Playing Career
Vital Statistics
- Full Name
- Brian Julian O'Neill
- Born
- Saturday, 14th October, 1972
- Current Age
- 51 years and 218 days
- Place Of Birth
- Hornsby, New South Wales, Australia
Biography
Former Australian Schoolboy rep from Yeppoon settled into the fullback role with the Broncos after an injury to Paul Hauff in 1992. O’Neill quickly took his place in Brisbane’s successful grand final and World Club Championship teams, while his time with Widnes in the 1992-93 off-season sharpened his considerable skills. He made his State of Origin debut at five-eighth the following year and landed a goal in Brisbane’s 14-6 grand final victory over St George. O’Neill played in all three interstate matches in 1994, scoring a try in the first match and landing two goals in the third. However, his career nose-dived when the Broncos sacked him on disciplinary grounds. Joining the London Broncos, he was sent back to Australia after a drink-driving incident and joined the W’Reds. For a while his career regained momentum - playing for Australia in Super League’s ANZac Test before capturing the Queensland fullback spot in the opening match of the Tri-Series competition. A record-setter with the Reds (most tries and most points in an individual match, 26pts), he was again sacked by his club for disciplinary reasons. In 1998 O’Neill was given a lifeline by the struggling Souths club but did not see eye-to-eye with coach Steve Martin and spent some time in the Rabbitohs’ President’s Cup team. The club appeared to back O’Neill when they cancelled Martin’s contract midway through the season but their patience was tested following O’Neill’s involvement in the trashing of a Dubbo hotel during a pre-season Country Carnival competition. Although Souths stopped short of sacking him, the NRL at first refused to allow O’Neill to return to grade football until they were satisfied that he was seeking an appropriate course of professional counselling. A player of undeniable talent, he gave two years good service to the battling North Queensland North Queensland and was called into Queensland’s struggling State of Origin team in 2000. O’Neill’s family endured the personal tragedy of the death of his infant daughter just before joining English club Wigan in 2002. He was a Challenge Cup winner with the club that year but was transferred to Widnes by coach Stuart Raper in 2003 when the club struggled in the early part of the season.
- ALAN WHITICKER
Playing Career Statistics
All statistics shown in this section are based only on data available in the RLP database, and are not necessarily a complete and/or 100% accurate representation of a player's career. This information should be used as a guide only. If you see a question mark (?), it denotes that the figure is not available.
To view a list of corresponding matches, click on the List button.
Competitions | ||||||||||||||
Competition | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NSWRL/ARL/Super League/NRL Premiership | 228 | 68 | 455 | 13 | 1195 | 109 | 114 | 5 | 47.81% | List | ||||
Challenge Cup AU | 11 | 4 | 17 | - | 50 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 72.73% | List | ||||
NSWRL/ARL/Super League/NRL Finals | 10 | 2 | 18 | - | 44 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 70.00% | List | ||||
World Club Challenge | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.00% | List | ||||
State of Origin | 10 | 2 | 9 | - | 26 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 30.00% | List | ||||
English Championship | 3 | - | 13 | 1 | 27 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67% | List | ||||
Anzac Tests | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | ||||
Challenge Cup | 15 | 3 | 18 | - | 48 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 66.67% | List | ||||
Super League | 102 | 28 | 234 | 7 | 587 | 49 | 51 | 2 | 48.04% | List | ||||
Super League Finals | 3 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67% | List | ||||
UK Second Division | 6 | - | 27 | 1 | 55 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 66.67% | List | ||||
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Test Matches - By Team | ||||||||||||||
Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
Australia (SL) | 1997 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | List | |||
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Australia - By Team | ||||||||||||||
Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
QLD | 1993-94, 1996-97, 2000 | 10 | 2 | 9 | - | 26 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 30.00% | List | |||
QLD (SL) | 1997 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | List | |||
