One game wonders: Rugby league stars with single World Cup appearances for Australia

Over 270 players have represented Australia at the 15 Rugby League World Cups that have been held since the first contest in 1954, and not including the current competition.

Many of them were legends of the game who played multiple Cup games, but some just got that one opportunity. Here’s a team made up of players who played just one World Cup game for Australia. Some names will be familiar to you, but what about the rest?

1. Kurt Gidley (2008) – Gidley was a great utility player, but unfortunately that versatility often found him playing off the bench. He played from there in Australia’s 30-6 victory over NZ in game 1 of the 2008 series.

2. Ron Boden (1960) – There was a lot of competition for wing spots back in Boden’s day, against players of the calibre of Ken Irvine, Johnny King and Brian Carlson, and Boden’s only World Cup Appearance was game 3 in 1960 when Australia lost 10-3 to eventual Cup winners Great Britain.

3. Danny Moore (1995) – A strong running centre from Manly, Moore could consider himself lucky to become an international thanks to the Super League war, but he made the best of his only World Cup opportunity, crossing for two tries in Australia’s 86-6 rout of South Africa in 1995.

Kurt Gidley (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

4. Chris Mortimer (1985) – The early to mid-1980s was awash with great centres including Mal Meninga, Brett Kenny, Steve Ella, Michael O’Connor, Mick Cronin and Gene Miles, and Australia’s 62-12 defeat of PNG was Mortimer’s only opportunity at international level.

5. Lionel Morgan (1960) – Morgan was a classy winger, as attested by his 15 tries in 16 games for QLD back in the day when QLD were regularly trounced by NSW. He was the first indigenous player to represent Australia and was also named in the Aboriginal Team of the Century in 2007. His sole World Cup game was game 1 in 1960 when Australia just shaded France by 13 points to 12.

6. Terry Campese (2008) – Campese actually played two World Cup matches but only one for Australia, so he makes the cut. He played alongside Jonathan Thurston in the halves in game 3 of 2008 when Australia defeated PNG 46-6. His other World Cup appearance was for Italy against Fiji in 2017.

7. John Kolc (1977) – If you’re only ever going to play one World Cup game, and in fact only one international, you may as well make it the winning World Cup final match in 1977 when Australia defeated Great Britain 13 points to 12, and score the match winning try while you’re at it.

8. David Wright (1975) – Wright was a regular for QLD in the early to mid-1970s and played his sole international in game 1 of the 1975 series, packing down in the front row with Terry Randall and John Lang in their 36 points to 8 victory over NZ.

9. Aaron Raper (1995) – Aaron and his famous father John Raper, are one of only two father and son combinations to represent Australia in the World Cup, the other being Steve and Mat Rogers. Aaron played his only international when he played in game 2 of the 1995 series when Australia dismantled South Africa by 86 points to 6. Raper was one of the 10 Australians to score a try.

10. Barry McTaggart (1970) – McTaggart played his sole World Cup game when he and a pack comprising legends Elwyn Walters, Bob O’Reilly, Bob McCarthy, Paul Sait and Ron Coote somehow went down 17-15 to France in game 6 of the 1970 series.

11. Ron Costello (1970) – A tough defender, Costello played his one World Cup match in the infamous 1970 final against Great Britain, which was won 12-7 by Australia, and was one of the most violent games of football I have seen.

12. Bruce McGuire (1989) – McGuire played off the bench in Australia’s opening game win by 22 points to 14 against NZ in 1989. He also played a test against NZ later that year.

13. Gary Coyne (1989) – Another World Cup “benchie”, the Canberra stalwart was part of the team that defeated PNG 40-6 in 1991.

14. Brian Fitzsimmons (1968) – Fitzsimmons was Queensland’s first choice hooker in the mid to late ’60s, and his sole World Cup match came in Australia’s 37-4 victory over France in game 3 of the 1968 series when he packed down alongside formidable fellow Queenslanders in John Wittenberg and Dennis Manteit.

15. Dennis Manteit (1968) – A no-nonsense enforcer, Manteit was another regular performer for QLD in the mid to late ’60s and went on to have a successful career in the NSWRL with both Canterbury and Balmain.

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16. Phil Daley (1985) – The big front rower won a premiership with Manly in 1987 and his only World Cup start came in 1985 when he packed down for Australia alongside Greg Conescu and Paul Dunn as Australia defeated PNG by 70 points to 8.

17. Billy Moore (1995) – Tenterfield’s most passionate “Queenslander”, Moore played three internationals for Australia including the World Cup 86 points to 6 thrashing of South Africa in 1995.