Charles "Chook" Fraser
Fullback, Centre, Five-eighth
Player Bio
- Inducted:
- 2008
- Date of Birth:
- 11 January 1893
- Birthplace:
- Balmain, NSW
- Nickname:
- Chook
- Debut Team:
- Balmain
- Date:
- 13 August 1910
- Opposition:
- North Sydney
- Venue:
- North Sydney Oval, Sydney
- Representative:
- New South Wales, Australia
- Clubs:
- Balmain, Gundagai
Career
Milestones
- Premierships: 1915-17, 1919-20, 1924
- Kangaroo Tours: 1911-12, 1921-22
- Australian captain: Three Tests
- Rated No. 51 in Rugby League Week’s Top 100 players: 1992
Playing
- First Class Games
- 277
- Points
- 604
- Tries
- 70
Biography
At just 163cm, an 18-year-old ''Chook'' Fraser was dwarfed by the big English forwards upon his Test debut in Britain and was forced to rapidly develop his evasive skills in order to avoid a pummelling.
Back in Australia, he represented NSW in 1912 and toured New Zealand with a NSW outfit (effectively the Australian team) the same year.
His versatility was a major asset to his Balmain club, who won five premierships in six years between 1915 and 1920, with Fraser a vital figure in each victory.
Fraser was one of the first chosen for Australia when Test football resumed after the war, touring New Zealand in 1919.
A year later he played all three Ashes Tests and made a second Kangaroo tour in 1921–22, captaining Australia after tour captain Les Cubitt was incapacitated.
He won a sixth premiership title with Balmain in 1924 (as captain) and played his final game for the club in 1926 after 190 first-grade games, a tally that stood as a premiership record until 1950.
After leaving Balmain, Fraser accepted a captain-coach position at Riverina club Gundagai, helping the club claim the famed Maher Cup in 1927. He retired following an injury in a trial match early in 1928.
“A phenomenal footballer, equally at home in any position in the backs.”
Norman ‘Latchem’ Robinson Balmain Patriarch
11. Charles Fraser - Hall of Fame
Career Stats
Club Career
| Team Name | Competition | Year Start | Year End | Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balmain | Premiership | 1910 | 1926 | 185 | 54 | 165 | - | 492 |
| Balmain | City Cup |
1913
1920
1923 |
1918
1921
1924 |
19 | 4 | 5 | - | 22 |
| Gundagai | 1927 | 1927 | - | - | - | - | - |
Representative Career
State
| Team Name | Competition | Opponent | Year Start | Year End | Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | Interstate series | Queensland |
1915
1919 |
1915
1921 |
5 | 2 | 4 | - | 14 |
| New South Wales | Touring teams |
1912
1914
1920 |
1912
1914
1920 |
5 | 1 | 1 | - | 5 | |
| New South Wales | New Zealand and Queensland | 1921 | 1921 | 1 | - | - | - | - | |
| New South Wales | Tour matches | 1912 | 1912 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
International
| Team Name | Competition | Year Start | Year End | Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Tests |
1911
1914
1919 |
1911
1914
1922 |
11 | 2 | 1 | - | 8 |
| Australia | Tour matches |
1911
1919
1921 |
1912
1919
1922 |
42 | 6 | 18 | - | 54 |
Other Representative
| Team Name | Opponent | Year Start | Year End | Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metropolis | Newcastle |
1911
1915 |
1911
1915 |
1 | - | - | - | - |
| Metropolis | Country | 1912 | 1913 | 2 | - | 1 | - | 2 |
| Kangaroos | The Rest of NSW | 1917 | 1917 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| Best | Next Best | 1918 | 1918 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 3 |
| Sydney | England | 1920 | 1920 | 1 | - | 1 | - | 2 |
| Kangaroos | Rest of Australasia | 1922 | 1922 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
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.
