Arthur Halloway
Encyclopedia
Arthur 'Pony' Halloway was a pioneering Australian rugby league
footballer and coach. Born in Sydney, New South Wales
he played for the Glebe Dirty Reds (1908), Balmain Tigers
(1909–1911 and 1915–1920) and Eastern Suburbs
(1912–1914), in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership.
He was a Half-back for the Australian national team. He played in ten Tests between 1908 and 1919, as captain on three occasions in 1919. Halloway was nicknamed 'Pony', but despite his small stature he was recognised as one of the fiercest competitors to play the game and one of the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century
in Sydney when the defections to rugby league commenced in 1908. He was recruited by the Glebe club after taking part in the rebel series against Baskerville's
New Zealand 'All Golds'. Late in the 1908 season Halloway was selected to go away on the inaugural Kangaroo Tour . He playing 29 matches on tour including the 1st Anglo-Australian Test in London.
Earlier that year Halloway made his Test debut in Australia's 14–9 win in the 3rd Test in Sydney in 1908, the 3rd ever international league fixture in which Australia took part.
The arrival of the 2nd wave of Wallaby defectors in 1909 pushed Halloway down the representative pecking order and for the next five years he maintained a regular rivalry for the Australian half-back position with former Wallaby captain Chris McKivat
.
In 1910 Halloway moved to the Balmain club for three seasons, from where he also continued his representative career, making his second Kangaroo tour in 1911. He played in 12 tour matches but no Tests with McKivat the preferred Test half-back.
He joined the Eastern Suburbs club 1912 where he won back to back premierships in 1912 and 1913 as well as being a member of the City Cup
Winning Side in 1914.
Following McKivat's retirement he became the preferred half back in the 1914 Ashes series.
Halloway returned to Balmain in 1915 where he won further premierships in 1915, '16 (scoring his team's only try in the final), '17, '19 and 1920 as captain and captain-coach from 1916.
His first appearance as captain of the Kangaroos was on the 1919 tour of New Zealand when he captained the side to a 2–1 tour victory. Throughout his playing career Halloway played in over 100 representative matches, including ten tests for Australia. He made over 30 appearances for New South Wales as well as six for Queensland.
He later moved to Queensland and represented that state in one game in 1921.
He was the only man to be part of all of Australia's first three tours – the first two Kangaroo tour
s and the 1919 trip to New Zealand. Along with Billy Cann
, Dan Frawley
and Tedda Courtney
he was one of four men to make all three of the tours made between 1908 and 1912 by Australian or New South Welsh teams.
Halloway was a consummate team man, a sound defender and an opportunistic half-back capable of opening up an opposition worn down by heavy forward clashes with impeccable service to his outside backs.
, then Lismore
and also the Newtown club for a season in 1923. He returned to Sydney in the 30s and won three premierships as coach of the Roosters from 1935 to 1937. He coached Norths
from 1940 to 1941; Canterbury
in 1948 and won another premiership coaching Easts in 1945.
In 2007 he was inducted into the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame
. In February 2008, Halloway was named in the list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players (1908–2007) which was commissioned by the NRL
and ARL
to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia.
Rugby league
Rugby 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 and coach. Born in Sydney, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
he played for the Glebe Dirty Reds (1908), Balmain Tigers
Balmain Tigers
The Balmain Tigers are a rugby league football club based in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Balmain. They were a founding member of the New South Wales Rugby League and one of the most successful in the history of the premiership, with eleven titles...
(1909–1911 and 1915–1920) and Eastern Suburbs
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
(1912–1914), in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership.
He was a Half-back for the Australian national team. He played in ten Tests between 1908 and 1919, as captain on three occasions in 1919. Halloway was nicknamed 'Pony', but despite his small stature he was recognised as one of the fiercest competitors to play the game and one of the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century
Playing career
Arthur was playing rugby union with EastsEastern Suburbs RUFC
The Eastern Suburbs Rugby Union Football Club is a team in the Shute Shield and the Tooheys New cup, the premier club rugby union football competition in New South Wales....
in Sydney when the defections to rugby league commenced in 1908. He was recruited by the Glebe club after taking part in the rebel series against Baskerville's
Albert Henry Baskerville
Albert Henry Baskerville was a Wellington postal clerk, a rugby union forward, author of the book "Modern Rugby Football: New Zealand Methods; Points for the Beginner, the Player, the Spectator" and a pioneer of rugby league.-Rugby football:Prior to becoming the administrator of the 1908 tour...
New Zealand 'All Golds'. Late in the 1908 season Halloway was selected to go away on the inaugural Kangaroo Tour . He playing 29 matches on tour including the 1st Anglo-Australian Test in London.
Earlier that year Halloway made his Test debut in Australia's 14–9 win in the 3rd Test in Sydney in 1908, the 3rd ever international league fixture in which Australia took part.
