Mick Murphy

OVERALL STATISTICS

BIRTHAGESIGNED ONFROM
30-09-1942
N/A
13-09-1972
Barrow
DEBUTLAST MATCHLEFT
13-09-1972 v Widnes
Salford
1975- Bradford Northern
CAREERAPPEARANCES (SUBS)
1972-1974
98 (8)
TRIESGOALSDGOALSPTS
4
0
0
12

Biography of Mick Murphy



HERITAGE NO : 886
Mick was a Trojan prop forward who played almost 100 matches for the Saints between September 1972 and February 1975. He was a PE teacher in further education when he signed from Barrow. Always strong in the contact area he possessed a neat offload. Mick scored just four tries for the Saints, half of these touchdowns came in the game against Oldham on the 31st of March, 1974. In his last season he helped the Saints to become Champions before leaving shortly before the end of the season. Mick died in March 2019 aged 77.

Murphy had a distinguished playing career with clubs in England, Australia and France.Starting his career in rugby union with Waterloo, he turned professional with Leigh in 1963. He then moved to Barrow in 1969 and St Helens in 1972, who he helped with the league championship in the 1974-75 season. During that time he represented Lancashire twice. Switching to Bradford Northern for two seasons from 1975, he then moved abroad and spent much of the 1977 Australian season with New South Wales side Wagga Wagga. On his return to Europe, he spent time in France with Tonneins XIII and St Jacques XIII.He then turned to club management and was part of a three-man consortium who rescued Huddersfield in 1988 when the club was heading for liquidation. He persuaded Alex Murphy to become coach, which led to a revival in the clubs fortunes.



Dave Dooley and Mike Critchley

This is one of his obituaries by Alex Service

Farewell Mick Murphy

It is sad to report the passing of former Saints front-rower Mick Murphy at the age of 77. He is remembered as a solid reliable front-rower, who also possessed great mobility in the loose. Mick was a member of the St Helens squad that became First Division Champions in the 1974-75 season, the club’s one-and-only success in that particular format. His Heritage Number is 886.

A fast, mobile forward, Mick made his debut for the Saints in a Lancashire Cup second round tie at Naughton Park, Widnes, won 2-13 by the Chemics. His fellow prop was Graham Rees, with Tony Waller in the hooking role. Mick was a tremendously mobile forward, with a high work rate who enjoyed his best season in 1973-74, when he made no less than 42 appearances in the red vee. He played in two John Player trophy semi-finals; a Championship semi-final and received a runners up medal when Saints lost 12-13 to Alex Murphys Warrington in the 1974 Merit Competition Championship final.

Micks final game for the Saints, his 98th, was on 2 February 1975, when Salford were beaten 18-5 at Knowsley Road and Mick got on the score-sheet for one of his four tries for the club.

Liverpool born, on 30 September 1941, Mick trained as a PE teacher and had a tremendously varied life. He returned to St Helens to stand as an Independent candidate in the 2001 General Election and at one stage took some television acting roles. Yet what was also to become a real rugby odyssey began with Waterloo RUFC and he turned professional with Leigh in 1963, where he made 166 appearances. He was transferred to Barrow in 1969 before leaving them for St Helens. Switching to Bradford Northern for two seasons from 1975, he then moved overseas and spent much of the 1977 Australian season with New South Wales side Wagga Wagga. On his return to Europe, he spent time in France with Tonneins XIII and St Jacques XIII.

A Lancashire county representative, he also played with great passion for Wales, [Heritage Number 294] winning five caps from 1975-79. This also included three appearances in the 1975 World Cup, when his former St Helens team-mates Kel Coslett, Eddie Cunningham, John Mantle and Frank Wilson were also stalwarts of the Welsh squad.

He maintained his links with rugby league when his playing days were over, turning to club management and was part of a three man consortium who rescued Huddersfield in 1988 when the club was heading for liquidation. He persuaded Alex Murphy to become coach, which led to a significant revival in the clubs fortunes. Mick was made a Life Member of the Huddersfield Giants and attended last Thursdays Super League match against his old club St Helens. Saints Chairman Eamonn McManus spoke to him before the game and was particularly saddened to hear of his passing.

Mick was a tremendously popular character, with a wide circle of friends throughout rugby league and beyond.



