Jason Martin (rugby league)
Jason "Face"Martin (born 14 September 1970) is an Australian retired professional rugby league footballer. Beginning his professional career in 1990, he played for the North Sydney Bears, Newcastle Knights and North Queensland Cowboys in the top tier of Rugby League in Australia before moving to Paris Saint-Germain in the European Super League.
Early career
While attending Raymond Terrace High School, Martin played for the Australian Schoolboys team in 1988.[1]
North Sydney Bears
A Newcastle junior and Australian Schoolboy rep, Martin had a tremendous year as North Sydney Bears halfback in 1990 and was named Dally M Rookie of the Year as well as finishing second runner-up in the major gold Dally M Award. He was an important factor in the Bears' push to the premiership final in the 1991 season, but did not fare as well the following year when coach Steve Martin moved him to hooker.
An accomplished singer and guitarist, Martin released a single in 1991 called "Take Me to the Top", the video of which featured clips of Martin playing for North Sydney, and several of his Bears teammates acting as a choir to sing backing vocals during the song's chorus.
Newcastle Knights
Martin returned to Newcastle in 1993, but could not cement a regular first grade place. After playing his last match for the club in the loss to Cronulla Sharks in the 1994 reserve grade grand final, he signed a contract to play with the new franchise North Queensland Cowboys the following year.
North Queensland Cowboys
After two poor seasons at Newcastle, Martin looked to the Cowboys to revive his first grade football career. After two seasons at the newly formed club, Jason still struggled to hit the highs he was reaching at the North Sydney Bears, and he ended his career there playing in the Cowboys' Reserve Grade team, who were wooden spooners. He then moved to play for Paris Saint-Germain in the European Super League.
Cowboys Statistics
| Year | G | T | Gls | FGls | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 1996 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
Legend: Gms = Games, Trs = Tries, Gls = Goals, FGls = Field Goals, Pts = Points.
References
- ↑ "SportingPulse Homepage for Australian Secondary Schools Rugby League". SportingPulse. Retrieved 2008-10-10.