Jason Martin (rugby league)

Jason Martin (born 14 September 1970) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s. Primarily a halfback, he played for the North Sydney Bears, Newcastle Knights and the North Queensland Cowboys before moving to Paris Saint-Germain in the Super League.

Jason Martin

Personal information
Born	(1970-09-14) 14 September 1970 Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Height	163 cm (5 ft 4 in)
Weight	72 kg (11 st 5 lb)
Position	Halfback, Five-eighth
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1989–92 North Sydney Bears 66 2 0 0 19 1993–94 Newcastle Knights 16 2 0 0 8 1995–96 North Queensland 8 3 0 0 12 1997 Paris Saint-Germain 20 3 0 0 12 Total 110 10 0 0 51
Source: [1]

Background

Born in Tamworth, Martin grew up in Tea Gardens, just north of Newcastle.[2] He attended Raymond Terrace High School, where represented the Australian Schoolboys in 1988, before signing with the North Sydney Bears.[3]

Playing career

North Sydney Bears

In Round 20 of the 1989 NSWRL season, Martin made his first grade debut as an 18-year old in North Sydney's 6–30 loss to the Parramatta Eels. In 1990, he had a breakout year for the Bears, playing 22 games and winning the Dally M Rookie of the Year and finishing second in voting for the Dally M medal.

In 1991, he was an important factor in the Bears' finals run, in which they made it to the preliminary final, and finished third in Rothmans Medal voting.[4] In 1992, Martin's final year with North Sydney, Martin played 21 games, moving between halfback, hooker and lock.

An accomplished singer and guitarist, Martin released a single in 1991 called "Take Me to the Top", the video of which featured clips of Martin playing for North Sydney, and several of his Bears teammates singing backup vocals.

Newcastle Knights

In 1993, Martin returned to Newcastle, but was unable to cement his spot as the starting halfback, playing just 14 games. In 1994, he played just two games being stuck behind Newcastle's young star halfback Andrew Johns. His last match for the club was a loss to the Cronulla Sharks in the reserve grade Grand Final.

North Queensland Cowboys

In 1995, after two poor seasons at Newcastle, Martin looked to revive his career by signing with the newly-established North Queensland Cowboys. Martin was appointed inaugural captain of the club but suffered a groin injury and a hernia, causing him to miss the first 10 weeks of the season. He made eight appearances in his first season at the club, captaining them five times. In 1996, he played 12 games, finishing the season in reserve grade.[5]

Paris Saint-Germain

In 1997, Martin joined Paris Saint-Germain in the Super League, playing 20 games and scoring three tries.

Achievements and accolades

Individual

• Dally M Rookie of the Year: 1990

Statistics

NSWRL/ARL

Season	Team	Matches	T	G	GK %	F/G	Pts
1989	North Sydney	1	0	0	—	0	0
1990	North Sydney	22	1	0	—	0	4
1991	North Sydney	22	0	0	—	0	0
1992	North Sydney	21	1	0	—	1	5
1993	Newcastle	14	2	0	—	0	8
1994	Newcastle	2	0	0	—	0	0
1995	North Queensland	8	3	0	—	0	8
1996	North Queensland	12	0	0	—	0	0
Career totals		102	7	0	—	1	29

Super League

Season	Team	Matches	T	G	GK %	F/G	Pts
1997	Paris Saint-Germain	20	3	0	—	0	12
Career totals		20	3	0	—	0	12

References

1. Ferguson, Shawn Dollin and Andrew. "Jason Martin- Career Stats & Summary - Rugby League Project". Rugbyleagueproject.org. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
2. "Heroes of Yesterday, Interview 6". Dan's NRL Collectables. 16 March 2016.
3. "SportingPulse Homepage for Australian Secondary Schools Rugby League". SportingPulse. Retrieved 10 October 2008.
4. Cadigan, Neil. 25 Years in the Saddle. Playright Publishing. p. 54. ISBN 9780994237316.
5. Cadigan, Neil. 25 Years in the Saddle. Playright Publishing. p. 62. ISBN 9780994237316.

External links

• Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org