Neil Pringle

  • Playing Career

Playing Career

Vital Statistics

Born
Sunday, 20th July, 1952
Current Age
71 years and 252 days

Biography

Newtown junior was graded as a 15-year-old hooker from the club's President's Cup team. Shifting to the centres Pringle made his first grade debut in 1972 at age 18 and represented NSW Colts before moving to lock forward. He joined Balmain in 1975 and toured NZ with a Combined Sydney side the following year. A whole-hearted player he was struck down by a mystery virus that attacked his nervous system at the end of the 1979 season. Pringle resumed his career but later made way for Wayne Pearce in the Balmain pack. He left the club in 1983 to captain-coach Cessnock.
- ALAN WHITICKER

Playing 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 List button.

Competitions

Competition   App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Endeavour Cup 1 - -   - - 0 1 0 0.00% List
Craven Mild Cup 13 3 -   - 9 7 6 0 53.85% List
NRL 182 46 -   - 138 88 84 10 48.35% List
NRL Finals 6 2 -   - 6 3 2 1 50.00% List
City vs Country Firsts 1 - -   - - 1 0 0 100.00% List


Representative

Australia - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
NSW Firsts 1972 1 - -   - - 0 1 0 0.00% List
NSW City Seconds 1973 1 1 -   - 3 1 0 0 100.00% List
NSW City Firsts 1974 1 - -   - - 1 0 0 100.00% List
Combined Sydney 1976 5 3 -   - 9 2 3 0 40.00% List
Overall1972-1976 8 4 0   0 12 4 4 0 50.00% List


Club Career

NRL/NSWRL - By Year

Team Season App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Newtown NSWRFL 1972 17 5 -   - 15 10 6 1 58.82% List
Newtown NSWRFL 1973 23 8 -   - 24 15 7 1 65.22% List
Newtown NSWRFL 1974 20 5 -   - 15 9 10 1 45.00% List
Balmain NSWRFL 1975 21 5 -   - 15 10 10 1 47.62% List
Balmain NSWRFL 1976 18 1 -   - 3 9 8 1 50.00% List
Balmain NSWRFL 1977 21 12 -   - 36 13 7 1 61.90% List
Balmain NSWRFL 1978 20 4 -   - 12 8 11 1 40.00% List
Balmain NSWRFL 1979 16 5 -   - 15 8 7 1 50.00% List
Balmain NSWRFL 1980 3 - -   - - 0 3 0 0.00% List
Balmain NSWRFL 1981 17 1 -   - 3 5 11 1 29.41% List
Balmain NSWRFL 1982 6 - -   - - 1 4 1 16.67% List

NRL/NSWRL - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Newtown 1972-74 60 18 -   - 54 34 23 3 56.67% List
Balmain 1975-82 122 28 -   - 84 54 61 7 44.26% List
Overall1972-1982 182 46 0   0 138 88 84 10 48.35% List

Your Say

  • Jamie
    11/08/2011

    Hi,

    Does anyone know the whereabouts of Neil nowadays?

  • Anonymous
    04/01/2012

    fabulous open ball runner,most times when he touched the ball a try would seem likely,whole hearted all rounder.

  • Anonymous
    17/02/2012

    Bring Back the Biff!!!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2JttyTZBc0

  • Anonymous
    16/04/2012

    great person

  • Michael
    20/04/2012

    Marrickville boy. Legend has it that he tried out for Newtown when he was 13 & was graded in 3rd grade until the selectors found out his true age & told to comeback in a few years. Broke my heart when he left Newtown. Great cover defender & good ball runner. Always gave 100% . Living in Queensland these days & a regular at Newtown re union days at Henson Park .
    Sorry to here about his son's passing.

  • Anonymous
    07/05/2012

    I remember Neil's supreme skills as a copybook tackler. Around the legs and down to the bootlaces.
    Spectacular to watch, very effective and usually perormed with complete safety to Neil and the ball carrier. He was a great front on and covering defender. Oh, and a top attacking player as well.
    A truely great lock forward.

  • E Curb Nottus
    07/05/2012

    Started his career with the Blues like he was going to something really special, but somehow it never got to the top level.

    Pringle had so much potential as a loose forward (and as a pivot), I likened him to the dynamic Nev Hornery who also shone for a short time (circa 1970) and then his career just petered out.

