Jim Paterson (rugby league)

Jim Paterson

Personal information
Born	1934 Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Playing information
Position	Forward
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1953	South Townsville
1954	Rockhampton
195?–5?	Valleys (Toowoomba)
1958–59	South Townsville
1960–62	Innisfail
1963	Herbert River
1964–66	Centrals (Townsville)
	Total	0	0	0	0	0
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1953–66	Townsville
1954–66	North Queensland
1955–57	Toowoomba
1958–66	Queensland	24
1959–61	Australia	8	0	0	0	0
Source:

Jim Paterson (born 1934 in Townsville, Queensland) is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1950s and 60s. An Australian international and Queensland interstate representative forward, he played club football throughout the state of Queensland during his career.^[1] He retired with the record for most games for North Queensland, having captained the side to victories over Great Britain and France.

Biography

Paterson was born in Townsville in 1934.^[2] He attended South Townsville State School and became a South Townsville rugby league club junior.

Playing career

Paterson made his first appearance for the South Townsville club's senior team in 1953. He represented Townsville in the Foley Shield competition. Whilst playing for Rockhampton in 1954 Paterson first represented North Queensland. In he Paterson moved to Toowoomba club Valleys where he was coached by former Kangaroo forward Herb Steinohrt. During this time he represented Toowoomba for two seasons.

After returning to Townsville in 1958 to captain-coach Souths, Paterson again played for North Queensland and was first selected for the Queensland Maroons, playing against arch-rivals New South Wales. The following year, he helped the Maroons to win the interstate series against New South Wales for the first time. Paterson was then selected for the Australian national team, becoming Kangaroo No. 343.^[3] and playing in all three Test matches in the series against New Zealand. At the end of the year he was selected to go on the 1959-60 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France.^[4] He played two Tests against France.

In 1960 Paterson joined Innisfail, who he captain-coached to victory in the Foley Shield and Paterson played for North Queensland, Queensland and Australia. The Test in Sydney against France featured five Queenslanders in the forward pack. The following year Paterson toured New Zealand with the Australian team, playing in both Tests against the Kiwis. This was after the Queensland team, of which he was now a fixture, retained the interstate crown against New South Wales. Paterson spent a third year in Innisfail but, instead of playing with all the clubs, he joined the Babinda Colts as coach. In 1963 the Herbert River coaching position lured Paterson to Ingham.^[5] Once again he represented North Queensland, including the match against New Zealand, and again went on to play for Queensland against the Blues. He returned to Townsville to coach Centrals and the Foley Shield team in 1964, taking his team to the Shield final. Paterson continued to play for North Queensland and Queensland until 1966 when he was again a member of Townsville's Foley Shield final team before retiring.

Post playing

In 2008, Australian rugby league's centenary year, Paterson was named at second-row forward in a Queensland Rugby League Northern Division 'Team of the Century'.^[6]

References

1. "Queensland Representative Players". History. Queensland Rugby League. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
2. Kissel, Anthea (30 May 2005). "Jim Paterson - the original Matty Sing". Retrieved 31 December 2011.
3. "Players Register". Kangaroos. Australian Rugby League. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
4. "Golden Eras for Representative Success 1950-1970s (part 2)". History. cowboys.com.au. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
5. "Jim Paterson". The Foley Shield Story. fullbottle.com. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
6. Bojack, Zane (23 June 2008). "League names its North Queensland best". ABC North Queensland. Retrieved 31 December 2011.