Playing Career
Vital Statistics
- Full Name
- Gordon Lionel Clifford
- Nickname(s)
- Punchy
- Born
- Wednesday, 4th April, 1928
- Died
- Saturday, 22nd November, 2008 (Aged 80 years and 232 days)
- Place Of Birth
- Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Biography
Goal-kicking fullback had a long career with the Newtown club, including two grand final losses to Souths in 1954-55, before breaking into Test football in 1956. Clifford was a popular choice on the 1956-57 Kangaroo tour after playing against NZ that year and appeared in 14 matches on tour, top-scoring with 94pts (2t, 44g). When Clive Churchill was injured in the First Test against Great Britain, Clifford was selected in the remaining Tests against Great Britain and France. He appeared in only one match for NSW, in 1957, and played final Test series the following year against Great Britain.
- 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 % | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NRL | 120 | 7 | 461 | 4 | 951 | 66 | 49 | 5 | 55.00% | List | ||||
| Country Carnival | 3 | - | 13 | - | 26 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| NRL Finals | 5 | - | 21 | 3 | 48 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 40.00% | List | ||||
| Tour Matches | Australia | 16 | 2 | 57 | - | 120 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 68.75% | List | |||
| Test Series | 8 | - | 24 | - | 14 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 62.50% | List | ||||
| Tour Matches | Sydney Firsts | 2 | - | 11 | - | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.00% | List | |||
| The Ashes | 5 | - | 17 | - | 68 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 40.00% | List | ||||
| Interstate Matches | 1 | - | 9 | - | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
| Tour Matches | New South Wales Firsts | 1 | - | 5 | - | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | |||
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Test Matches - By Team | ||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
| Australia | 1956-58 | 8 | - | 24 | - | 48 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 62.50% | List | |||
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Australia - By Team | ||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
| NSW City Seconds | 1954, 1956 | 2 | - | 10 | - | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.00% | List | |||
| Probables (AU) | 1955 | 1 | - | 3 | - | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | |||
| Sydney Firsts | 1956, 1958 | 2 | - | 11 | - | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.00% | List | |||
| NSW Firsts | 1957-58 | 2 | - | 14 | - | 28 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.00% | List | |||
| Overall | 1954-1958 | 7 | 0 | 38 | 0 | 76 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 42.86% | List | |||
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NRL/NSWRL - By Year | ||||||||||||||
| Team | Season | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
| Newtown | NSWRFL 1951 | 16 | 2 | 40 | - | 86 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 31.25% | List | |||
| Newtown | NSWRFL 1952 | 17 | - | 53 | - | 106 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 35.29% | List | |||
| Newtown | NSWRFL 1953 | 12 | - | 44 | - | 88 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 58.33% | List | |||
| Newtown | NSWRFL 1954 | 16 | 1 | 77 | 3 | 163 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 75.00% | List | |||
| Newtown | NSWRFL 1955 | 19 | - | 91 | 1 | 184 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 73.68% | List | |||
| Newtown | NSWRFL 1956 | 10 | 3 | 45 | - | 99 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 70.00% | List | |||
| Newtown | NSWRFL 1957 | 10 | 1 | 32 | - | 67 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 40.00% | List | |||
| Newtown | NSWRFL 1958 | 14 | - | 62 | - | 124 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 64.29% | List | |||
| Eastern Suburbs | NSWRFL 1960 | 6 | - | 17 | - | 34 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 33.33% | List | |||
NRL/NSWRL - By Team | ||||||||||||||
| Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
| Newtown | 1951-58 | 114 | 7 | 444 | 4 | 917 | 64 | 45 | 5 | 56.14% | List | |||
| Eastern Suburbs | 1960 | 6 | - | 17 | - | 34 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 33.33% | List | |||
| Overall | 1951-1960 | 120 | 7 | 461 | 4 | 951 | 66 | 49 | 5 | 55.00% | List | |||
Contributions:
Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson, Greg Fiveash, Rugby League Tables, Bill Bates
Your Say
Richard Cornford says: Gordon was a brilliant fullback for Newtown.He would have played many more games for NSW and Australia had he not been competing against the great Clive Churchill.I can remember my school days walking past the service station on Canterbury Road Marrickville that was owned by Dick Poole and Gordon Clifford.I would always be looking for a chance to have a chat to one of them.Great memories. (16/04/2017)
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