| Sean Long |
| Personal information |
| Nickname | Longy |
| Born | 24 September 1976 (1976-09-24) (age 33) |
| Wigan, United Kingdom |
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)[1] |
| Weight | 13 st 5 lbs (85 kg) |
| Playing information |
| Position | Scrum-half |
| Club |
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| 1996–1997 | Wigan | ? | 4 | 29 | ? | 74 |
| Widnes | | | | | |
| 1997–2009 | St Helens | 265 | 124 | 812 | 20 | 2178 |
| 2009 | Hull F.C. | | | | | |
| Total | | 128 | 841 | | 2252 |
| Representative |
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| 2000–2000 | England | 5 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 18 |
| 1997–2006 | Great Britain | 15 | 4 | 14 | 1 | 45 |
| As of 12 October 2009 |
| Source: RLP |
Sean Long (born 24 September, 1976 in Wigan) is an English professional rugby league football player playing for Super League side Hull F.C.[2] He has played for Wigan and Widness but is best known for playing for St Helens. Internationally he has represented England and Great Britain at scrum-half.
[edit] Playing career
After signing from local amateur side, Wigan St. Judes, Long started his career at Wigan Warriors. After Wigan Warriors released him from his contract, Long moved to Widnes Vikings, where he attracted the attention of several of the Super League's top clubs. He was signed by St Helens in 1997 to replace the departing Bobbie Goulding. Long twice set the St. Helens record for the number of points scored in a Super League season, gaining 284 points in 1999 and 352 points in 2000.[3]
Long has gained many club honours and has won three Lance Todd Trophies for man-of-the-match performances in the Challenge Cup final after St Helens won the trophy in the 2001, 2004 and 2006 finals. By 2005, Long had scored 2000 points for St Helens. During the 2005/6 season, he sustained a broken cheek bone in a challenge by Wigan's Terry Newton.[4]
Long scored his 1000th goal for St. Helens on 22 February 2009 in a game against Huddersfield.[5]
During 2006, St Helens won both the Challenge Cup and Engage Rugby Super League. St. Helens, in 2007, took all honours apart from the Super League title when they were beaten by Leeds at Old Trafford in the Grand Final.
In 2007 Long played his testimonial match for St. Helens playing against Leigh RLFC. Former St. Helens players returned for the game, including Chris Joynt, Tommy Martyn and Paul Newlove. St. Helens won the game 40-10.[6]
Long officially retired from International football on 16 April 2007, wishing to concentrate on his club career. He has stated that it is a "big possibility" that he will play football in the NRL in the future.[7] Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and Kangaroos coach Ricky Stuart expressed some interest in employing in the Shire in 2008 but the arrangement was cancelled.
He played in the 2008 Super League Grand Final defeat to the Leeds Rhinos.[8]
On 1 June 2009 it was announced that Sean had signed a two year contract with Hull FC for the 2010 and 2011 seasons.[9]
[edit] International career
In 2006, Long was selected for Great Britain in the Tri nations. Long played in the first game between Great Britain and Australia, which resulted in Great Britain's first victory in Sydney in 18 years, with a score of 23-12. However, on 13 November 2006, Long returned home from the Tri-Nations tour, with 'personal reasons' cited as the reason by Great Britain coach Brian Noble.[10]
Long is among only eight players who have ever scored a drop goal for England,[11] [Note 1] and amongst only eighteen players who have ever scored drop goals for Great Britain.[11] [Note 2] Consequently only three players have ever scored drop goals for both England & Great Britain, they are Bobbie Goulding, Sean Long, and Harry Pinner.
- ^ John Keith Bridges (1), George Fairbairn (1), Bobbie Goulding (1), Sean Long (1), Martin Offiah (1), Harry Pinner (2), Alan Redfearn (1), and Nigel Wright (1).
- ^ Tommy Bishop (3), Lee Crooks (1), Jonathan Davies (2), Bobbie Goulding (1), Ken Gowers (1), John Gray (1), Neil Holding (1), John Holmes (2), Syd Hynes (3), Jim Jolley (1), Sean Long (1), Roger Millward (1), Steve Nash (1), Harry Pinner (1), Garry Schofield (7), Paul Sculthorpe (2), Jim Sharrock (1), and Tony Smith (1).
[edit] References
[edit] External links
