Eric Simms

  • Playing Career

Playing Career

Vital Statistics

Born
Thursday, 2nd August, 1945
Current Age
79 years and 102 days
Place Of Birth
Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia

Honours & Awards

Based only on data available in the RLP database. This information should be used as a guide only.

World Cup
1968, 1970
Interstate Series
1968
NSWRFL Premiership (NRL)
1967, 1968, 1970, 1971
Preseason Cup
1966, 1969, 1972
Clive Churchill Medal
1968

Biography

Superlative goal-kicker set many records during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Simms grew up in Raymond Terrace but was a Souths President's Cup player in 1965 when he was called up into the club's top grade. Playing in the centres in the grand final against St George, Simms kicked two goals in the 12-8 loss … and then played for La Perouse in his district competition a week later! Simms went on to play in five consecutive grand finals from 1967-71 … his boot guided the club to victory with a late goal in the 1967 grand final over C’bury, against Manly in 1968 (5g) and in 1970, again against Manly, when he scored 14pts (4g, 3fg) in Souths’ 23-12 win. Simms provided another piece of rugby league history when his field goal against St George in the 1971 grand final resulted in a 1-0 half-time score. (His field goal ability indirectly resulted in the League reducing it to just one point in 1971.) In 1969 Simms kicked 19fg compared with one - in the grand final - in 1971). He was the season's leading point-scorer from 1967 to 1970, breaking Dave Brown's long-standing season total with 265pts (1t, 112g, 19fg) in 1969. In a match against Penrith that year, Simms potted 6g and a record 5fg! Simms was a member of Australia's victorious World Cup teams in 1968 (scoring a record 50pts in the competition) and again in 1970 (a late call up when Graeme Langlands withdrew with a broken hand). In the 1970 World Cup final at Leeds, he was punched in the face as he attempted to shake hands with Great Britain winger John Atkinson after the match. Although his point-scoring record was ultimately beaten by P’matta’s Mick Cronin in 1978, Simms’ 11 goals in a match (twice) is still a club record. The greatest point-scorer in the history of Souths, he left the club at the end of 1975 to take on a captain-coach role with Crookwell.
- 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   Comp Wins App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
World Cup 2 8 1 37   5 87 6 2 0 75.00% List
Tour Matches Australia - 4 - 19   - 38 4 0 0 100.00% List
Interstate Series 1 1 - 6   1 14 1 0 0 100.00% List
City vs Country Firsts - 1 - 4   1 10 1 0 0 100.00% List
NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) 4 206 23 803   86 1841 131 72 3 63.59% List
NSWRFL Finals - 16 - 48   10 115 11 5 0 68.75% List
Preseason Cup 3 42 3 129   4 275 31 10 1 73.81% List
Midweek Cup - 4 - 6   - 12 2 2 0 50.00% List


International

Test Matches - By Team

Team Years   App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Australia 1968, 1970   9 1 39   5 91 7 2 0 77.78% List

World Cup Matches - By Team

Team Years   App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Australia 1968, 1970   8 1 37   5 87 6 2 0 75.00% List


Representative

Australia - By Team

Team Years   App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
NSW City Seconds 1968   1 - 3   - 6 1 0 0 100.00% List
NSW Firsts 1968   1 - 6   1 14 1 0 0 100.00% List
NSW City Firsts 1969   1 - 4   1 10 1 0 0 100.00% List
Overall1968-1969   3 0 13   2 30 3 0 0 100.00% List


Club Career

NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) - By Year

Team Season   App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
South Sydney NSWRFL 1965   5 - 14   - 28 3 2 0 60.00% List
South Sydney NSWRFL 1966   13 2 39   - 84 7 6 0 53.85% List
South Sydney NSWRFL 1967   24 3 100   12 233 18 6 0 75.00% List
South Sydney NSWRFL 1968   21 - 77   29 212 16 5 0 76.19% List
South Sydney NSWRFL 1969   24 1 112   19 265 19 5 0 79.17% List
South Sydney NSWRFL 1970   22 3 96   20 241 17 4 1 77.27% List
South Sydney NSWRFL 1971   18 3 88   1 186 14 4 0 77.78% List
South Sydney NSWRFL 1972   20 2 81   2 170 13 7 0 65.00% List
South Sydney NSWRFL 1973   16 2 62   1 131 7 8 1 43.75% List
South Sydney NSWRFL 1974   22 2 66   - 138 11 10 1 50.00% List
South Sydney NSWRFL 1975   21 5 68   2 153 6 15 0 28.57% List

NSWRFL Premiership (NRL) - By Team

Team Years   App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
South Sydney 1965-75   206 23 803   86 1841 131 72 3 63.59% List

Your Say

  • Luket
    01/08/2012

    "Ecca" was also known as Mr Cool - so good under the high ball and taking pressure kicks at goal.

  • Bob
    18/08/2014

    This great sportsman is the reason I have followed rugby league for almost fifty years

  • Anthony kassis
    02/08/2016

    Happy birthday! You are my football legend. You are the best

  • Ross
    26/08/2016

    A real class act and a real gentleman .No one on our current first grade Bunnies team can come any were near his record.

  • Geoffrey Pearson
    22/03/2018

    I met Eric Simms at the Yarra Bay Sailing Club when I was in my teens and Eric was reaching the peak of his career. Eric sponsored a race in the Junior Division and he came out to watch us rig our boats, sail the race and he also signed several autographs.

    Eric was arguably the greatest footballer of all time. After all, who else has caused the NRL to change the rules of the game to stop them being the most prolific point scorer, year after year.

    Eric was an international champion of rugby league but a more humble gentleman you could never meet. If the NRL players of today conducted themselves in the manner of Eric Simms, both on and off the field, then Rugby League today would still have the image and respect it did 50 years ago.

  • Andrew Engel
    04/09/2020

    Went to school with Eric (always know as Simsy in those days) and have fond memories of Raymond Terrace and woodwork teacher legget where he learned the kicking art. Love to get in touch after all these years.

  • Martin
    29/09/2022

    Eric Simms was my hero from the 1965 grand final til retirement, so much so my nick name at School was Eric. By co-incidence I was at his second last game (at Cumberland) for Souths and jumped the fence at the end to pat him on the back. I hadnt realised he was retiring and that I had seen the last of his great goals that day.

  • Malcolm Peacock
    13/11/2022

    Eric played for Stroud A grade when he was 16.

  • Want to have your say about this player? Add a comment.

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