Nick Yakich
Encyclopedia
Nick Yakich was an Australian rugby league
player for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership
competition. His position of choice was on the wing.
Yakich was a protege of former Manly, Norths
, NSW & Australian
winger, the flying Johnny Bliss
. During his time with Manly, Yakich was considered one of the fastest players in rugby league behind only North Sydney
's Ken Irvine
and South Sydney
's Michael Cleary. Interestingly, both Yakich and Bliss were beach sprint champions in NSW surf carnivals.
Yakich represented New South Wales on three occasions in 1965 scoring a try on each occasion, he was also called up to the Australian squad to tour New Zealand but was never selected for a match. His career came to a premature end in 1967 when he had to undergo major knee surgery.
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...
player for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League's Telstra Premiership, the premier rugby league competition of Australasia...
in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership
New South Wales Rugby League premiership
The New South Wales Rugby League premiership was the first rugby league football club competition established in Australia. Run by the New South Wales Rugby League from 1908 until 1994, the premiership was the state's and later the country's elite rugby league competition...
competition. His position of choice was on the wing.
Yakich was a protege of former Manly, 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...
, NSW & Australian
Australian national rugby league team
The Australian national rugby league team have represented Australia in senior men's rugby league football competition since the establishment of the game in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian Rugby League, the Kangaroos' are ranked number one in the RLIF World Rankings...
winger, the flying Johnny Bliss
Johnny Bliss
John Charles Bliss was a professional rugby league player who played for the Balmain Tigers, North Sydney Bears and Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in the NSWRL between 1942 and 1951.-Rugby League career:Johnny Bliss, nicknamed Blistering for his natural speed, was a Manly district junior...
. During his time with Manly, Yakich was considered one of the fastest players in rugby league behind only North Sydney
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...
's Ken Irvine
Ken Irvine
Kenneth John Irvine was an Australian rugby league footballer of the 1950s, 60s and 70s. He holds the standing record for the most number of tries in a first-grade career – 212. No other player has yet managed 200 tries in their career, apart from Steve Menzies who has scored 216...
and South Sydney
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...
's Michael Cleary. Interestingly, both Yakich and Bliss were beach sprint champions in NSW surf carnivals.
Yakich represented New South Wales on three occasions in 1965 scoring a try on each occasion, he was also called up to the Australian squad to tour New Zealand but was never selected for a match. His career came to a premature end in 1967 when he had to undergo major knee surgery.
Point scoring summary
| Games | Tries | Goals | F/G | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 74 | 52 | - | - | 208 |
Matches played
| Team | Matches | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Manly Sea Eagles | 74 | 1960 - 1966 |
| New South Wales | 3 | 1965 |
Sources
- Whiticker, Alan Alan WhitickerAlan J. Whiticker is an Australian non-fiction author with currently over 30 published books.Whiticker writes primarily on matters pertaining to the history of the sport of rugby league in Australia, but has also published works on subjects as diverse as the Wanda Beach Murders and an adaptation...
& Hudson, Glen (2006) The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players, Gavin Allen Publishing, Sydney