Sam Backo
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| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Samuel Backo | |
| Date of birth | 1 January 1961 | |
| Height | 188 cm (6 ft 2 in) | |
| Nickname(s) | Slammin' Sam | |
| Club information | ||
| Position(s) | Prop forward | |
| Current club | Retired | |
| Youth clubs | ||
| Years | Club | |
| Herbert River | ||
| Senior clubs* | ||
| Years | Club | Apps (points) |
1983–1988 1988–1989 1989–1990 |
Fortitude Valley Diehards Canberra Raiders Leeds RLFC Brisbane Broncos |
115 (60) 20 (12) |
| Representative teams | ||
| 1988–1990 1988–1989 |
Queensland Maroons Australian Kangaroos |
7 (12) 6 (12) |
|
* Professional club appearances and points |
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Sam Backo (born 1 January 1961) is an Australian former professional rugby league player who represented Queensland and Australia. In the New South Wales Rugby League premiership Backo played for the Canberra Raiders and Brisbane Broncos, primarily as a prop forward. Backo was the first Australian forward to score tries in all three Tests of an Ashes series.
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[edit] Club career
Originally from Ingham, Queensland, Backo was a forward for Cairns in the Queensland Rugby League's Northern Division before moving south to Woden Valley in the New South Wales Country Rugby League's Group 8 competition in 1981. The following year he returned to his home state to play for Yeppoon in the Central Division competition.
After playing with Valleys in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership, in 1983 Backo was given his first opportunity in the NSWRFL, playing five matches at second-row for the Canberra Raiders. He made his debut on 19 March against the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Redfern Oval. From 1984, he was a regular member of the starting line-up at Canberra and appeared in his, and the club's, first grand final appearance against Manly in 1987. During his career with Canberra, Backo scored a total of 15 tries in 115 first-grade matches.
Between the 1988 and 1989 Australian seasons, Backo played for Leeds RLFC in England.
Backo's final two seasons, 1989 and 1990, were spent in Queensland, with the Brisbane Broncos. His participation with the club was limited to only five appearances during 1990 due to a chronic knee problem which eventually forced his retirement at the end of the season. At the end of the two seasons he had scored three tries in twenty games.
In 1991, Backo made a short-lived return to football to play for Logan Scorpions in the Brisbane competition.
[edit] Representative career
While in his final season at Canberra, Backo was selected to play State of Origin football for the Queensland Maroons in the 1988 series. He played in all three games at prop forward, scoring one try in game II and two tries in game III. Queensland won the series in a three game whitewash. In games II and III Backo won consecutive man-of-the-match awards, one of only a handful of players to do so.
Backo played in a further four games for the Maroons - games II and III of the 1989 series and games II and III of the 1990 series despite his knee problems.
Selected for the test series against Great Britain played in Australia in 1988, Backo was the first Australian forward to score tries in all three Tests of an Ashes series. Backo also participated in the 1989 tour of New Zealand. Although selected for the 1990 team to play France, he was forced to withdraw because of his ongoing knee injury. In total, Backo played in six Tests and scored three tries.
[edit] Accolades
Backo was awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2000 for his contribution to Australia's standing in rugby league.[1]
The Indigenous Team of the Century was announced in 2001 with Backo included in the starting line-up which also included Arthur Beetson, Gorden Tallis and John Ferguson.[2]
In 2004, Backo was named in the Canberra Raider's All Indigenous team.[3]
[edit] References
- Alan Whiticker & Glen Hudson (2007). The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players. Wetherill Park, New South Wales: Gary Allen Pty Ltd, page 16. ISBN 9781877082931.
- Malcolm Andrews (1992). ABC of Rugby League. Sydney, New South Wales: ABC Enterprises, page 32. ISBN 0733301762.
- Gary Lester (1986). Rugby League Action '85. Sydney, New South Wales: John Fairfax Marketing, page 17. ISBN 0909558833.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ It's an Honour. Australian Government. Retrieved on 2008-05-10.
- ^ Darren Walton. "Beetson named captain of Indigenous Team of the Century" (fee required), AAP Sports News (Australia), 2001-06-16. Retrieved on 2008-05-10.
- ^ Laurie Daley to captain Canberra Raiders all Indigenous team. ABC News (2004-08-18). Retrieved on 2008-05-10.
[edit] External links
- Sam Backo at the Rugby League Project
- Sam Backo at the State of Origin official website.
- Sam Backo biography at Foley Shield fan site