Overall | 1993-2000 | 11 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 26 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 27.27% | List | |||
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NSWRL/ARL/Super League/NRL Premiership - By Year | ||||||||||||||
Team | Season | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
Brisbane | NSWRL 1991 | 8 | 2 | 4 | / | 8 | 50.00% | - | 16 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 62.50% | List |
Brisbane | NSWRL 1992 | 24 | 6 | 11 | / | 14 | 78.57% | 1 | 47 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 83.33% | List |
Brisbane | NSWRL 1993 | 26 | 9 | 28 | / | 41 | 68.29% | 3 | 95 | 20 | 6 | 0 | 76.92% | List |
Brisbane | NSWRL 1994 | 24 | 8 | 47 | / | 78 | 60.26% | 3 | 129 | 14 | 9 | 1 | 58.33% | List |
Brisbane | ARL 1995 | 23 | 8 | 79 | / | 106 | 74.53% | 2 | 192 | 16 | 7 | 0 | 69.57% | List |
Western Reds | ARL 1996 | 18 | 6 | 49 | / | 61 | 80.33% | 3 | 125 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 33.33% | List |
Western Reds | Super League 1997 | 8 | 6 | 14 | / | 24 | 58.33% | 1 | 53 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 50.00% | List |
South Sydney | ARL 1997 | 10 | - | 21 | / | 29 | 72.41% | - | 42 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 0.00% | List |
South Sydney | NRL 1998 | 19 | 6 | 39 | / | 55 | 70.91% | - | 102 | 4 | 15 | 0 | 21.05% | List |
South Sydney | NRL 1999 | 21 | 3 | 41 | / | 59 | 69.49% | - | 94 | 8 | 13 | 0 | 38.10% | List |
North Qld | NRL 2000 | 24 | 3 | 66 | / | 83 | 79.52% | - | 144 | 7 | 17 | 0 | 29.17% | List |
North Qld | NRL 2001 | 23 | 11 | 56 | / | 82 | 68.29% | - | 156 | 5 | 16 | 2 | 21.74% | List |
NSWRL/ARL/Super League/NRL Premiership - By Team | ||||||||||||||
Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
Brisbane | 1991-95 | 105 | 33 | 169 | / | 247 | 68.42% | 9 | 479 | 75 | 29 | 1 | 71.43% | List |
Western Reds | 1996-97 | 26 | 12 | 63 | / | 85 | 74.12% | 4 | 178 | 10 | 15 | 1 | 38.46% | List |
South Sydney | 1997-99 | 50 | 9 | 101 | / | 143 | 70.63% | - | 238 | 12 | 37 | 1 | 24.00% | List |
North Qld | 2000-01 | 47 | 14 | 122 | / | 165 | 73.94% | - | 300 | 12 | 33 | 2 | 25.53% | List |
Overall | 1991-2001 | 228 | 68 | 455 | / | 640 | 71.09% | 13 | 1,195 | 109 | 114 | 5 | 47.81% | List |
English Career - By Year | ||||||||||||||
Team | Season | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
London | 1995/96 | 3 | - | 13 | 1 | 27 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67% | List | |||
Wigan | 2002 | 32 | 12 | 61 | - | 170 | 28 | 7 | 0 | 87.50% | List | |||
Widnes | 2002 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.00% | List | |||
Wigan | 2003 | 6 | 2 | 25 | - | 58 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 83.33% | List | |||
Widnes | 2003 | 21 | 5 | 84 | 2 | 190 | 12 | 8 | 1 | 57.14% | List | |||
Widnes | 2004 | 26 | 9 | 61 | 4 | 162 | 7 | 19 | 0 | 26.92% | List | |||
Wakefield Trinity | 2005 | 13 | 2 | 4 | - | 16 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 30.77% | List | |||
Widnes | 2005 | 16 | 1 | 15 | 1 | 35 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 25.00% | List | |||
Leigh | 2006 | 7 | - | 29 | 1 | 59 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 57.14% | List | |||
English Career - By Team | ||||||||||||||
Team | Years | App | T | G | GK % | FG | Pts | W | L | D | Win % | |||
London | 1995 | 3 | - | 13 | 1 | 27 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67% | List | |||
Wigan | 2002-03 | 38 | 14 | 86 | - | 228 | 31 | 7 | 0 | 81.58% | List | |||
Widnes | 2002-05 | 65 | 15 | 160 | 7 | 387 | 24 | 39 | 2 | 36.92% | List | |||
Wakefield Trinity | 2005 | 13 | 2 | 4 | - | 16 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 30.77% | List | |||
Leigh | 2006 | 7 | - | 29 | 1 | 59 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 57.14% | List | |||
Overall | 1995-2006 | 126 | 31 | 292 | 9 | 717 | 65 | 59 | 2 | 51.59% | List |
Contributions:
Rugby League Tables, Andrew Ferguson, AJ Lucantonio, Shawn Dollin, Max Turner, Greg Fiveash, Alan Katzmann, Paul Carter, Steven Russo, Bill Bates
Sources:
David Middleton's Rugby League Yearbook (1987-88 to present), Richard Bailey's Rugby League World, Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook (1981-82 to 1999)
Your Say
29/06/2011
The only player to play in both the ARL State Of Origin and Super League TRI-SERIES (NSW/QLD/NZ) in 1997.
08/02/2012
Brilliant player, top guy and knows how to get the best out of a team when coaching. He really has done a lot for rugby league in png...
24/06/2012
one of the best player s i ever had the pleasure of watching
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