Clive Bernard "Tigger" "The Little Master" Churchill - South Sydney Player Report

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FG Player - 365

A late mid year transfer from Central Newcastle after representing Country Seconds. In 1950 Churchill was the youngest player to be selected as Australian Test captain. A day in the 1950s when the renowned Eastern Suburbs front-rower Ray Stehr was broadcasting a Souths match for 2UE. In response to a moment of exceptional Churchillean brilliance on the field, Stehr declared: "I never saw Dally Messenger (known within the game by then as 'The Master') play, "but I have seen a Little Master and that is Clive Churchill." Stehr's tag stuck – and so it was that almost as if by an official bestowal, Clive was 'The Little Master' forevermore.

Representative Qualification
NSW Country

Date of Birth
21st January 1927 (Died - 1985)

Previous Clubs
Central Newcastle (1946-47)
NSW Country II (1947)

Playing Career at South Sydney (1947-58)

South Sydney First Grade Debut
1947 Tour1 Woll v Group 7 (20y 187d)
1947 Rd17  Ersk v Newtown (Premiership - 20y 207d)

First Grade
                           Premiership :         Australian Championship :                            Tour
         M   S   R   T   G/A   FG  Pts :   M   S   R   T   G/A   FG  Pts :   M   S   R   T   G/A   FG  Pts
1947     2   2   -   -   4      -    8 :                                 :   3   3   -   1   4      -   11
1948     9   9   -   -   5      -   10 :                                 :   1   1   -   -   -      -    -
1949    18  18   -   -   2      -    4 :                                 :   -   -   -   -   -      -    -
1950    17  17   -   -   9      -   18 :                                 :   2   2   -   2   2      -   10
1951    17  17   -   5   2      1   21 :   1   1   -   -   2      -    4 :   -   -   -   -   -      -    -
1952     8   8   -   2   -      -    6 :                                 :   1   1   -   -   -      -    -
1953    13  13   -   3   9      -   27 :                                 :   1   1   -   -   -      -    -
1954    16  16   -   1   6      1   17 :                                 :   1   1   -   -   -      -    -
1955    14  14   -   -   4      2   12 :                                 :   2   2   -   -   -      1    2
1956    10  10   -   1   4      -   11 :                                 :   1   1   -   -   4      -    8
1957    16  16   -   -  24      2   52 :                                 :   1   1   -   -   4      -    8
1958    17  17   -   1   2      -    7 :                                 :   6   6   -   2   8      -   22
 
TOTAL  157 157   -  13  71      6  193 :   1   1   -   -   2      -    4 :  19  19   -   5  22      1   61

SS FG  177 177   -  18  95      7  258 

Captaincy Record at South Sydney

South Sydney First Grade Captaincy Debut
1950 Rd08  v Manly-Warringah

     First Grade
Year Premiership(  W- D-L      %) : Other(  W- D-L      %)
1950           2(  1- 0-1    50%) :
1953           1(  0- 0-1     0%) : 
1955           3(  1- 0-2    33%) :
1957           7(  4- 0-3    57%) :
1958          17(  6- 0-11   35%) :     6(  6- 0-0   100%)

TOTAL         30( 12- 0-18   40%) :     6(  6- 0-0   100%)

SS FG         36( 18- 0-18   50%) 

Suspension Record at South Sydney

Year       Grade v        Wk CHARGE
1953 Rd05  FG    St George    - Abusing Touch Judge 
1955 Trial FG    St George    - Kicking

