General League Legend Steve Rogers Found Dead

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From the official website of the National Rugby League, www.nrl.com:

Former Cronulla Sharks and Australian rugby league great Steve Rogers has been found dead in his unit in Sydney's southern suburbs.

Sharks management have confirmed the 51-year-old had just returned from an overseas holiday with police saying there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.

Sharks football manager Greg Pierce says the news had come as a great shock.

Rogers was the chief executive of the Cronulla NRL club and had an outstanding career as a player with the Sharks and the Australian rugby league team.

The gifted centre played 199 Games for Cronulla between 1973 and 1982 with a farewell season in 1985.

He scored 1255 points for the club during those years including 82 tries and 502 goals.

In the intervening years Rogers played with St George, featuring in 25 games.

His representative career was no less impressive, the skilful back featuring in 19 games for NSW and 21 Tests for the Kangaroos.

Rogers' son Mat was a former player with the Sharks, also representing at state and national level before making a successful move to rugby union in 2002.

 

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NRL Mourns The Passing Of Steve Rogers

From the official website of the National Rugby League, www.nrl.com:

NRL Mourns The Passing Of Steve Rogers

The National Rugby League today mourned the passing of Cronulla General Manager and former test star Steve Rogers.

One of the greatest centres to have graced a Rugby League field and a respected administrator, Steve died of an apparent heart attack today while returning to his Cronulla home from a morning exercise run.

His death at just 51 years of age has both saddened and stunned the entire Rugby League community.

“Steve Rogers was a champion player who had gone on to become a talented and dedicated official,†NRL Chief Executive, Mr David Gallop said today.

“His drive to make Cronulla a success during his time at the helm was fired by the same passion that made him such a star of the game in the seventies and eighties.

“He combined a love for his club with a modern business approach to the game.

“Nobody could ever forget his brilliance on the field and nor could they forget a lifetime’s dedication to the Sharks.

“We offer his wife Ingrid, Matt and all the Rogers family the sympathies of everyone in the game.â€Â

Steve Rogers burst into the Sharks in 1973 as a centre of devastating speed but with an outstanding ability to read the game and a defensive technique that would rival any in Rugby League.
He was a teenage sensation when the Sharks made their first Grand Final in 1973, losing narrowly to Manly.

He was selected on the ‘73 Kangaroo tour as one of the youngest tourists ever. In later years with Mick Cronin he would establish one of the greatest centre combinations of any era.

In 1978 he spearheaded the Sharks to a second Grand Final against Manly, a battle lost only after a replay the following Tuesday.

Rogers toured with the Kangaroos in 1978 and again in 1982. In 1981 he captained Australia against France. He was also a member of the Blues first ever NSW State of Origin team.

Despite playing stints with St George and Widnes, and a signing with Illawarra, Steve’s love of the Sharks remained. An injury in England brought his career to a close at the end of 1985.

His son Matt went on to become a try scoring sensation for the club and a Kangaroo before becoming a dual international when switching codes to the Wallabies.

Steve was appointed General Manager of the Sharks in 1998 and in 2003 was inducted into the Sharks Immortals.

“In the very genuine sense Steve Rogers was one of the game’s all time great players,†Mr Gallop said.

“He’d worked in junior development roles in Darwin and Western Australia as well as in the NRL.

“He was a man who loved the game and loved his club.â€Â

Biographical notes courtesy of NRL Stats.

Steve Rogers

Born: November 20, 1954, Sydney NSW

NSWRL Career
Cronulla 1973 – 82, 1985 (Played 202 games, 82 Tries, 501 Goals, 5 field Goals 1253 points)

7th most games for the Sharks all time.

3rd highest try scorer all time for the Sharks.

Most all time points for the Sharks. His son Matt is second with 1112 points.

Equally holds the club record for most goals in a match (10 v Wests in 1977).

Played in the losing grand final sides of 1973 and 1978.

Won the 1975 Rothmans Medal, and the Dally M Award in 1981.

St George 1983-84 (Played 29 games, 8 tries, 42 goals, 5 field goals, 121 points).

Total 231 games, 90 tries, 543 goals, 10 field goals, 1374 points.

Other Clubs

Gold Coast Tigers 1971-72
Played 1 game for Widnes (UK) 1985-86

Rep Career
City Firsts 1976-83 (7 games, 6 tries, 5 goals, 29 points)
Played 1 game for City Seconds in 1975

NSW
NSW SOO 1980-82 (Played 4 games)
NSW Interstate Matches 1973–81 (Played 15 games, 7 tries, 6 goals 33 points)

Australia
Tests 1973-83 (Played 21, 10 tries, 2 goals, 35 points)
World Series 1975-77 (Played 3 games, 2 tries, 6 points)
Tour Matches 1973-82 (played 27 games, 14 tries, 25 goals, 133 points)

Kangaroo Tours in 1973, 1978 and 1982.

 

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