Keith Barnes

Playing Career

Vital Statistics

Full Name
Keith William Barnes
Nickname(s)
Golden Boots
Born
Tuesday, 30th October, 1934
Current Age
89 years and 141 days
Place Of Birth
Port Talbot, Neath Port Talbot, Wales

Awards & Accolades

National Rugby League Hall Of Fame
2007

Known Family Links

Cousin
Gwyl Barnes

Biography

One of the finest goal-kickers the code has seen, ‘Golden Boots’ set a point-scoring record in his 14 seasons with Balmain and became an institution with the Tigers club. W. Keith Barnes immigrated to Australia from Port Talbot in Wales in 1948. He commenced his league career in Wollongong where he first played five-eighth before moving to fullback. Barnes' faultless kicking style and his resolute last-line of defence while playing for Southern Division against Great Britain in 1954 came to the notice of Balmain stalwart 'Latchem' Robinson. Signing with the Tigers, Barnes established a club record 180pts in 1956, including three goals in the club’s 18-12 grand final loss to St George. He made his debut for Australia in the 1957 World Cup but suffered a smashed jaw when making a tackle on Kiwi prop Henry Maxwell. After playing against NZ in 1959, he went on to kick goals in each of his 14 Test appearances and was given the honour of captaining Australia on the Kangaroo tour. Australia went within a goal of winning the Ashes, losing the Second Test by a point. Barnes also led Australia in two 'friendlies' against Italy on the trip home. He went on to play against France in 1960 (kicking a record 10 goals in the Second Test in Brisbane), was selected as captain-coach of Australia in the 1960 World Cup, and against Great Britain in the 1962 Ashes series. Despite winning an around-the-world trip as ‘Player of the Year’ in 1963, he was left out of the Kangaroo squad in favour of Ken Thornett, Les Johns and Graeme Langlands. In the 1964 semi-final series Barnes scored all of all Balmain's points in the semi-final, final and grand final matches. He triumphantly returned to the Test arena in 1966 - his three goals in the Second Test in Brisbane in 1966 giving Australia a 6-4 victory to keep the Ashes series alive. Unfortunately, he was again injured and ruled out of the decider. On the club scene, Barnes continued to lead the Tigers by example, winning matches with his deadly accurate boot. Balmain went down to St George in two further grand finals, 1964 and 1966, with Barnes retiring at the beginning of the 1968 season. Injuries in the club saw him return to the playing field for one last season but the sad irony to his career is that the year after he retired Balmain won their last premiership. In retirement, Keith Barnes remained where his heart was as General Manager of the Balmain Leagues Club but stood down as Balmain Chief Executive at the end of 1994 at a period when the club changed its name to the Sydney Tigers for a short time. Balmain’s amalgamation with Wests at the end of 1999 saw the end of Barnes’ long association with the game.
- 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 %  
Country Carnival 2 - 9   - 18 2 0 0 100.00% List
Tour Matches Southern NSW 1 - -   - - 0 1 0 0.00% List
NRL 193 11 742   1 1519 115 71 7 59.59% List
Interstate Matches 11 2 50   - 106 9 2 0 81.82% List
NRL Finals 13 - 59   - 118 6 7 0 46.15% List
City vs Country Firsts 2 - 16   - 32 2 0 0 100.00% List
World Cup 3 - 5   - 10 2 1 0 66.67% List
Test Series 14 - 54   - 70 7 6 1 50.00% List
Tour Matches Australia 19 - 66   - 132 11 7 1 57.89% List
City Cup 2 - 12   - 24 2 0 0 100.00% List
The Ashes 6 - 19   - 76 2 4 0 33.33% List
Tour Matches Sydney Firsts 2 - 8   - 16 1 1 0 50.00% List
Tour Matches New South Wales Firsts 1 - 5   - 10 1 0 0 100.00% List
Craven Mild Cup 17 1 52   - 107 8 7 2 47.06% List


International

Test Matches - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Australia 1957, 1959-60, 1962, 1966 19 - 71   - 142 11 7 1 57.89% List

World Cup Matches - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Australia 1957, 1960 3 - 5   - 10 2 1 0 66.67% List


Representative

Australia - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
South West NSW 1954 1 - 3   - 6 1 0 0 100.00% List
Southern NSW 1954 1 - -   - - 0 1 0 0.00% List
Probables (AU) 1954 1 - 4   - 8 0 0 1 0.00% List
NSW Country Seconds 1954 1 - 2   - 4 1 0 0 100.00% List
NSW Firsts 1956-60, 1963 12 2 55   - 116 10 2 0 83.33% List
Metropolis 1957 1 - 6   - 12 1 0 0 100.00% List
NSW City Firsts 1957-58 2 - 16   - 32 2 0 0 100.00% List
Sydney Firsts 1960, 1966 2 - 8   - 16 1 1 0 50.00% List
Overall1954-1966 21 2 94   0 194 16 4 1 76.19% List


Club Career

NRL/NSWRL - By Year

Team Season App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Balmain NSWRFL 1955 14 1 60   - 123 7 6 1 50.00% List
Balmain NSWRFL 1956 17 - 90   - 180 12 5 0 70.59% List
Balmain NSWRFL 1957 9 3 42   - 93 5 4 0 55.56% List
Balmain NSWRFL 1958 13 2 71   - 148 9 4 0 69.23% List
Balmain NSWRFL 1959 10 1 48   - 99 3 6 1 30.00% List
Balmain NSWRFL 1960 15 - 61   - 122 9 6 0 60.00% List
Balmain NSWRFL 1961 13 - 53   - 106 7 6 0 53.85% List
Balmain NSWRFL 1962 10 - 36   - 72 2 6 2 20.00% List
Balmain NSWRFL 1963 16 4 55   - 122 11 5 0 68.75% List
Balmain NSWRFL 1964 13 - 48   - 96 10 3 0 76.92% List
Balmain NSWRFL 1965 13 - 45   - 90 7 5 1 53.85% List
Balmain NSWRFL 1966 18 - 67   - 134 12 6 0 66.67% List
Balmain NSWRFL 1967 16 - 29   - 58 9 5 2 56.25% List
Balmain NSWRFL 1968 16 - 37   1 76 12 4 0 75.00% List

NRL/NSWRL - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Balmain 1955-68 193 11 742   1 1519 115 71 7 59.59% List

Your Say

  • Anonymous
    10/06/2015

    Great player an a gentleman. Enjoyed watching him play. E????

  • T Gwyn Evans
    14/08/2015

    Keith was a talented boy at Rugby,Soccer and cricket at a very young age. He grew up in Margam, Port Talbot, south Wales.
    We used to play on a patch of land opposite his home.
    Playing cricket we could never get him out !
    i considered him as a friend. We played together for Aberavon
    School Boys against Cardiff Boys at the Arms Park.
    Not long after his family emigrated to Australia the rest is history. What a Talent!!

  • David Jones
    13/12/2015

    I knew Keith when he and I lived in Margam, Port Talbot and played a sort of touch rugby on the field opposite his home at 4 Tollgate Rd. We were about 10 years old at the time. His Mum used to feed us beef dripping on chunks of bread afterwards, He was pretty good even then !

  • irene o"connor
    10/03/2018

    He will always remain my favorate player. A perfect gentleman on and off the field. He always made time to talk to young and old and made you feel his equal. I enjoyed watching him play. Because of him I became a tiger fan and to this day I remain one. I am now 66 and still watch all of the tigers games. Thank you Keith

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Contributions: Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson, Greg Fiveash, Rugby League Tables, Alan Katzmann, Paul Carter, Bill Bates