Player Awards

Year  Award
1949 - E.E. Christensen Player of the Year
1950 - E.E. Christensen Player of the Year
1950 - Claude Corbett Memorial Trophy
1952 - E.E. Christensen Player of the Year
1952 - Sunday-Herald Best and Fairest
1952 - Sunday Telegraph Star of the Year
1952 - Sunday Telegraph Player of the Year
1953 - Sunday Telepgrah Star of the Year
1953 - Sunday Telegraph Player of the Year
1954 - Clive Churchill Medal (Grand Final man of the match)
1954 - Claude Corbett Memorial Trophy
1955 - Sunday Telegraph Star of the Year
1955 - Sunday Telegraph Player of the Year
1957 - Sunday Telegraph Star of the Year
1978 - ARL 40 Greatest Players
1981 - Rugby League Week Immortal
1985 - Sport Australia Hall of Fame
1986 - SCG Grandstand named in his honour
1986 - Clive Churchill Medal named in his honour
1992 - Rugby League Week Dream Team (Fullback)
1992 - Rugby League Week Top 100 best player
2001 - SCG Trust Walk of Honour
2002 - NRL Hall of Fame
2002 - International Rugby League Hall of Fame
2003 - Great Kangaroo Tourists (Captain)
2007 - ARL Team of the Decade (1950s - Fullback)
2007 - ARL 100 Greatest Players
2008 - New South Wales Team of the Century (Fullback)
2008 - Australian Rugby League Team of the Century (Fullback)
2017 - NSWRL Hall of Fame

Representative Honours at South Sydney

Domestic                                   CvC / Interstate :                       Tourists :                          Other
                              M   S   R   T   G/A   FG  Pts :  M   S   R   T   G/A   FG  Pts :  M   S   R   T   G/A   FG  Pts
Sydney City II       1948                                   :                                :  1   1   -   -   -      -    -
Possibles            1948                                   :                                :  1   1   -   -   -      -    -
Sydney City          1948-56  9   9   -   2   3      1   14 :  3   3   -   7   8      -   14 :
New South Wales      1948-57 27  27   -   4  15      3   48 : 11  11   -   1  13      -   29 :  1   1   -   -   -      -    -

TOTAL                        53  53   -   7  38      4  105

International                                Internationals :                          Other
                              M   S   R   T   G/A   FG  Pts :  M   S   R   T   G/A   FG  Pts
Australia            1948-56 39  39   -   -   9      1   20 : 58  58   -   3  29      1   69
Australia XIII       1951                                   :  1   1   -   -   -      -    -
Australasia          1954     1   1   -   -   -      -    - : 

TOTAL                        99  99   -   3  38      2   89

ALL REPS                    152 152   -  10  76      6  194

Captaincy          CvC/Interstate/Internationals :            Tourists :               Other 
                              M(  W- D-L      %) :  M(  W- D-L      %) :  M(  W- D-L      %)
Australia            1948-56 29( 13- 0-16   45%) :                     : 32( 26- 2-4    81%)
New South Wales      1950-55 17( 11- 0-6    65%) : 10(  6- 1-2    60%) :
Sydney City          1951-56  5(  4- 0-1    80%) :  3(  2- 1-0    67%)
Australia XIII       1951                        :  1(  0- 0-1     0%)
Australasia          1954     1(  1- 0-0   100%) :

ALL REPS                     98( 63- 4-30   66%)

Year Pos  Team                 Versus               Match         T  G/A  FG
1948 Flbk Sydney City II       v NSW Country II                   -  -     -
1948 Flbk Possibles            v Probables                        -  -     -
1948 Flbk Sydney City          v NSW Country        2nd Match     -  -     -
1948 Flbk Australia            v New Zealand        2nd Test      -  -     -
1948 Flbk New South Wales      v Queensland         4th Match     -  -     -
1948 Flbk Australia            v Huddersfield       Tour Match    -  -     -
1948 Flbk Australia            v Belle Vue          Tour Match    -  1     -
1948 Flbk Australia            v Hull               Tour Match    -  -     -
1948 Flbk Australia            v Salford            Tour Match    -  -     -
1948 Flbk Australia            v Great Britain      1st Test      -  -     -
1948 Flbk Australia            v Drewsbury          Tour Match    -  -     -
1948 Flbk Australia            v Wigan              Tour Match    -  -     - 
1948 Flbk Australia            v Barrow             Tour Match    -  -     -
1948 Flbk Australia            v Leeds              Tour Match    -  -     - 
1948 Flbk Australia            v Warrington         Tour Match    -  -     - 
1948 Flbk Australia            v Great Britain      2nd Test      -  -     -
1948 Flbk Australia            v Swinton            Tour Match    -  -     - 
1948 Flbk Australia            v Wales              Test          -  -     - (c) W
1948 Flbk Australia            v Yorkshire          Tour Match    -  -     -
1948 Flbk Australia            v Lancashire         Tour Match    -  -     -
1948 Flbk Australia            v Catalan            Tour Match    -  -     -
1949 Flbk Australia            v Carcassonne        Tour Match    -  -     -
1949 Flbk Australia            v France             1st Test      -  -     -
1949 Flbk Australia            v Lyons-Roanne       Tour Match    -  -     -
1949 Flbk Australia            v France             2nd Test      -  -     -
1949 Flbk Australia            v Great Britain      3rd Test      -  -     - 

