Allan Fallah

Allan Fallah
Allan Fallah playing Oztag for Australia
Personal information
Full name Allan Fallah
Born (1959-03-11) 11 March 1959
Bankstown, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Position Hooker
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1984–90 Western Suburbs 113 14 0 0 56
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1981 Country Firsts 1 0 0 0 0
Source: RLP

Allan Fallah (born 11 March 1959 in Bankstown, New South Wales) is a former Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Western Suburbs Magpies and a NRL touch judge.

Current

Fallah currently teaches physical education at Gymea Technology high school in Sydney, New South Wales.

Club career

A Chester Hill Hornets junior from the age of 11,[1] Fallah played thirds and then reserve grade with the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs while still in high school. After finishing high school, he studied at the University of Wollongong and captain-coached the local Oberon side.[2] Fallah came to attention representing Illawarra in the country rugby league championship 1981.[3] He went on to represent Country Firsts later that year.[4]

Fallah joined the Western Suburbs Magpies in 1984, but injured his knee in his second game in reserves. He made his debut towards the end of the season, playing in 6 games, all losses, but broke his arm in the last match. From 1985, he was the regular starting hooker for the club for 4 seasons. He scored his first try in round 2 of 1985 against Manly, and scored a double in round 23 against Souths.

The mid-to-late eighties were an unsuccessful period for the Magpies, but Fallah often gained attention for his performances. He was described as, "one of the best number 12s in the game."[5] Coach Ken Gentle said of him, "You can have your Benny Elias. I wouldn't swap Allan for any other hooker in Sydney."[6] Fallah was later named as hooker in the Magpies' Team of the Eighties.[7]

In 1989, the arrival of new coach John Bailey saw Fallah making occasional appearances either as hooker or from the bench. He said, "I didn't get along with John Bailey, the coach, he didn't like my age, didn't matter what i did he wasn't going to pick me."[2]

Refereeing

After his retirement as a player, Fallah became a NRL touch judge. He was involved two incidents that gained press attention. In the first, coach Chris Anderson described the referees performance as, "fucking disgraceful," when he encountered them at half-time of a match.[8] In the second, there was confusion over whether a conversion should have been awarded when one touch judge raised a flag and another did not.[9]

Retirement

Fallah remained involved in rugby league after his retirement. He coached at the Gymea Technology High School where he taught and represented NSW and Australia in Oztag at an over-45s level, alongside former team-mate Trevor Cogger.[10]

References

  1. ↑ "Chester Hill to feature on Channel Ten News (Wed 29 Jul)". SportingPulse. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  2. 1 2 "Heroes of Yesteryear, Interview 13 - 29 May 2016 - Alan Fallah". Dan's NRL Collectables.
  3. ↑ "Illawarra thrash Riverina". Sydney Morning Herald. 20 April 1981. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  4. ↑ "City vs Country (Firsts) 1981". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  5. ↑ "Tonights TV Game". Sydney Morning Herald. 13 April 1986. Retrieved 13 April 1986. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  6. ↑ "Ella bomb explodes into a try". Sydney Morning Herald. 29 April 1985. Retrieved February 2012. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  7. ↑ "VEST, KEATO, COGGER ALL HONOURED". weststigers.com.au. Retrieved February 2012. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  8. ↑ Steve Mascord (16 June 2003). "Anderson likely to pay a high price for 'disgraceful' attack on officialdom". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  9. ↑ Steve Mascord and Brad Walter (23 June 2003). "Complaint's in the post as Cowboys say crucial kick missed". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  10. ↑ "2009 New Zealand tour" (PDF). oztag.com. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
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