John Carlaw
Encyclopedia
John Carlaw is an Australian former professional rugby league
footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. A three-quarter back, he played for several Super League
and National Rugby League
clubs during his career.
junior, Carlaw started playing first grade rugby league with the Hunter Mariners
club in the Australian Super League competition of 1997
. Following the disbanding of that club upon the creation of the National Rugby League
, he joined another new venture team, the Melbourne Storm
for their first season.
for their final year before they merged with Western Suburbs Magpies
to form the Wests Tigers
club, whom Carlaw continued to play with.
and played in their Grand Final loss at the end of the season. He played another season with New Zealand before moving to the St. George Illawarra Dragons for his final year in 2004. He played in his 150th first grade game for the Dragons against his old club, the Warriors, on the 14 August 2004.
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 of the 1990s and 2000s. A three-quarter back, he played for several Super League
Super League (Australia)
Super League was an Australian rugby league football administrative body that conducted professional competition in Australasia for one season in 1997. Along with Super League of Europe, it was created by News Corporation during the Super League war which arose following an unsuccessful attempt to...
and National Rugby League
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...
clubs during his career.
Early years
An OurimbahOurimbah, New South Wales
Ourimbah is a small township and a suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located about north of the Sydney CBD. The township today consists of small scattered local shops and businesses along the Pacific Highway, as well as the Central Coast campus of the University of...
junior, Carlaw started playing first grade rugby league with the Hunter Mariners
Hunter Mariners
The Hunter Mariners were an Australian rugby league club based in the Hunter Valley region's largest city, Newcastle. Hunter was formed in mid 1995 and was later disbanded at the end of 1997. The club was formed because of the Super League war, which was the rivalry between the traditional...
club in the Australian Super League competition of 1997
Super League (Australia) season 1997
The 1997 Super League season was the 90th season of professional rugby league football in Australia and the first and only to be run by the News Limited-controlled Super League organisation...
. Following the disbanding of that club upon the creation of the National Rugby League
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...
, he joined another new venture team, the Melbourne Storm
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
for their first season.
Tigers
In 1999 Carlaw moved to the Balmain TigersBalmain 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...
for their final year before they merged with Western Suburbs Magpies
Western Suburbs Magpies
The Western Suburbs Magpies are an Australian rugby league football club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests, as they are commonly referred to, were one of the nine foundation clubs of the first New South Wales Rugby League competition in Australia...
to form the Wests Tigers
Wests Tigers
The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Sydney's mid-western suburbs. They have competed in the National Rugby League since they were formed at the end of the 1999 season as a joint-venture club between the Balmain Tigers and the Western Suburbs...
club, whom Carlaw continued to play with.
Warriors and Dragons
In 2002 Carlaw moved to the New Zealand WarriorsNew Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia...
and played in their Grand Final loss at the end of the season. He played another season with New Zealand before moving to the St. George Illawarra Dragons for his final year in 2004. He played in his 150th first grade game for the Dragons against his old club, the Warriors, on the 14 August 2004.