1949 Flbk Sydney City          v NSW Country                      -  -     -
1949 Flbk New South Wales      v Queensland         1st Match     -  -     -
1949 Flbk New South Wales      v Queensland         2nd Match     1  -     -
1949 Flbk New South Wales      v Queensland         3rd Match     -  -     -
1949 Flbk New South Wales      v Brisbane           Tour Match    -  -     -
1949 Flbk New South Wales      v Queensland         4th Match     -  -     -
1949 Flbk Australia            v New Zealand        1st Test      -  -     -
1949 Flbk Australia            v Auckland           Tour Match    -  -     -
1949 Flbk Australia            v NZ Nthrn Provinces Tour Match    -  -     -
1949 Flbk Australia            v New Zealand        2nd Test      -  -     -
1949 Flbk Australia            v Auckland Colts     Tour Match    1  -     - 

1950 Flbk Sydney City          v NSW Country                      -  -     -
1950 Flbk New South Wales      v Queensland         1st Match     1  2     -
1950 Flbk New South Wales      v Queensland         2nd Match     -  -     -
1950 Flbk New South Wales      v Great Britain      1st Match     -  -     -
1950 Flbk Australia            v Great Britain      1st Test      -  -     - (c) L
1950 Flbk New South Wales      v Queensland         3rd Match     -  1     - (c) W
1950 Flbk Australia            v Great Britain      2nd Test      -  1     - (c) W
1950 Flbk New South Wales      v Great Britain      2nd Match     -  -     - (c) L
1950 Flbk Australia            v Great Britain      3rd Test      -  1     - (c) W

1951 Flbk Sydney City          v NSW Country                      1  -     - (c) W
1951 Flbk New South Wales      v Queensland         1st Match     -  2     - (c) L
1951 Flbk New South Wales      v Queensland         2nd Match     -  -     - (c) W
1951 Flbk Sydney City          v France                           -  -     - (c) D
1951 Flbk Australia            v France             1st Test      -  -     - (c) L
1951 Flbk New South Wales      v Queensland         3rd Match     -  -     - (c) L
1951 Flbk Australia            v France             2nd Test      -  -     1 (c) W
1951 Flbk New South Wales      v France             1st Match     -  -     - (c) D
1951 Flbk Australia            v France             3rd Test      -  -     - (c) L
1951 Flbk Australia XIII       v France                           -  -     - (c) L

