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HallOfFame

Keith Holman

Halfback

Player Bio

Inducted:
2008
Date of Birth:
11 September 1927
Birthplace:
Ballarat, VIC
Nickname:
Yappy
Debut Team:
Western Suburbs
Date:
26 June 1948
Opposition:
Eastern Suburbs
Venue:
Pratten Park, Ashfield
Representative:
City, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Club:
Western Suburbs

Career

Milestones

  • Premierships: 1948, 1952
  • Kangaroo Tours: 1952-53, 1956-57
  • NSWRL Player of the Year: 1952, 1957, 1959
  • Sun-Herald Best and Fairest: 1950-51, 1953, 1956, 1958
  • Rated No. 19 in Rugby League Week’s Top 100 players: 1992
  • Named in NRL Team of the 1950s: 2007

Playing

First Class Games
305
Points
636
Tries
140

Biography

Keith Holman's childhood on the tough streets of La Perouse served him well for his future as one of rugby league's greatest halfbacks. Born in Ballarat, Holman was orphaned as a young child and raised by a Sydney couple. He attended De La Salle College at Surry Hills where a classmate was Bernie Purcell, later a teammate for Australia.

He trialled for a contract with South Sydney as a teenager but was told to ''go home and grow''.

He was also unsuccessful at Manly, so he headed to Dubbo and befriended former Wests five-eighth Eric Bennett.

With Bennett's help, he landed a contract with the Magpies in 1948 and quickly rose through the ranks. By 1950 he was a Test player, figuring prominently in Australia's first Ashes conquest in 30 years.

Holman was a regular in the Test side until 1958. When his playing days were over he turned to refereeing and later coaching, both with success.

His only regret was never playing in a premiership-winning team at club level. He missed Wests' premiership victory in 1952 because of that year's Kangaroo tour.

“He was a halfback champion who reshaped how No. 7s would play the game from his time onwards.”

Ian Heads A Centenary of Rugby League

45. Keth Holman - Hall of Fame

Career Stats

Club Career

Club
Team Name Competition Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
CYMS Ipswich Ipswich Club Competition 1946 1946 - - - - -
Waratahs Dubbo Group 11 Competition 1947 1947 - - - - -
Western Suburbs Premiership 1948 1961 200 70 83 - 376
Western Suburbs City Cup 1959 1959 1 1 - - 3

Representative Career

City - Country

City - Country
Team Name Opponent Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
City Firsts Country Firsts 1951 1958 8 7 3 - 27
Sydney Touring Sides
1953
1958
1954
1958
4 4 1 - 14

State

State
Team Name Competition Opponent Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
New South Wales Interstate Series Queensland 1950 1958 24 21 2 - 67
New South Wales Touring Sides 1950 1955 9 3 2 - 13

International

International
Team Name Competition Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
Australia Tests and World Cup 1950 1958 35 14 6 - 54
Australia Tour Matches 1952 1957 22 18 11 - 76

Other Representative

Other Representative
Team Name Opponent Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
Kangaroos The Rest 1953 1953 1 1 - - 3
Australia-New Zealand Rugby League XIII 1954 1954 1 1 - - 3

Hall of Fame Members

Acknowledgement of Country

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.

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