1. Ed "Tedda" Courtney was a pioneer Australian rugby league footballer and coach.
18 Facts About Tedda Courtney
1. 2.
Tedda Courtney played club football for North Sydney, Western Suburbs and representative football for the New South Wales state and Australian national sides.
3.
Tedda Courtney is considered one of the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century.
4.
Tedda Courtney's brothers Raymond and Robert died in World War I He was a wharfie throughout his working life and was renowned for his fearless tackling style and ability to harass the opposition with his defence.
5.
Tedda Courtney played rugby union for North Sydney and for St George.
6.
Tedda Courtney was one of the group of New South Wales rugby footballers who played against Baskerville's All Golds on their seminal trip to the United Kingdom in 1907 which started rugby league in Australia and New Zealand.
7.
Tedda Courtney played in the second of the three exhibition matches; was promptly banned from amateur rugby union thereafter and the following year was given a vote of thanks by being made a lifetime member of the New South Wales Rugby League.
8.
Tedda Courtney had a remarkably long first grade career that lasted for 16 seasons.
9.
Tedda Courtney joined Newtown in 1908 in the professional code, moved to Wests in 1909 and the North Sydney in 1910.
10.
Tedda Courtney found his club home back at Wests in 1911 where he played the next thirteen seasons, amassing over 300 games across all grades.
11.
Tedda Courtney played in three other Test series against Great Britain at home in 1910 and 1914 and against New Zealand in 1909, he represented Australasia.
12.
On 14 June 1924 when Tedda Courtney was 38 he played in a game for Wests against Glebe alongside his son, Ed Tedda Courtney, Jr.
13.
Tedda Courtney is listed on the Australian Players register as Kangaroo No 37.
14.
Tedda Courtney was captain-coach of the Western Suburbs team in 1923.
15.
Tedda Courtney coached the lower grades for some years and coached North Sydney's first grade side in 1930.
16.
Tedda Courtney's coaching services were obtained by the newly formed Canterbury-Bankstown DRLFC for their first season in 1935.
17.
In September 2004 Tedda Courtney was named at prop in the Western Suburbs Magpies team of the century.
18.
In February 2008, Tedda Courtney was named in the list of Australia's 100 Greatest Players which was commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia.