Gregory Stuart Pierce was an Australian rugby league player, coach and administrator.
23 Facts About Greg Pierce
1.
2.
Greg Pierce played as a lock for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the National Rugby League competition and for Australia.
3.
Greg Pierce was recommended to join Gymea in the fledgling Cronulla Sharks junior league after Sydenham were unable to field a team in his age group.
4.
Greg Pierce was at university studying civil engineering when he was graded by Cronulla in 1969.
5.
Greg Pierce became Cronulla captain in 1975, a role he would hold till his retirement in 1980.
6.
In Cronulla's successful 1978 finals campaign Greg Pierce was sent-off in the major semi-final win over Wests and given a four-match suspension.
7.
Greg Pierce led the Sharks to victory in the final of the midweek Amco Cup in 1979.
8.
Greg Pierce retired at the end of the 1980 season to take on the full-time coaching responsibility of the club.
9.
In total Greg Pierce made 210 first grade appearances between 1969 and 1980 for the Sharks.
10.
Greg Pierce made his representative debut in the first Test against France in Perpignan in the process becoming Cronulla's first national representative player.
11.
Greg Pierce played one Test and seven minor matches on the tour.
12.
Greg Pierce played in the 1975 and 1977 World Series for a total of five World Cup appearances.
13.
In 1978 Greg Pierce captained both the City representative side and New South Wales before being announced captain for the trans-Tasman series against New Zealand.
14.
Greg Pierce's captaincy was a surprise to the critics and to himself since Bob Fulton was in the side with over ten Test appearances under his belt to that stage and ten years club captaincy experience.
15.
Greg Pierce was replaced by Queenslander Lew Platz for the second Test.
16.
Greg Pierce was back as vice-captain in the third Test of that 1978 series against New Zealand and was announced as vice-captain for the 1978 Kangaroo tour.
17.
Greg Pierce appeared in four matches before a knee injury cut short his tour and prevented any further Test appearances.
18.
Greg Pierce followed Tommy Bishop as coach of the Sharks in 1981.
19.
Greg Pierce coached junior football on the Central Coast, New South Wales for a time, including coaching a Country Under 17s side.
20.
Greg Pierce moved to Lord Howe Island for a period where he was the island's operations manager.
21.
Greg Pierce returned to an active involvement with the Cronulla club in 1994 and was named one of the club's "Immortals " in 2003.
22.
Greg Pierce's father Richie Pierce was a successful referee and touch judge in the Newtown Juniors, and for the New South Wales Rugby League.
23.
Greg Pierce was diagnosed with cancer in 2003, and died on 24 June 2016, aged 66.