Mark O'Neill
Encyclopedia
Mark O'Neill is an Australian former professional rugby league
footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. He played in Australia for the Balmain Tigers
and the Wests Tigers
following the merger of Balmain and Western Suburbs Magpies
) and in England for Leeds Rhinos
and Hull Kingston Rovers
of Super League
. O'Neill's usual position was at second row.
O'Neill was on the receiving end of a serious case of foul-play in 2004 when Danny Williams of the Melbourne Storm
punched O'Neill in the face in an off the ball incident. Williams received an 18 match ban.
In 2005 he was voted team captain, a title Scott Prince
took over during O'Neill's twelve weeks absence with an elbow injury. Controversially, coach Tim Sheens
retained Prince as captain on O'Neill's return to the team. He went on to play at second-row forward in the Tigers 2005 NRL Grand Final win over the North Queensland Cowboys
.
At the end of the 2005 season, O'Neill moved to England
and Leeds Rhinos
. His season at Leeds was marred by injury. A pre-season friendly resulted in a shoulder injury which sidelined him for four months and a leg muscle tear resulted in six weeks off the field. O'Neill's contract at Leeds was not renewed and he spent 2007 at Hull Kingston Rovers where he played his final year in professional rugby league before retiring.
He also works for Sky News
as a rugby league analyst.
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. He played in Australia for the 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...
and 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...
following the merger of Balmain and 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...
) and in England for Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
and Hull Kingston Rovers
Hull Kingston Rovers
Hull Kingston Rovers or Hull KR is an English professional rugby league football club based in Hull, England. The club formed in 1882 and currently competes in Super League, having won promotion from National League One in 2006...
of Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
. O'Neill's usual position was at second row.
Playing career
A staunch and durable player, O'Neill was a member of the Tigers, in both their forms, for twelve seasons.O'Neill was on the receiving end of a serious case of foul-play in 2004 when Danny Williams of 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....
punched O'Neill in the face in an off the ball incident. Williams received an 18 match ban.
In 2005 he was voted team captain, a title Scott Prince
Scott Prince
Scott Prince is an Australian professional rugby league footballer and current captain of the Gold Coast Titans club of the National Rugby League...
took over during O'Neill's twelve weeks absence with an elbow injury. Controversially, coach Tim Sheens
Tim Sheens
Tim Sheens is an Australian professional rugby league football coach and former player. He currently coaches the Wests Tigers of the National Rugby League and in 2009 was appointed coach of the Australian national team, the Kangaroos...
retained Prince as captain on O'Neill's return to the team. He went on to play at second-row forward in the Tigers 2005 NRL Grand Final win over the North Queensland Cowboys
North Queensland Cowboys
The North Queensland Cowboys are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, Queensland. They compete in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
.
At the end of the 2005 season, O'Neill moved to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
. His season at Leeds was marred by injury. A pre-season friendly resulted in a shoulder injury which sidelined him for four months and a leg muscle tear resulted in six weeks off the field. O'Neill's contract at Leeds was not renewed and he spent 2007 at Hull Kingston Rovers where he played his final year in professional rugby league before retiring.
Post-playing career
In February 2008, O'Neill was appointed to the NRL's Match Review Committee. The committee scans match videos for incidents of foul play.He also works for Sky News
Sky News
Sky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New...
as a rugby league analyst.
Career highlights
- First Grade Debut: 1994 - Round 19, Balmain v St George at Leichhardt Oval, 6 August
- Premierships: 2005 - member of the Wests Tigers premiership winning team that defeated North Queensland Cowboys, 30–16