Referee Career
All information provided below is based only on data available in the RLP database and should be used as a guide only.
Vital Statistics
- Full Name
- Keith Victor Holman
- Nickname(s)
- Yappy
- Born
- Friday, 11th September, 1925
- Died
- Monday, 10th October, 2011 (Aged 86 years and 29 days)
- Place Of Birth
- Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
Competitions Won
Biography
Terrier-like halfback, first turned away by Sydney clubs because of his small stature, went on to become a giant at international level. Holman was an orphan who lived in Surry Hills before joining the RAAF during WWII. He came to Wests in 1948 from Dubbo on the recommendation of former clubman Eric Bennett and played for NSW the following year. His Test debut against Great Britain in 1950, the first of his 12 Test series during his career, was certainly a memorable one with Australia securing the Ashes for the first time since 1920. ‘Yappy' Holman formed a great partnership with Frank Stanmore at club, state and Test level and went on to shape the role of the modern halfback by setting standards for fitness, defence and work-rate to which future greats would aspire. Wests won the grand final in 1952 but Holman did not take part in the match as he was on tour with the Kangaroos. Another Kangaroo tour followed (1956-57) as well as two World Cup campaigns (1954 & 1957) and by the time his Test career finished in 1958, he had amassed the then record 32 Tests including 14 matches against Great Britain. Captain-coach of Wests in 1954-44 the only minor setback to his ‘rep’ career was when he was left out of the Sydney v. France match, along with Clive Churchill in 1955. While the Magpies could not win another premiership, Holman was given an emotional farewell by the SCG crowd after the club’s 1961 grand final loss to St George. After his retirement he took up the referee's whistle and officiated in the 1971 grand final. (In an interstate match at Lang Park, he sent off four players and caused a mini riot.) Holman also coached Port Kembla, his beloved Wests to victory in the Amco Cup final in 1977 - his swansong to a thirty-year involvement in the game – and was awarded an MBE the same year.
- ALAN WHITICKER
Additional Notes
Served in World War II with the RAAF as a Leading Aircraftsman. Most records indicate Keith Holman was born in 1927, but this is incorrect.
Referee Career Statistics
To view a list of corresponding matches, click on the List button.
| Representative Career - International | Referee | Touch Judge | Video Ref | Sr. Review | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests (Senior International Matches) | 2 | - | - | - | List | |||||||||
| Tour Matches | 3 | - | - | - | List | |||||||||
| Test Series | 2 | - | - | - | List | |||||||||
| Representative Career - Australia | Referee | Touch Judge | Video Ref | Sr. Review | ||||||||||
| Interstate Series | 2 | - | - | - | List | |||||||||
| NSW City vs Country Firsts | 3 | - | - | - | List | |||||||||
| NSW City vs Country | 3 | - | - | - | List | |||||||||
| Club Career - Australia | Referee | Touch Judge | Video Ref | Sr. Review | ||||||||||
| NSWRFL (NRL Premiership) | 153 | - | - | - | List | |||||||||
| NRL Finals | 2 | - | - | - | List | |||||||||
| Preseason Cup | 32 | - | - | - | List | |||||||||
| Midweek Cup | 4 | - | - | - | List | |||||||||
| Endeavour Cup | 4 | - | - | - | List | |||||||||
| Other | Referee | Touch Judge | Video Ref | Sr. Review | ||||||||||
| NSW Reserve Grade | 2 | - | - | - | List | |||||||||
| Overall | Referee | Touch Judge | Video Ref | Sr. Review | ||||||||||
| First Class | 197 | - | - | - | List | |||||||||
| Test Matches (1972) | 2 | - | - | - | List | |||||||||
| Australia (1970-1974) | 9 | - | - | - | List | |||||||||
NSWRFL (NRL Premiership) - By Year | ||||||||||||||
| Season | Referee | Touch Judge | Video Ref | Sr. Review | ||||||||||
| 19651965 NSWRFL | 11 | - | - | - | List | |||||||||
| 19661966 NSWRFL | 3 | - | - | - | List | |||||||||
| 19671967 NSWRFL | 6 | - | - | - | List | |||||||||
| 19681968 NSWRFL | 13 | - | - | - | List | |||||||||
| 19691969 NSWRFL | 12 | - | - | - | List | |||||||||
| 19701970 NSWRFL | 22 | - | - | - | List | |||||||||
| 19711971 NSWRFL | 22 | - | - | - | List | |||||||||
| 19721972 NSWRFL | 21 | - | - | - | List | |||||||||
| 19731973 NSWRFL | 22 | - | - | - | List | |||||||||
| 19741974 NSWRFL | 21 | - | - | - | List | |||||||||
| NSWRFL (NRL Premiership) (1965-1974) | 153 | - | - | - | List | |||||||||
NSW/QLD Cup - By Year | ||||||||||||||
| Season | Referee | Touch Judge | Video Ref | Sr. Review | ||||||||||
| 19741974 NSWRFL Reserve Grade | 2 | - | - | - | List | |||||||||
| NSW/QLD Cup (1974) | 2 | - | - | - | List | |||||||||
Contributions:
Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson, Greg Fiveash, Max Turner, Rugby League Tables, Jason Ganter, Paul Carter, Gary Neale, Tony McCarron, Alan Katzmann, Wests Archives, AJ Lucantonio, Bill Bates, Tim Costello
Sources:
RFL Player Registers

Your Say
16 Oct 2012 2:13pm
keithy shoud of been atleast be named the 8th immortal or regarded as one of the people that have had one of the biggest impact on an off the field what he did for rugby league was and is unmatchable.
28 Nov 2013 4:38pm
Keith Holman worked for many years as a furniture saleman at Beberfalds which was located on the corner of George St and Park St Sydney (now Woolworths) . My stepfather knew him quite well as he worked for the same company and was an League tragic. When I was about 10 or 11 he loaned me one of his Australian Test jumpers and socks which I wore at a school fancy dress ball at Chatsworth in Sydney and still have a photograph, some 52 yrs later. I recall meeting on a number of occasions.
6 Jun 2018 11:02pm
My dad, Fred always sang Keith’s (or Keithy’s as he called him) praises as a footy player and friend. Keith was best man and witness at my parents’ wedding in 1950. I have a signed photograph of him which he gave my dad. When he was young, my brother had one of Keith’s Australian jerseys which he proudly wore on weekends until it eventually wore out. I wish now I’d asked dad more questions about Keith and how they met. I know dad lived in a tin shanty at La Perouse during the Great Depression and Yarra Bay is not far from there so that could possibly be how he and Keith connected.
13 Sep 2020 12:18pm
To me he should have been named in team of the decade considering how many players were.I am 83yo old now and my theory for this is a great halfback makes a five eight and their were at least 4 players that represented Australia in Keith’s era
who played outside him for west’s Played his full career with west’s and never won a premiership.To compare players of different eras is silly eg 20 years ago in swimming freestyle the best male swimmers of that era would not be named in the women’s relay team of modern era
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