time.

  • wil swain
    26 Oct 2018 12:35pm

    We live in eleebana now thats my proof and my dad has his ring and stuff up stairs still with his trophys

  • Anonymous
    20 May 2020 7:40pm

    Was he born in Australia or NZ???

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Contributions: Rugby League Tables, Greg Fiveash, AJ Lucantonio, Andrew Ferguson, Shawn Dollin, Paul Carter, Alan Katzmann, Tony McCarron, Max Turner, Cymru RL, Bill Bates

Sources: David Middleton's Rugby League Yearbook (1987-88 to present), Richard Bailey's Rugby League World , Warrington Rugby Heritage , Widnes RLFC History , News Reports