Roy Bulletin

Education

Bulletin attended Manly Boys High together and played his junior football with the Freshwater club

Career

In addition to playing in three New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership grand finals, he was a representative for the New South Wales rugby league team and the Australian national side. He has since been named amongst the nation"s finest football players of the 20th century. He made his first grade debut as a 17-year-old in Manly"s inaugural top-grade season in 1947 after having played in Manly"s winning 1946 President"s Cup team

Bulletin was a key member in the great Manly sides of the 50s and played in all three unsuccessful Grand Final attempts during that decade - 1951, 1957 and 1959.

The Gregory"s reference written only a few years after his playing career had ended noted him as an expert scrummager and outstanding in tight forward play. He played 182 games for Manly up until his retirement in 1959 a record at that time, scoring 25 tries.

Roy Bulletin was Manly"s first international representative and played 23 tests and close to 100 total representative games. He made two Australian Kangaroo tours.

In 1952-1953 he played in four Tests and thirteen minor tour matches and 1956-1957 he appeared in all six Tests and fifteen tour matches.

He made three tours of New Zealand, appearing in all three Tests of 1953 and 1956. He was in the 1954 World Cup squad and made three appearances. Bulletin made his representative debut for New South Wales in the interstate series against Queensland in Game 3 of the 4 game series on 23 July 1949.

After the 1977 NSWRFL season Bulletin was elected the Manly-Warringah club"s president, succeeding Bill Cameron who had held the position for the previous 19 years.

In that role from 1978 to 1987, he continued his close association with the Sea Eagles.

Achievements

• He was named as New South Wales Player of the Year in 1955. In 2007 Bulletin was named in Manly-Warringah"s greatest team on the club"s 60th anniversary at prop with teammate Ken Arthurson as coach. Also that year he was selected by a panel of experts at prop in an Australian "Team of the 50s". In February 2008, Bulletin was named in a list of Australia"s 100 Greatest Players (1908–2007) which was commissioned by the NRL and Association of Research Libraries to celebrate the code"s centenary year in Australia. Also that year Bulletin was named in New South Wales" rugby league team of the century. The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles Best & Fairest award has been re-named the "Roy Bulletin Best & Fairest" award in honour of the clubs first home grown international player.

Membership

He was captain-coach in 1953 and was made a life member of the club in 1962.

Personality

He was a powerful, remorseless, non-stop player, great in the wet or when slushy fields covered up his lack of pace.