David Fairleigh
Personal information
Nickname	Daisy
Born	1 September 1970 (1970-09-01) (age 39)
	Wyoming, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Height	190 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Weight	107 kg (16 st 12 lb)
Position	Prop, Second-row
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1989–1999	North Sydney Bears	193	36	0	0	144
2000	Newcastle Knights	26	1	0	0	4
2001	St Helens	27	8	0	0	32
	Total	246	45	0	0	180
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1991–1997	New South Wales	10	0	0	0	0
1994–1996	Australia	15	2	0	0	8
Coaching information
Representative
Years	Team	Gms	W	D	L	W%
2009	Cook Islands	3	2	0	1	67
Source: Rugby League Project

David Fairleigh (born 1 September, 1970^[1]) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative forward^[2], he played the majority of his club football in Australia for the North Sydney Bears, winning 1994's Rothmans Medal. This was followed by a season at the Newcastle Knights, and another in England at St Helens, with whom he won the 2001 Challenge Cup final before retiring.

[edit] Club career

While attending Gosford High School, Fairleigh played for the Australian Schoolboys team in 1988.^[3]

He made his first grade debut for the Bears in round 17 of 1989 and for ten seasons from 1990 was a permanent first grade player and North Sydney stalwart. Following North's merger with Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles at the end of 1999 Fairleigh moved to Newcastle and was in 2000 named the club's Player of the Year. 2001 saw him finish his club career with a season for St Helens in England.

[edit] Representative career

In State of Origin game III of 1991, Fairleigh was selected for the New South Wales team on the interchange bench. He was not selected in 1992 but appeared again in 1993 off the interchange bench in games I & II and as a prop-forward in the run-on side of game III. His Origin (and national) representative careers benefitted from the fracas of the Super League war and he appeared in all three games of the 1995 and 1997 series for a career total of ten appearances for the Blues.

Although not selected for Origin in 1994, Fairleigh earned a place in the Australian Test side against France when Bradley Clyde withdrew. He was one of the first forwards selected for the 1994 Kangaroo Tour . He appeared in twelve minor tour matches and two Tests scoring five tries on tour. He had been selected as a reserve for the second Test but withdrew on the morning of the match with a virus. He played in the third Test against Great Britain and in the sole test against France, scoring a try in the 74-0 drubbing. He was also selected in the Australian team to play against Fiji and Papua New Guinea in 1996.

[edit] Post playing

Fairleigh won the Rothman's Medal in 1994 with a record tally of 33 votes. He was second in the award in 1996 behind teammate Jason Taylor. In 2006 an expert panel of judges selected a North Sydney team of the century in which Fairleigh was selected in the starting thirteen in the second-row.^[4]

In 2006 Fairleigh was the Premier league coach at the Newcastle Knights but his contract was not renewed in the changes that occurred in early 2007 relating to the arrival of new head coach Brian Smith.^[5] Fairleigh is currently an assistant coach at the Parramatta Eels club.^[6]

[edit] References

[edit] Sources

• Whiticker, Alan & Hudson, Glen (2006) The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players, Gavin Allen Publishing, Sydney
• Big League's 25 Years of Origin Collectors' Edition , News Magazines, Surry Hills, Sydney

[edit] External links

• Saints Heritage Society profile