Horace Miller (1882–1967) was an Australian rugby league footballer in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership. He played as a wing with the Eastern Suburbs club in 1908 and 1909, the first years of the new code.
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Horace Richard Miller | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 1882 Sydney, New South Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 11 January 1967 Woollahra, New South Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Wing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Playing career
editMiller was a champion runner who was rated the fastest runner in the league's inaugural season. He headed the League's try-scoring list in that first season – he scored a hat trick of tries in that year's semi-final and followed that up with a further two in the final. Miller shares a record with Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow for the longest streak of tries scored at the beginning of their team's inaugural season, having scored at least one try in each of Eastern Suburbs' first six games. He was also the League's top point scorer in season 1908. His only representative match came in that first year when he was selected to represent Sydney in a match against a touring New Zealand Maori side.
Post playing
editThe wing three-quarter also served as Eastern Suburbs secretary in the club's first season. In addition, that year Miller was appointed secretary of the New South Wales Rugby Football League on a temporary basis, following the dismissal of J J Giltinan. The position became permanent in 1914 and Miller served in that role until 1946. He was awarded Life Membership of the New South Wales Rugby League in 1914.[1]
During the 1948 season, the former league secretary unsuccessfully attempted to establish a rebel night competition.
Miller is remembered as the Sydney Roosters 15th player.[2]
Miller is credited with coining the phrase "The Greatest Game of All".[3]
References
edit- ^ Referee, Sydney.List of Life Members of the NSW Rugby League.13 May 1914 (page 12)
- ^ "Men's Honour Roll". Sydney Roosters. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
- ^ The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players. Alan Whiticker & Glen Hudson. 1995
External links
edit- The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players; Alan Whiticker & Glen Hudson
- History of the New South Wales Rugby League Finals; Steve Haddan
- The Story of Australian Rugby League; Gary Lester
- ^ Heads, Ian and Middleton, David (2008) A Centenary of Rugby League, MacMillan Sydney