Career
A prop-forward, he represented Australia internationally and New South Wales in State of Origin and played club football for the Penrith Panthers, South Sydney Rabbitohs, Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and London Broncos. Club and Representative He played three seasons at Penrith between 1987-1989. He found immediate success after moving to South Sydney Rabbitohs in 1990, earning him a surprise selection as a reserve for the one-off Test against France at Parkes, New South Wales (having not yet played at State of Origin level).
At the end of the 1990 NSWRL season, he went on the 1990 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France but made only six appearances due to a knee injury.
He played with South Sydney Rabbitohs for four seasons between 1990-1993. He moved to Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in 1994, where his skill as a tough, attacking forward continued to improve, but despite being a shadow player for New South Wales and the Australian Test team, he failed to make a second Kangaroo Tour at the end of the year.
Despite being suspended for a tackle on David Furner and missing the State of Origin match in Melbourne, he was selected for Australia to play against New Zealand. He is listed on the Australian Players Register as Kangaroo Number.
600. While Carroll obviously enjoyed playing in a stronger pack at Manly, three consecutive grand final appearances (1995-1997) garnered just the one premiership success, in 1996.
At the end of 1997, he left Manly to play for the London Broncos but the move was not a success and he cited homesickness as the reason for his return. Carroll re-joined South Sydney Rabbitohs in 1999 and was an important part of the club’s early season resurgence. Recalled to representative football in the Second State of Origin match that year, he was knocked out in the series decider after a controversial tackle by Darren Smith.
Forced to retire at season’s end because of chronic knee injury, Carroll became a committed supporter of South Sydney Rabbitohs’ reinstatement into the NRL in 2002.
