Bradley Clyde is an Australian former professional
rugby leagueRugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
footballer of the 1980s, 90s and 2000s who, at the peak of his playing career was widely acknowledged as the best lock forward in the game.. He represented both
New South WalesThe New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1907. Administered by the New South Wales Rugby League, the team competes in the annual State of Origin series against arch-rivals, the...
and played for the
Australian national sideThe Australian national rugby league team have represented Australia in senior men's rugby league football competition since the establishment of the game in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian Rugby League, the Kangaroos' are ranked number one in the RLIF World Rankings...
, and played his club football in Australia for the
Canberra RaidersThe Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership since 1982...
and Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, and in England for
Leeds RhinosLeeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
.
Club career
He began his football career playing in the local ACT competition for the Belconnen United Sharks and was an Australian Schoolboy Representative in 1985,1986 and 1987. While attending Hawker College, Clyde played for the Australian Schoolboys team in 1986 and 1987.
In 1988 Clyde was graded by the Canberra Raiders, winning the club's rookie of the year award, and soon established himself as an indispensable player for the club. In a career spanning eleven seasons with the Raiders, Clyde scored 39 tries in a total of 178 games. He played in three Grand finals and was the recipient of the prestigious
Clive Churchill MedalThe Clive Churchill Medal has been presented to the man-of-the-match of the National Rugby League's annual Grand Final match ever since the 1986 season. The award was created to honour Clive Churchill, one of the greatest rugby league players in Australian history, following his death in 1985...
for the Best and Fairest Player in the Grand Final twice – the only player in history to do so. Along with
Brad MackayBrad Mackay is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s. A versatile Lock Forward for the St George Dragons, Illawarra Steelers, Western Reds and the merged St...
he is one of only two players to win the Churchill medal whilst on a losing Grand Final side. He was also a member of Canberra's premiership winning sides of
1989The 1989 New South Wales Rugby League Premiership was the eighty-second season of professional rugby league football in Australia. Sixteen clubs competed for the J J Giltinan Shield and Winfield Cup during the season, which culminated in a grand final between the Canberra Raiders and Balmain Tigers...
(also winning the club's player of the year award that year) and
1994The 1994 New South Wales Rugby League season was the eighty-seventh season of professional rugby league football in Australia...
. At the end of the 1994 NSWRL season, he went on the
1994 Kangaroo tourThe 1994 Kangaroo Tour was the last played in the conventional format, where the Australian side plays a number of matches against British and French clubs or provincial outfits, in additions to the Test matches...
.
Clyde moved from the Raiders to the Bulldogs in
1999The 1999 NRL season was the 92nd season of professional rugby league football in Australia, and the second to be run by the National Rugby League. Seventeen teams competed for the NRL Premiership during the season which culminated in a grand final between the first grand final played at Stadium...
, playing with the team until
2000The 2000 NRL season was the 93rd season of professional rugby league football in Australia and the third to be run by the National Rugby League...
, scoring 8 tries.
English
Super LeagueSuper League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
club
Leeds RhinosLeeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
signed Clyde on a two-year deal starting in 2001. He moved to the club alongside fellow Australians
Brett MullinsBrett Mullins is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and early 2000s. He played for the Canberra Raiders between the years 1990 and 2000. He also represented New South Wales and Australia national rugby league team during his career. He is the son of former...
and
Tonie CarrollTonie Carroll is retired professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. An Australian and New Zealand international representative utility, he played for the Brisbane Broncos of the NRL...
, finishing his playing career there.
Representative career
He made 12 appearances for
New South WalesThe New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1907. Administered by the New South Wales Rugby League, the team competes in the annual State of Origin series against arch-rivals, the...
in
State of OriginState of Origin is an annual best of three series of rugby league football matches contested by the Maroons and the Blues, who represent the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales respectively...
games between 1989 and 1994 at lock forward. He performed with great distinction at this level with his devastating charges and tireless work ethic. Tall, strong and agile he was a nightmare to defend against and was a key member of the successful Blues sides of the early 1990s. It was during this period that Clyde was considered the number one player in the game.
He represented
the KangaroosThe Australian national rugby league team have represented Australia in senior men's rugby league football competition since the establishment of the game in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian Rugby League, the Kangaroos' are ranked number one in the RLIF World Rankings...
in eighteen Tests over five years scoring six tries. He was named Man-of-the Series in 1989 with his debut tour v New Zealand. He vice-captained the team for the Tour of
Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
in 1991 and was named Man of the Series also. During the 1992 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand, he helped Australia retain The Ashes and was awarded with the
Harry SunderlandHarry Sunderland was an Australian rugby league football administrator and journalist.Sunderland was born in Gympie, Queensland in 1889. From 1913 to 1922, Sunderland was the Queensland Rugby League's secretary. His administration is credited with the growth of the League in Queensland despite the...
Medal for the Player of the Series. He played two Super League Tests for Australia in 1997, including the third and deciding match of the
Super League Test seriesThe Super League Test series was a three-Test match series between the Great Britain national rugby league team and Super League's Australian national team held during November 1997 in England...
against Great Britain along with three
Super League Tri-seriesThe Super League Tri-series was a rugby league football tournament contested in 1997 between Queensland, New South Wales and New Zealand representative rugby league teams...
matches for New South Wales that year.
Bradley Clyde is currently the Football Manager at the Bulldogs Rugby League Club. Within this role he manages the Football Department of the Club consisting of recruitment, operations, development, medical, contractual arrangements plus education and welfare.
Post-playing
Clyde is an inductee into the ACT Sport Hall of Fame. He was recognised by the Australian Government for his contribution to Rugby League by being awarded the Australian Sports Medal.
In 2002 Clyde was named in a 90s Team of the Decade. In 2005 on the 25th anniversary of
State of OriginState of Origin is an annual best of three series of rugby league football matches contested by the Maroons and the Blues, who represent the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales respectively...
he was named by
Rugby League WeekRugby League Week is the second highest selling Australian rugby league magazine, behind major competitor Big League...
as one of NSW's 25 greatest players.
Clyde also made a cameo appearance in the 2006 film,
Footy LegendsFooty Legends is a 2006 Australian film, directed, written and produced by Khoa Do, starring his older brother Anh Do, Angus Sampson, Emma Lung and Claudia Karvan. It was filmed in and around Sydney, Australia, mostly in the western suburbs...
.
In February 2008, Clyde was named in the list of Australia's
100 Greatest Players (1908–2007) which was commissioned by the
NRLThe National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
and
ARLThe Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League...
to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia.
Also following retirement Clyde served on the NRL judiciary.
External links