SEASON STATISTICS

Season (Official Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1972~73 0 0 0 33
1973~74 3 0 0 41
1974~75 1 0 0 24
TOTALS:4 0 0 98
Season (Other Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1973~74 0001
1974~75 1001
TOTALS:1002

ALL MATCHES

DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
13th Sep 1972 1
L
 8 Widnes LC2 A 2 13 VIEW
17th Sep 1972 2
L
 8 Featherstone Rovers L A 14 19 VIEW
23rd Sep 1972 3
W
 8 Halifax JP1 A 22 20 VIEW
29th Sep 1972 4
W
 8 Swinton L H 33 12 VIEW
7th Oct 1972 5
D
 8 Oldham L A 12 12 VIEW
10th Oct 1972 6
L
 8 Leeds FT1 H 6 14 VIEW
13th Oct 1972 7
W
 8 Bradford Northern L H 22 8 VIEW
22nd Oct 1972 8
W
 8 Dewsbury L A 17 12 VIEW
27th Oct 1972 9
W
 8 Featherstone Rovers L H 33 8 VIEW
3rd Nov 1972 10
W
 8 Dewsbury L H 12 7 VIEW
15th Nov 1972 11
L
 8 Australia Tour H 9 24 VIEW
19th Nov 1972 12
L
 8 Workington Town L A 4 12 VIEW
24th Nov 1972 13
W
 8 Featherstone Rovers JP2 H 24 8 VIEW
1st Dec 1972 14
W
 15 Oldham L H 24 10 VIEW
9th Dec 1972 15
W
 10 Widnes JP3 H 10 3 VIEW
15th Dec 1972 16
L
 15 Workington Town L H 12 14 VIEW
26th Dec 1972 17
D
 8 Wigan L H 15 15 VIEW
1st Jan 1973 18
W
 10 Widnes L A 22 10 VIEW
13th Jan 1973 19
L
 14 Leeds JPSF A 0 19 VIEW
23rd Feb 1973 20
L
 10 Salford L A 10 15 VIEW
7th Mar 1973 21
L
 15 Swinton L A 7 11 VIEW
11th Mar 1973 22
L
 10 Whitehaven L A 7 9 VIEW
16th Mar 1973 23
W
 10 Salford L H 21 4 VIEW
25th Mar 1973 24
W
 10 Leigh L A 11 7 VIEW
27th Mar 1973 25
W
 10 Leeds L H 19 12 VIEW
30th Mar 1973 26
W
 10 Whitehaven L H 15 9 VIEW
6th Apr 1973 27
W
 8 Barrow L A 6 5 VIEW
17th Apr 1973 28
W
 10 Bradford Northern L A 24 8 VIEW
20th Apr 1973 29
L
 10 Wigan L A 2 12 VIEW
23rd Apr 1973 30
W
 10 Widnes L H 15 5 VIEW
27th Apr 1973 31
W
 10 Leigh Ch1 H 29 14 VIEW
2nd May 1973 32
W
 10 Wakefield Trinity Ch2 H 28 0 VIEW
6th May 1973 33
L
 10 Leeds ChSF A 2 7 VIEW
10th Aug 1973 --
L
 8 Salford * Fr Gallie Cup H 15 18 VIEW
17th Aug 1973 34
W
 8 Whitehaven L H 26 19 VIEW
20th Aug 1973 35
W
 8 Barrow FTP(1) A 12 6 VIEW
24th Aug 1973 36
W
 8 Leigh L A 23 2 VIEW
27th Aug 1973 37
W
 8 Barrow FTP(2) H 20 8 VIEW
2nd Sep 1973 38
L
 8 Workington Town LC1 A 5 11 VIEW
7th Sep 1973 39
W
 8 Wakefield Trinity L H 30 9 VIEW
15th Sep 1973 40
W
 8 Featherstone Rovers JP1 H 34 16 VIEW
21st Sep 1973 41
W
 8 Whitehaven L A 26 7 VIEW
30th Sep 1973 42
W
 10 Dewsbury L A 21 8 VIEW
5th Oct 1973 43
W
 10 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 39 15 VIEW
13th Oct 1973 44
L
 8 Leeds L A 15 20 VIEW
16th Oct 1973 45
W
 8 Whitehaven FT1 H 35 5 VIEW
11th Nov 1973 46
W
 8 Warrington L A 11 5 VIEW
13th Nov 1973 47
W
 8 Australia Tour H 11 7 VIEW
18th Nov 1973 48
W
 10 Dewsbury L H 35 3 VIEW
25th Nov 1973 49
W
