Daryl Halligan
Encyclopedia
Daryl Halligan is a rugby league football commentator and former professional player. A New Zealand international winger, he was the pre-eminent goal-kicker of his era, retiring as the highest point scorer in Australian premiership history. Halligan played club football in Australia for the North Sydney Bears
and Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, winning the 1995 ARL Premiership with the latter.
Before defecting to the professional code of rugby league, Halligan played amateur rugby union
for Waikato
. In rugby league Halligan was renowned as a fine goalkicker, his 855 first grade goals coming at an impressive 80% success rate.
He played on the wing for the Canterbury Bulldogs
in their loss in the 1998 NRL grand final
to the Brisbane Broncos
.
He was the first person to score 2,000 points in the NRL. At the time of his retirement he held the competition point-scoring record at 2,034 points. He also scored 80 tries
, and kicked 4 field goal
s.
Halligan is noted for revolutionising goal-kicking by using a plastic tee from which to kick.
Halligan is currently a commentator with Sky Network Television
in New Zealand.
He also taught Johnathan Thurston how to kick conversions. It was said at an interview that Halligan taught Thurston whilst Johnathan was at Sydney club the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. Also that Halligan hated the way Thurston "hooks" the ball. Halligan taught Thurston to control the hook so it comes in or goes out.
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...
and Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, winning the 1995 ARL Premiership with the latter.
Before defecting to the professional code of rugby league, Halligan played amateur rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
for Waikato
Waikato Rugby Union
The Waikato Rugby Union is the official governing body of rugby union in the Waikato area in the North Island of New Zealand. Its senior representative team competes in the ITM Cup , and won the inaugural Air New Zealand Cup in 2006.Waikato Rugby Union was founded in 1921...
. In rugby league Halligan was renowned as a fine goalkicker, his 855 first grade goals coming at an impressive 80% success rate.
He played on the wing for the 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...
in their loss in the 1998 NRL grand final
1998 NRL grand final
The 1998 NRL grand final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 1998 NRL season. It was the first grand final since the National Rugby League's formation and featured minor premiers and the previous year's Super League premiers, the Brisbane Broncos against the Canterbury Bulldogs,...
to the Brisbane Broncos
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...
.
He was the first person to score 2,000 points in the NRL. At the time of his retirement he held the competition point-scoring record at 2,034 points. He also scored 80 tries
Try
A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
, and kicked 4 field goal
Field goal (rugby)
A drop goal, also referred to as a dropped goal or field goal, is a method of scoring points in rugby union and rugby league. A drop goal cannot be scored in open play by punting the ball, and instead must be scored by drop kicking the ball over the crossbar and between the uprights. After the...
s.
Halligan is noted for revolutionising goal-kicking by using a plastic tee from which to kick.
Halligan is currently a commentator with Sky Network Television
SKY Network Television
Sky Network Television Limited , , is a New Zealand pay television service. On 30 June 2011, Sky had 829,421 subscribers, which comprises:*808,617 digital subscribers*20,840 other subscribers...
in New Zealand.
He also taught Johnathan Thurston how to kick conversions. It was said at an interview that Halligan taught Thurston whilst Johnathan was at Sydney club the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. Also that Halligan hated the way Thurston "hooks" the ball. Halligan taught Thurston to control the hook so it comes in or goes out.