Balmain Tigers

Balmain

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...

 won a lot of fans in 1986 with a backs to the wall performance almost taking them to the Grand Final. Finishing in a tie for 5th place, Balmain were asked to play North Sydney Bears

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...

 for the final playoffs spot. The Tigers were forced to win 3 sudden death matches without their lock Wayne Pearce

Wayne Pearce

Wayne John Pearce OAM is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. An athletic Lock Forward for the Balmain Tigers, he was affectionately known as 'Junior'...

. During the season a handful of youngsters stood out for the Tigers. Paul Sironen

Paul Sironen

Paul Sironen is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who was a prominent second rower for the Balmain Tigers during the late 1980s and early 1990s...

 and Bruce Sinclair were a few.

In 1987 Balmain again made the playoffs finishing in 4th place after 24 rounds of competition. In the Minor Preliminary Semi the Tigers faced off against the 5th placed South Sydney Rabbitohs

South Sydney Rabbitohs

The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...

. In a game that can only be regarded as extraordinary. South Sydney walked off 15-12 winners with only 1 try being scored in the entire match. 22 of the total 27 points coming from goals. Once again Bruce Sinclair putting in a handful of solid performances throughout the season.

In 1988 Balmain almost pulled off the fairy tale all rugby league fans dream of when following their club team. Once again the Tigers finished the season in a 5th placed tie. Balmain were far too strong here defeating Penrith Panthers

Penrith Panthers

The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, the top rugby league football competition in Australasia. For the 2012 NRL season they will be coached by Ivan...

 28-8. From here Balmain never looked back going all the way to the Grand Final. But unfortunately for the Balmain Tigers they lost to Canterbury Bulldogs

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...

 24-12.

Balmain Career Statistics

Years	G	T	Gls	FGls	Pts
1986–1988	13	0	0	0	0

North Sydney Bears

1989 North Sydney Bears

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...

 signed Bruce Sinclair for 2 years. North Sydney sadly struggled finishing second last at the end of the season.

1990 produced Bruce Sinclair's most successful year of his career - but by its end he and North Sydney were still far from a premiership title. Bruce and a brash breed of young players stood up in 1990 including Billy Moore, David Fairleigh

David Fairleigh

David Fairleigh is an Australian rugby league coach and former professional footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative forward, he played the majority of his club football in Australia for the North Sydney Bears, winning 1994's...

, Mark Soden and Jason Martin

Jason Martin (rugby league)

Jason Martin, born 14 September 1970, is a former Australian Rugby league football player. Beginning his professional career in 1990, he played for the North Sydney Bears, Newcastle Knights and North Queensland Cowboys in the top tier of Rugby League in Australia beforemoving to Paris Saint-Germain...

 as the Bears finished 4 wins outside the play-offs.

North Sydney Statistics:

Years	G	T	Gls	FGls	Pts
1989–1990	15	0	0	0	0

Eastern Suburbs Roosters

Bruce had such a strong influence at Norths that he was picked up by Easts

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...

 in a surge for premierships moving forward. But what must have hurt Bruce Sinclair the most in 1990 was seeing his old team Norths finishing 3rd on the competition ladder while Easts were down the back end finishing 11th.

However during the early 1990s, the Eastern Suburbs club secured the signature of Australian Test five-eighth Brad Fittler

Brad Fittler

Bradley Scott "Freddie" Fittler AM is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and former player. The current coach of NSW City team in the City vs. Country clash, he coached in the NRL for the Sydney Roosters between 2007 and 2009. As a player, Fittler captained both New South Wales...

 from Penrith Panthers

Penrith Panthers

The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, the top rugby league football competition in Australasia. For the 2012 NRL season they will be coached by Ivan...

. The Roosters were able to build from this towards becoming a formidable team into the future.

Sinclair was a strong starter at the club for 4 years before signing a contract at the new North Queensland franchise. His work load and captain like qualities made him a stand out at the top flight level.

Easts Career Statistics

Years	G	T	Gls	FGls	Pts
1991–1994	50	1	0	0	4

North Queensland Cowboys

With a wealth of First Grade rugby league experience from his previous clubs Balmain, North Sydney and Eastern Suburbs Bruce Sinclair gave the North Queensland Cowboys a formidable front row partnership with bulky forward Martin Bella

Martin Bella

Martin Bella is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s. A prop forward, he achieved national and state representation and played club football for various teams in Queensland, New South Wales and England. He is of Italian descent....

 in the Cowboys first year of top flight football in 1995.

The backbone of the Cowboys strength and go forward. His excellent role model attributes gave coach Grant Bell

Grant Bell

Grant Bell is a rugby league football coach. He was the first coach of the North Queensland Cowboys in 1995. He is currently coaching the Centrals club in the Townsville Rugby League competition.-Coaching career:...

the easy choice of naming him in the Cowboys early years as Captain.

Cowboys Statistics

Year	G	T	Gls	FGls	Pts
1995	11	0	0	0	0

Legend: Gms = Games, Trs = Tries, Gls = Goals, FGls = Field Goals, Pts = Points.