Andy Norval
Lock
Player Bio
- Inducted:
- 2008
- Date of Birth:
- 25 April 1912
- Birthplace:
- Hindmarsh, SA
- Nickname:
- -
- Debut Team:
- Eastern Suburbs
- Date:
- 25 April 1934
- Opposition:
- South Sydney
- Venue:
- Sydney Sports Ground, NSW
- Representative:
- City, New South Wales, Australia
- Clubs:
- South Newcastle, Eastern Suburbs
Career
Milestones
- Premierships: 1935-37, 1940
- Kangaroo Tour: 1937-38
Playing
- First Class Games
- 144
- Points
- 188
- Tries
- 62
Biography
In an interview recorded not long before his death in 2006, the great Eastern Suburbs stalwart Dick Dunn stated that Andy Norval was ''the best player I saw ... I saw him do things on a football field that were impossible''.
A player of outstanding versatility, Norval was a member of the famous Easts teams that won premierships in 1935,1936,1937 and 1940. He was best known as a lock, but played his only three Test matches on the 1937–38 Kangaroo tour as a winger.
He grew up in Newcastle, where he was compared with the great Wally Prigg, and joined Easts in 1934 after playing some Australian rules football in South Australia.
On his Kangaroo tour, Norval was understudy to Prigg, the team captain, and was thus rated a long-shot to play any of the Tests on tour, but a combination of injuries to the selected wingers and his outstanding form in the minor matches earned him a place for the third Test against England and Australia's first ever Tests against France.
Sydney fans saw Norval play every position in the backline bar halfback — an amazing achievement for a forward. He was incredibly strong, and intimidating.
''I saw players literally run away from him on the field,'' Dunn recalled.
He also combined spectacular cover defence with an ability to score tries. He finished with 42 tries in 106 first-grade appearances for Easts and scored a try in each of his three Tests.
“He was just punishing…dynamic. I saw him do things on the football field that were ‘impossible’.”
Dick Dunn Eastern Suburbs team-mate
37. Andy Norval - Hall of Fame
Career Stats
Club Career
| Team Name | Competition | Year Start | Year End | Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Newcastle | Newcastle Rugby League | 1932 | 1933 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Eastern Suburbs | Premiership | 1934 | 1941 | 106 | 42 | 1 | - | 128 |
| Eastern Suburbs | City Cup | 1937 | 1937 | 4 | 1 | - | - | 3 |
| Eastern Suburbs | State Championship | 1939 | 1939 | 2 | - | - | - | - |
Representative Career
City - Country
| Team Name | Opponent | Year Start | Year End | Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City Seconds | Country Seconds |
1934
1939 |
1937
1939 |
5 | 2 | - | - | 6 |
| City Firsts | Country Firsts |
1938
1941 |
1938
1941 |
2 | 4 | - | - | 12 |
| City | Country |
1937
1940 |
1937
1940 |
2 | 1 | - | - | 3 |
State
| Team Name | Competition | Opponent | Year Start | Year End | Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | Interstate Series | Queensland |
1938
1940 |
1938
1941 |
5 | 3 | - | - | 9 |
| New South Wales | Tour Matches | 1938 | 1938 | 2 | - | - | - | - |
International
| Team Name | Competition | Year Start | Year End | Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Tests | 1937 | 1938 | 3 | 3 | - | - | 9 |
| Australia | Tour Matches | 1937 | 1938 | 12 | 5 | - | - | 15 |
Other Representative
| Team Name | Opponent | Year Start | Year End | Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | New Zealand | 1938 | 1938 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 3 |
Hall of Fame Members
National Rugby League respects and honours the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on.
