Jason Stafford

Jason Stafford (born 5 July 1967) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. He played for the Western Suburbs Magpies and Past Brothers.

Jason Stafford
Personal information
Born (1967-07-05) 5 July 1967
Australia
Playing information
PositionCentre
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1987 Past Brothers 2 0 0 8
1988–90 Western Suburbs 38 15 0 0 60
Total 38 17 0 0 68
Source: [1]

Club career

Stafford made his first-grade debut with Past Brothers in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership in 1987 as a 19-year-old. He scored 2 tries over the course of the season, playing in the centres, but was not a member of the team that won the grand final that year.[2]

In 1988, Stafford joined the Western Suburbs Magpies in the NSWRL. He made his debut from the bench on 27 March against the Balmain Tigers. A week later he made his debut in the centres against the North Sydney Bears, also scoring a try. He scored a double in round 7 and again in round 8, where he received attention when he scored an 80 metre try with one shoe missing.[3] Stafford finished the season with 9 tries from his 15 games, making him the club's highest tryscorer - the next closest with 4. Failing to score in his 4 games on the wing, he had 9 from 11 in the centres.

For the 1989 season, Stafford was described as one of the "nobodies" who provided "great hope for the future" for Wests.[4] In the starting team from round 1 this year, he played in 19 games but only scored 2 tries. He was still said to have "revelled" alongside the club's English imports Ellery Hanley and Garry Schofield.[5]

The 1990 season started with Stafford being awarded Man of the Match in the first round of the pre-season Challenge Cup[6] After missing the start of the regular season, the "big stylish centre" returned with another double in "spectacular fashion" in round 4. Scoring 4 tries in his first 3 matches of the season, club coach John Bailey was saying that Stafford had a chance of forcing his way into the Queensland State of Origin team for that year.[7] He soon after suffered a cruciate ligament injury[8] and never played in the competition again, despite being taken by St. George Dragons in the 1991 draft.[9]

References
  1. "Jason Stafford - Career Stats & Summary". Rugby League Project.
  2. Chris Garry. "Best 10 Brisbane or QRL grand finals in past 50 years". Courier Mail.
  3. "Match Reviews". Rugby League Week. No. 11. 27 April 1988.
  4. David Middleton (1988). Rugby League 1988-89. Letter-Townsend Publishing. p. 140. ISBN 0949853194.
  5. David Middleton (1989). Rugby League 1989-90. Letter-Townsend Publishing. p. 136. ISBN 0949853321.
  6. "Rugby League Week". 21 (3). 21 February 1990: 24. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. "Stafford given chance to impress". Sydney Morning Herald. 15 April 1990. p. 74.
  8. "Injured Garry Jack has good news for the in form Tigers". Sydney Morning Herald. 3 June 1990. p. 65.
  9. "Draft drama: just look behind the scenes". Sydney Morning Herald. 21 February 1991. p. 55.
  • Whiticker, Alan and Hudson, Glen; The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players; published 2005 by BAS publishing, f16/171 Collins St, Melbourne, Vic., 3000


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