 8 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 14 9 VIEW
26th Dec 1973 50
W
 10 Wigan L A 20 10 VIEW
29th Dec 1973 51
D
 8 Wakefield Trinity JP3 A 18 18 VIEW
6th Jan 1974 52
W
 10 Wakefield Trinity JP3 (rep) H 16 10 1 VIEW
12th Jan 1974 53
L
 10 Warrington JPSF A 9 20 VIEW
20th Jan 1974 54
L
 10 Rochdale Hornets L A 7 11 VIEW
27th Jan 1974 55
W
 10 Salford L A 12 11 VIEW
3rd Feb 1974 56
W
 10 Keighley CC1 H 27 5 VIEW
10th Feb 1974 --NPS
W
 15 Featherstone Rovers L H 8 0 VIEW
17th Feb 1974 57
W
 8 Rochdale Hornets L H 38 5 VIEW
24th Feb 1974 58
W
 10 Bramley CC2 H 10 5 VIEW
3rd Mar 1974 59
W
 10 Castleford L H 25 5 VIEW
10th Mar 1974 60
L
 10 Leigh CC3 A 5 11 VIEW
16th Mar 1974 61
W
 10 Bramley L A 20 4 VIEW
19th Mar 1974 62
D
 10 Salford L H 19 19 VIEW
24th Mar 1974 63
W
 10 Leigh L H 44 5 VIEW
26th Mar 1974 64
L
 10 Widnes L H 0 5 VIEW
31st Mar 1974 65
W
 10 Oldham L H 33 12 2 VIEW
5th Apr 1974 66
W
 10 Leeds L H 17 5 VIEW
10th Apr 1974 67
W
 10 Wakefield Trinity L A 15 2 VIEW
12th Apr 1974 68
D
 10 Wigan L H 9 9 VIEW
15th Apr 1974 69
L
 10 Widnes L A 9 12 VIEW
17th Apr 1974 70
W
 10 Bramley L H 19 13 VIEW
20th Apr 1974 71
W
 10 Workington Town MCC1 H 24 7 VIEW
28th Apr 1974 72
W
 10 Castleford MCC2 H 25 9 VIEW
3rd May 1974 73
W
 10 Leeds MCCSF A 23 10 VIEW
18th May 1974 74
L
 10 Warrington MCCF N 12 13 VIEW
16th Aug 1974 --
W
 8 Blackpool Borough * Fr Charity H 30 8 1 VIEW
23rd Aug 1974 75
W
 10 Warrington L A 16 10 VIEW
30th Aug 1974 76
L
 8 Workington Town LC1 H 11 13 VIEW
6th Sep 1974 77
W
 10 York L H 26 6 VIEW
15th Sep 1974 78
W
 10 Dewsbury L A 21 7 VIEW
17th Sep 1974 79
W
 10 Wakefield Trinity FTP(1) H 21 12 VIEW
20th Sep 1974 80
W
 15 Leeds L H 21 5 VIEW
24th Sep 1974 81
L
 8 Wakefield Trinity FTP(2) A 15 18 VIEW
29th Sep 1974 82
L
 10 Swinton JP1 A 6 7 VIEW
6th Oct 1974 83
W
 10 Featherstone Rovers L A 22 8 VIEW
11th Oct 1974 84
W
 10 Keighley L H 33 7 VIEW
15th Oct 1974 85
W
 10 Leeds FT1 H 30 2 VIEW
20th Oct 1974 86
W
 10 Halifax L A 47 15 VIEW
25th Oct 1974 87
W
 10 Rochdale Hornets L H 23 5 VIEW
2nd Nov 1974 88
W
 10 Bramley L A 17 9 VIEW
12th Nov 1974 89
L
 10 Salford FT2 H 7 11 VIEW
15th Nov 1974 90
W
 10 Bramley L H 12 10 VIEW
24th Nov 1974 91
L
 10 Wakefield Trinity L A 5 13 VIEW
21st Dec 1974 92
D
 10 Castleford L A 10 10 VIEW
26th Dec 1974 --NPS
W
 15 Wigan L H 20 7 VIEW
29th Dec 1974 93
W
 10 Salford L A 14 0 VIEW
1st Jan 1975 94
W
 15 Widnes L A 11 10 VIEW
5th Jan 1975 95
W
 10 Halifax L H 19 3 VIEW
12th Jan 1975 96
W
 15 Keighley L A 13 5 VIEW
25th Jan 1975 97
L
 15 Leeds L A 10 11 VIEW
2nd Feb 1975 98
W
 10 Salford L H 18 5 1 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 69 | LOSSES : 27 | DRAWS : 6

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