Terry Lamb

Arguably the greatest support player the game has produced Terry Lamb's long and successful career was based upon his desire to succeed and a resolute toughness that kept him competitive through a record number of first grade appearances. The C’bury junior served a four-year apprenticeship with battlers Wests after the Bulldogs hesitated in signing him as an 18-year-old in 1980. Lamb signed with Wests because he had faith in his ability to play first grade and made his debut that year as halfback in a mid-week Tooths Cup game. Incredibly strong for his size (1.66m), Lamb's match-winner reputation grew in stature - either backing up to score a determined try or potting a late field-goal. He was a last minute replacement in NSW's State of Origin side in 1981, in which he was on the receiving end of a bashing from Wally Lewis, his opposite number. In 1983, the year Wests finished with the wooden spoon, Lamb won the 'Dally M' Player of the Year award. Signed by C’bury in 1984, he was the season's leading try-scorer (17 tries) but after a short time as C’bury captain, gave up the captaincy in favour of Steve Mortimer. After winning his first grand final in 1984 Lamb was injured in the major semi-final the following year and missed C’bury's 7-6 win against St George. In a memorable 1986 season Lamb made his Test debut as a reserve against NZ and was the season's leading point-scorer with 184pts (11t, 8fg, 66g). Beaten in the grand final by P’matta 4-2, (Lamb had a chance to equalise just before full-time but the kick was beyond him), he toured with the Kangaroos at year’s end. Lamb scored 5 tries in a match against Hull KR and created history by becoming the first player to take the field in every game on tour. He then decided to stand down from rep duty to spend time with his young family but the NSWRL refused his request and suspended him from club matches. Despite this distraction Lamb was again the leading try-scorer during the 1987 season (16 tries.) In 1988 Lamb played the perfect team-game against Balmain in the grand final, scoring half his team’s 24 points. He then regained Australian selection as a reserve in the World Cup Final in NZ after reversing his stance on his unavailability. Lamb's 7 Test appearances were each as a reserve and it seems incongruous that one of the game's most creative players did not get the chance to score a point at Test or interstate level. Despite C’bury’s problems with coaches (first with Warren Ryan followed by the sacking of Phil Gould in 1989) Lamb was able to tread that fine line between fulfilling his coach's expectations and being loyal to his club. The close of the decade saw him finish as the leading try-scorer of the 1980s (115 tries). In the face of damaging player defections to Wests Lamb held the Bulldogs together during the early 1990s with his on-field leadership and off-field, self-defacing humour. Unable to fully train because of a chronic groin tear Lamb was in superlative form during his testimonial year in 1992. Winning his 15th 'Dally M' award (a record) he went on to captain the club to back-to-back grand final appearances in 1994-95. One of the game's greatest competitors he was the first player to score 100 tries and 1000pts with the one club and, in 1994, surpassed Geoff Gerard's record for first grade matches. In early 1995 he was snapped up by Super League to act as a liaison between players and management after his retirement but there were still some personal goals to achieve. Against a highly-fancied Manly team in the 1995 grand final Lamb inspired his ‘underdogs’ to a 17-4 victory. While this would have been a fitting finale to his career he shelved plans for his retirement to help C’bury through the transitional 1996 season after the club’s ranks were decimated by the ARL-Super League war. His retirement at the end of 1996 found him second on the all-time list of try-scorers (164t, since bettered by Andrew Ettingshausen) and with the greatest number of first grade games (349) to his credit. In 1998 C’bury’s President’s Cup team overcame a 0-24 half-time deficit to give Lamb premiership success in his new career as a coach. The same year he was awarded an OAM for services to sport and to the community. After capturing the First Division premiership in 2000 Lamb succeeded Wayne Pearce as the coach of the W’Tigers. It was to prove a baptism of fire for the former champion pivot – drug scandals among players, a feud with star player Terry Hill and the ‘John Hopoate’ affair – with the club deciding not to extend his contract past the 2002 season. Lamb was brought back to the Bulldogs’ fold when elected to the club’s Board of Directors in early 2003 and the following year, as part of the C’bury club’s 75th Anniversary season, he was named captain of the club’s greatest ever team. Biography, The Terry Lamb Story (1992).