1952 Flbk Sydney City          v NSW Country        1st Match     1  -     -     
1952 Flbk New South Wales      v Queensland         1st Match     -  -     -     
1952 Flbk New South Wales      v Queensland         2nd Match     1  -     1 (c) W
1952 Flbk New South Wales      v New Zealand        Tour Match    -  -     - (c) L
1952 Flbk Australia            v New Zealand        1st Test      -  -     - (c) W
1952 Flbk New South Wales      v Queensland         3rd Match     1  -     - (c) W
1952 Flbk Australia            v New Zealand        2nd Test      -  -     - (c) L
1952 Flbk Australia            v New Zealand        3rd Test      -  3     - (c) L
1952 Flbk Australia            v Kangaroos Odds                              (c)   (Match Abandoned)
1952 Flbk Australia            v Western Australia  Tour Match    -  -     - (c) W
1952 Flbk Australia            v Keighley           Tour Match    -  -     - (c) W
1952 Flbk Australia            v Hull               Tour Match    -  -     - (c) W
1952 Flbk Australia            v Barrow             Tour Match    -  -     - (c) W
1952 Flbk Australia            v Oldham             Tour Match    -  -     - (c) D
1952 Flbk Australia            v Halifax            Tour Match    -  -     - (c) W
1952 Flbk Australia            v St Helens          Tour Match    -  -     - (c) L
1952 Flbk Australia            v Great Britain      1st Test      -  -     - (c) L
1952 Flbk Australia            v Leigh              Tour Match    -  -     - (c) W
1952 Flbk Australia            v Hunslet            Tour Match    1  8     - (c) W
1952 Flbk Australia            v Workington         Tour Match    -  -     - (c) W
1952 Flbk Australia            v Huddersfield       Tour Match    -  6     - (c) W
1952 Flbk Australia            v Great Britain      2nd Test      -  -     - (c) L
1952 Flbk Australia            v Hull KR            Tour Match    -  1     - (c) W
1952 Flbk Australia            v Lancashire         Tour Match    -  1     - (c) W
1952 Flbk Australia            v Yorkshire          Tour Match    -  -     - (c) W
1952 Flbk Australia            v Widnes             Tour Match    -  1     - (c) W
1952 Flbk Australia            v Great Britain      3rd Test      -  -     - (c) W
1952 Flbk Australia            v Villeneuve         Tour Match    -  -     - (c) W
1952 Flbk Australia            v France             1st Test      -  -     - (c) W
1952 Flbk Australia            v Carcassonne        Tour Match    2  -     - (c) W
1953 Flbk Australia            v France             2nd Test      -  -     - (c) L
1953 Flbk Australia            v Provence           Tour Match    -  -     - (c) W
1953 Flbk Australia            v France             3rd Test      -  -     - (c) L

1953 Flbk Australia            v The Rest                         -  -     - (c) W
1953 Flbk Sydney City          v NSW Country                      -  -     - (c) L
1953 Flbk New South Wales      v Queensland         1st Match     -  -     -
1953 Flbk New South Wales      v Queensland         2nd Match     -  -     - (c) W
1953 Flbk Sydney City          v USA                              -  -     - (c) W 
1953 Flbk New South Wales      v USA                1st Match     -  -     - (c) W
1953 Flbk New South Wales      v Queensland         3rd Match     -  -     - (c) L
1953 Flbk New South Wales      v Queensland         4th Match     -  -     - (c) L
1953      Australia              (NZ Tour Squad) (c) 
1953 Flbk Australia            v NZ West Coast      Tour Match    -  -     - (c) W
1953 Flbk Australia            v New Zealand        1st Test      -  -     - (c) L
1953 Flbk Australia            v NZ South Island    Tour Match    1  -     - (c) W
1953 Flbk Australia            v New Zealand        2nd Test      -  -     - (c) L
1953 5/8  Australia            v Taranaki           Tour Match    -  -     - (c) W
1953 Flbk Australia            v South Auckland     Tour Match    -  -     - (c) W
1953 Flbk Australia            v Auckland           Tour Match    -  -     - (c) W
1953 Flbk Australia            v New Zealand        3rd Test      -  -     - (c) W
1953 Flbk New South Wales      v USA                2nd Match     -  -     - (c) W
1953 Flbk Sydney City          v Brisbane                                    (c)   (Selected but withdrew due to injury)

