Steve Rogers

One of the greatest centres of the post-war period, Steve Rogers was a Cronulla junior who spent three seasons playing for Southport in the Gold Coast competition after his parents moved to Queensland in their retirement. Signed by Cronulla (and future ARL) official Bob Abbott, Rogers was graded with the Sharks as an 18-year-old in 1973 and played in the club's historic grand final loss to Manly. Gaining selection with the Kangaroos, he did not play a Test on tour (he broke his jaw in France). Rogers was clearly destined for a great career but he suffered a knee injury in 1974, requiring a cartilage operation. In 1975 he won the Rothmans Medal for best and fairest player and continued to set records with his goal-kicking and gifted running (his 10g against Wests in 1977 is still a club record). An integral member of Australia's World Cup squads in 1975 and 1977, he had to wait until 1978 to make his Test debut (against NZ prior to the Kangaroo Tour). Rogers captained Cronulla in the 1978 grand final, landing four goals in the 11-all draw with Manly, but the Sharks were soundly beaten in the replay. Rogers also spent time in the forwards that year, showing his prowess as a cover-defender at lock. After representing Australia in the Ashes series against Great Britain in 1979, he had the honour of captaining Australia against France in 1981. In 1980, Rogers played for NSW in the inaugural State of Origin match but interestingly, he should have played for Queensland because his first senior representative match was for Brisbane Seconds. His partnership with Mick Cronin in the centres was one of the most effective in international football and a third Kangaroo tour followed, in 1982. With Cronulla battling to pay their star players, and in pursuit of a personal quest to win a premiership, Rogers signed with St George in 1983. Despite representing Australia again, Rogers' stay with the Dragons was plagued with injury but his finest match for the club was in defeat in the 1984 final against P’matta (a week later he played in the club's unsuccessful reserve grade grand final team). Rogers’ return to Cronulla lasted only the one match after his jaw was broken in an illegal tackle. He was then reluctantly involved in a protracted court case against C’bury forward Mark Bugden and although he did not play again for the club, finished his career with the Sharks as the greatest point-scorer in the club’s history. In October 1995, Rogers broke his leg playing for Widnes and when the injury didn’t heal sufficiently, he was unable to fulfill his planned move to I’warra for 1986 and retired. Moving to the Gold Coast, he coached in Queensland and Darwin with some success, but pulled out of a joint coaching position with Arthur Beetson at Cronulla in 1992. After two seasons as football manager with the W’Reds, he rejoined Cronulla in that role when the Super League club folded, rising to the position of Chief Executive of the Sharks. Rogers tragically died in January 2006, aged just 51, after accidentally taking an overdose of medication prescribed for depression.

Additional Notes

Father of Mat Rogers.
Rogers holds the standing record for the most points ever scored for the Cronulla club

Career Statistics

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