Mark Riddell
Personal information
Full name	Mark Robert Riddell
Nickname	Piggy
Born	9 December 1980 (1980-12-09) (age 29)
	Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Height	182 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	109 kg (17 st 2 lb)
Playing information
Position	Hooker
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2001–04	St. George Illawarra	92	30	198	1	517
2005–08	Parramatta Eels	86	14	28	0	112
2009–	Wigan Warriors	24	3	0	0	12
	Total	202	47	226	1	641
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2004–05	City	2	1	0	0	4
Source: NRL Stats, Rugby League Project

Mark Robert Riddell (born 9 December 1981 in Sydney, New South Wales) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Wigan Warriors in the European Super League competition. He previously played for the St George Illawarra Dragons and Parramatta Eels. Riddell primarily plays at hooker.

While in his last season at the St George Illawarra club, Riddell was called up for his first representative honour playing for the City team in the annual City vs Country Origin clash; after moving to the Eels the following year he was again called up to the City side for the second year in a row.

[edit] Childhood and early career

Riddell began playing rugby league at the age of four for his local Panania side St Christopher’s in the Canterbury competition where his talent was noticed by several rugby league scouts but eventually the Sydney Roosters won the race for his signature. Played for several years in the lower grades at the Roosters but ultimately was unable to make his way into the first grade team and left the club looking for opportunities elsewhere eventually signing with the St George Illawarra Dragons.

[edit] St George Illawarra Dragons

Riddell eventually made the transition into first grade while playing with his new club side at the Dragons, making his debut against local rivals the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks during round one of the 2001 season. Riddell became an immediate fan favourite at his new club after several displays showcasing a good running game particularly out of dummy-half along with good hands and agility for a man of his size and build.^{[citation needed]} During the season he became a regular goal-kicker for the club where he developed a distinctive 'raised arm' motion before he would take the kick. Fans in the crowd would mimic this action. Riddell had an impressive debut season in first grade with the Dragons finishing the season as top scorer with 130 points and cemented his position in the side as hooker.

Riddell with distinctive arm raise & mimic from crowd.

During his second season with the Dragons Riddell would again have a good season not only impressing club staff and fans with his quickly evolving running game from dummy-half, goal kicking and strength close to the try line ultimately earning himself a call up to the 2002 international Australian Kangaroos 'train-on' squad but was not selected in the final touring side. He finished the season again as the top scorer with 129 points to his name even though he was sidelined during several games in the season through suspension after being sent off twice during the regular season.

At the start of the 2003 season, Riddell was criticised amongst some media circles for being slow, out of shape and overweight along with negative talk about discipline problems, however nothing eventuated and he went on to play all twenty-four games of the regular season again finishing as the top point scorer with an individual record high of 166 points.

2004 was again another season of consistent performances for Riddell and several media pundits began speculating on his chances of representing New South Wales in the annual State of Origin, however he was left out of the side but still tasted his first representative experience playing for the City origin side in the annual City vs Country Origin fixture. Salary cap restraints on the club at the conclusion of the season along with several lucrative offers eventuated in a move from the Dragons. Riddell signed with the Parramatta Eels for the 2005 season.

[edit] Parramatta Eels

Riddell began the 2005 NRL season with the Eels in his regular role of hooker and becoming a vital part of the Parramatta Eels offensive tactics for the season often crossing the try line with his strength and elusiveness from dummy half. He had his worst season in regards to point scoring after having to share the goal kicking duties with team mate Luke Burt, finishing the season with only 50 points but ultimately helping his side to the minor premiership.

On 17 May, 2006, Riddell was dropped from the Eels first grade side and fined a total of 5,000 dollars for failing to show up to a recovery session on a Monday morning following a regular season fixture, he later admitted the reason he had failed to show up to the session was because he was intoxicated.^[1]

[edit] Wigan Warriors

Wigan signed Riddell on a three-year deal starting from 2009.^[2]

In a pre-season trial game in January, 2009, Riddell scored two tries for Wigan against Huddersfield.^[3]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Mark Riddell Scoring summary
• Mark Riddell Wigan Career Page on the CherryandWhite.co.uk Wigan RL Fansite.