1954 Flbk Sydney City          v NSW Country                      -  3     1 (c) W
1954 Flbk New South Wales      v Queensland         1st Match     -  -     1 (c) W
1954 Flbk New South Wales      v Queensland         2nd Match     -  -     - (c) W
1954 Flbk Sydney City          v Great Britain                    -  7/8   - (c) W
1954 Flbk New South Wales      v Great Britain      1st Match     -  3/4   - (c) W
1954 Flbk Australia            v Great Britain      1st Test      -  -     - (c) W
1954 Flbk New South Wales      v Queensland         3rd Match     -  -     - (c) W
1954 Flbk New South Wales      v Queensland         4th Match     -  -     1 (c) W
1954 Flbk Australia            v Great Britain      2nd Test      -  -     - (c) L
1954 Flbk New South Wales      v Great Britain      2nd Match     -  -     - (c) A (Match abandoned)
1954 Flbk Australia            v Great Britain      3rd Test      -  -     - (c) W
1954 Flbk New South Wales      v Great Britain      3rd Match     -  1     - (c) W
1954      Australia            (World Cup Tour Squad) (c)
1954 Flbk Australia            v Great Britain      RLWC          -  -     - (c) L
1954 Flbk Australia            v New Zealand        RLWC          -  -     - (c) W
1954 Flbk Australia            v France             RLWC          -  -     - (c) L
1954 Flbk Australiasia         v English RL XIII                  -  -     - (c) W
1954 Flbk Australia            v New Zealand        UK Test       -  -     - (c) W
1954 Flbk Australia            v New Zealand        1st LA Game   -  -     - (c) W
1954 Flbk Australia            v New Zealand        2nd LA Game   -  -     1 (c) W

1955 Flbk Sydney City          v NSW Country                      -  -     - (c) W
1955 Flbk New South Wales      v Queensland         1st Match     -  3/5   - (c) W
1955 Flbk New South Wales      v Queensland         2nd Match     -  4/7   - (c) L
1955 Flbk New South Wales      v France             1st Match     -  1/4   - (c) W
1955 Flbk Australia            v Great Britain      1st Test      -  -/2   - (c) W
1955 Flbk New South Wales      v Queensland         3rd Match     -  3     - (c) W
1955 Flbk New South Wales      v Queensland         4th Match     -  -     - (c) L
1955 Flbk Australia            v Great Britain      2nd Test      -  1/3   - (c) L
1955 Flbk New South Wales      v France             2nd Match     1  8/14  - (c) W
1955 Flbk Australia            v Great Britain      3rd Test      -  1     - (c) L

1956 Flbk Sydney City          v NSW Country        2nd Match     -  -     - (c)
1956       (Kangaroo Tour Squad) (vc) 
1956 Flbk Australia            v Liverpool City     Tour Match    -  4     -
1956 Flbk Australia            v Hull XIII          Tour Match    -  2     - (c) W
1956 Flbk Australia            v Barrow             Tour Match    -  1     - (c) W
1956 Flbk Australia            v Whitehaven         Tour Match    -  1     - (c) L
1956 Flbk Australia            v Warrington         Tour Match    -  -     -
1956 Flbk Australia            v France             1st Test      -  2     -
1956 Flbk Australia            v Oldham             Tour Match    -  -     -
1956 Flbk Australia            v Great Britain      1st Test      -  -     -
1956 Flbk Australia            v Halifax            Tour Match    -  -     - (c) L
1956 Flbk Australia            v Wakefield          Tour Match    -  3     - (c) L
1956 Flbk Australia            v French Army        Tour Match    -  -     - (c) D
1956 Flbk Australia            v Albi               Tour Match    -  -     -
1956 Flbk Australia            v Carcassonne        Tour Match    -  -     -
1957 Flbk Australia            v Avignon            Tour Match    -  -     -
1957 Flbk Australia            v Marseilles         Tour Match    -  -     -

1957 Flbk New South Wales      v Queensland         3rd Match     -  -     -
1957 Flbk New South Wales      v Nthrn Hemisphere   Tour Match               (Withdrew due to injury)

Ref - SSFC / SSFC / HoS p35 / NRL / EEC-50 p16 / EEC-51 p36 / EEC-53 p22 / AGP p32 / RLH p32 / GGRL p155 / 101GP p12 / Wiki / RLP


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