The arrival of the 2nd wave of Wallaby defectors in 1909 pushed Halloway down the representative pecking order and for the next five years he maintained a regular rivalry for the Australian half-back position with former Wallaby captain Chris McKivat
Chris McKivat
Christopher Hobart McKivat was an Australian rugby union and rugby league player – a dual-code rugby international. He represented the Wallabies in over 20 Tests and tour matches from 1907 to 1909 and the Kangaroos in 5 Tests from 1910 to 1912...
.
In 1910 Halloway moved to the Balmain club for three seasons, from where he also continued his representative career, making his second Kangaroo tour in 1911. He played in 12 tour matches but no Tests with McKivat the preferred Test half-back.
He joined the Eastern Suburbs club 1912 where he won back to back premierships in 1912 and 1913 as well as being a member of the City Cup
City Cup
The City Cup was a rugby league competition involving Australian premiership teams. The post season tournament was a regular feature in the years 1912 - 1925. City Cups were also played in 1937, 1942 and 1959....
Winning Side in 1914.
Following McKivat's retirement he became the preferred half back in the 1914 Ashes series.
Halloway returned to Balmain in 1915 where he won further premierships in 1915, '16 (scoring his team's only try in the final), '17, '19 and 1920 as captain and captain-coach from 1916.
His first appearance as captain of the Kangaroos was on the 1919 tour of New Zealand when he captained the side to a 2–1 tour victory. Throughout his playing career Halloway played in over 100 representative matches, including ten tests for Australia. He made over 30 appearances for New South Wales as well as six for Queensland.
He later moved to Queensland and represented that state in one game in 1921.
He was the only man to be part of all of Australia's first three tours – the first two Kangaroo tour
Kangaroo Tour
Kangaroo Tour is the name given to Australian national rugby league team tours of Great Britain and France. The first Kangaroo Tour was in 1908. Traditionally, Kangaroo Tours took place every four years and involved a three-Test Ashes series against Great Britain and a number of tour matches...
s and the 1919 trip to New Zealand. Along with Billy Cann
Billy Cann
Wiliam A. "Billy" Cann was an Australian rugby league footballer for Souths, New South Wales and Australia. He primarily played at lock and is considered one of the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century...
, Dan Frawley
Dan Frawley
Dan Frawley was a pioneer Australian rugby league footballer, a national representative player. He played his career as a winger with the Eastern Suburbs club in Sydney and is considered one of the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century...
and Tedda Courtney
Tedda Courtney
Ed "Tedda" Courtney was a pioneer Australian rugby league footballer and Coach. He played club football for the North Sydney Bears, Western Suburbs Magpies and representative football for the New South Wales state and Australian national sides...
he was one of four men to make all three of the tours made between 1908 and 1912 by Australian or New South Welsh teams.
Character & playing style
The story is recounted of him chopping off a finger in a work related accident one Saturday morning, then leading his club side, Balmain, to victory that afternoon with his hand swathed in a blood-stained bandage.Halloway was a consummate team man, a sound defender and an opportunistic half-back capable of opening up an opposition worn down by heavy forward clashes with impeccable service to his outside backs.
Coaching career
After retirement as a player he coached in the country league at ParkesParkes, New South Wales
- Transport :Parkes has a local bus service provided by Western Road Liners, which acquired Harris Bus Lines in March 2006. The Indian Pacific also stops twice a week, as well as the Broken Hill Outback Xplorer service, run by CountryLink, which heads to Broken Hill on Mondays and Sydney on...
, then Lismore
Lismore, New South Wales
Lismore is a subtropical town in northeastern New South Wales, Australia. Lismore is the main population centre in the City of Lismore local government area. Lismore is a regional centre in the Northern Rivers region of the State.-History:...
and also the Newtown club for a season in 1923. He returned to Sydney in the 30s and won three premierships as coach of the Roosters from 1935 to 1937. He coached Norths
North Sydney Bears
The North Sydney Bears are an Australian rugby league football club based in North Sydney, New South Wales. They currently compete in the New South Wales Cup, having exited the National Rugby League following the 1999 NRL season after 92 years of top-grade competition. The Bears are based on...
from 1940 to 1941; Canterbury
Canterbury Bulldogs
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, as well as New South Wales Rugby League junior competitions...
in 1948 and won another premiership coaching Easts in 1945.
Accolades
All up Pony Halloway went on four overseas playing tours. He won seven premierships as a player and four as a coach. He stands as the Balmain's most successful all time coach winning 79% of the matches in which he guided the club. He was involved in the game at the top level either as player or coach in a career spanning 37 years.In 2007 he was inducted into the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame
Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame
The Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame honors players who have shown exceptional skill at rugby league, all-time great coaches and referees, and other major contributors to the game who are Australian...
. In February 2008, Halloway was named in the list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players (1908–2007) which was commissioned by the NRL
National Rugby League
The 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 ARL
Australian Rugby League
The 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.