  • bill
    16/06/2012

    Running off Brian Lockwood was like drinking mothers to me ,it was so good. U were a star that should have gone further.Hope u are having a rewarding life wherever u are.

  • klm
    01/07/2012

    Apart from his undoubted skill he is almost single -handedly responsible for the professional era. It was he who challenged the big boys in court.

  • Trevor
    22/10/2012

    A living legend,I watched him at leichardt oval in 1979 in a fight with ray price,he almost killed price. Very tough man bing

  • Anonymous
    20/08/2013

    WHAT A GREAT PLAYER AND GREAT BLOKE

  • David
    08/10/2013

    I meet with Neil on the gold coast for work reasons in the building industry,
    A complete gentleman with a heart of gold.

  • Anonymous
    25/11/2013

    i became a balmain supporter because of him. he worked at the local liquor store in Stanmore,

  • Phil Kafcaloudes
    25/04/2014

    I loved watching Neil with the Tigers. He was a cheeky bugger.. would steal the ball, then when his nemesis, ref greg Hartley would ping him, would raise his arms, act incredulous and ask what he did to deserve a penalty. My favourite player: cunning, fast and thoroughly enjoying every minute on the paddock

  • allan crackers caco caunt
    22/07/2014

    neil who i have known personally since working together for o.brien glass in 1967, is a very compassionate human being and a great rugby league player, his representive career was curtailed due to football polictics, which i remind him each time when we get together for a quite drink,he was right up there with the greats , past and present,and has been a very loyal mate, not just to me but to everyone who knows him, neil is is a champion in every respect of life, in fact none come any better, crackers caco

  • John
    07/10/2014

    Sadly he has had to go through the anguish of losing his son in 2013 due to a mental illness.

  • john( balmain fan )
    22/10/2014

    Neil pringle,,was a wholehearted player,& wonderful ball runner,& a tough defender, who always tackled around the legs, he was my favourite balmain player in the 70s

  • Anonymous
    16/11/2014

    great bloke and legend of rugby league always there to help other people

  • john
    09/02/2015

    wonderful,wholehearted lock forward in the 70s for the mighty Balmain tigers,formed a formidable partnership with brian lockwood,

  • ian
    12/02/2015

    what a top bloke. have a beer every now and then. a champion then and still one now

  • Bill
    30/03/2016

    Lives in Qld accidentally met him in Orange this Easter and had conversation with him. A lovely bloke. Still strong looking but a lot less hair. Like most of us at this age.

  • Hutch
    12/05/2016

    What can you say about Neil one of the best players to ever play the game.

  • Anonymous
    15/07/2017

    Top bloke.
    Met him after state of origin 2017.
    Absolute legend bloke.
    Very priveledged to have met him and a lot of other legends of leugue!!????

  • Bluey
    02/10/2017

    Met Neil and Mary when he had the Coolangatta Sands Hotel. He was best mates with Larry Corowa. A really genuine good bloke with great senses of humour. Enjoyed having a beer with him. Although his career had finished and I was still playing. I remembered him as brilliant lock forward when I was a young junior here in Qld. He lived on the Goldy and probably still does.

  • John
    07/03/2018

    Wonderful wholehearted player for the balmain tigers in the middle to late 70s,with a never say die attitude,

  • joe
    28/08/2019

    had a great partnership with brian lockwood in the mid seventies that magic flick pass

  • joe banting
    03/10/2019

    great player running of flick passes from brian lockwood

  • John Martin
    13/01/2020

    Neil Pringle was my first ever favourite player,,and is one the reasons I became a passionate balmain tigers fan,, he was such a wholehearted player who covered enormous ground and a tough copy book tackler, one of the finest players in the 1970s not to play for Australia, thanks for the memories,,

  • Anonymous
    03/12/2020

    Went to school with Neil at Marrickville De La Salle, and played with him for the school, a tough boy even at fifteen or so, but a real nice guy.

  • Peter Nissen
    06/04/2021

    Neil lives at Cooly on the Gold Coast, a great man, I had the pleasure to play with him in Reserve grade on a couple of occasions. He was passionate and gave 110%, he is fit and going well and has time for everyone.

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Contributions: Greg Fiveash, Andrew Ferguson, Rugby League Tables, Paul Carter, Shawn Dollin, Steven Russo, Alan Katzmann, AJ Lucantonio