Gorden Tallis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Gorden Tallis

Tallis in 2003
Personal information
Full name	Gorden James Tallis
Born	(1973-07-27) 27 July 1973 (age 52) Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Playing information
Height	189 cm (6 ft 2+1⁄2 in)
Weight	107 kg (16 st 12 lb; 236 lb)
Position	Second-row
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1992–95 St. George Dragons 54 17 1 0 70 1997–04 Brisbane Broncos 160 49 0 0 196 Total 214 66 1 0 266 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1994–03 Queensland 17 4 0 0 16 1998–03 Australia 18 9 0 0 36 1997 Queensland (SL) 3 0 0 0 0 1997 Australia (SL) 3 0 0 0 0

Gorden James Tallis, often called "Raging Bull" for his strong playing style, is a famous Australian former professional rugby league player. He played as a second-row forward in the 1990s and 2000s. Today, he works as a commentator and expert for the Fox Sports network.

Tallis played for Queensland in the State of Origin series and for the Australian national team. He was captain for both these teams. He also captained the Brisbane Broncos, winning the 1997, 1998, and 2000 Grand Finals. He started his career with the St. George Dragons in Sydney. Many people thought Tallis was the best second-row forward in the world during his career. In 2008, he was named in an Indigenous Australian rugby league team of the century.

Early Life and Background

Gorden Tallis was born in Townsville, North Queensland, on July 27, 1973. He played for the Centrals Tigers club in his hometown. His father, Wally Tallis, played rugby league for a short time for Leigh in the 1960s. Wally also captained an Indigenous rugby league team that visited New Zealand in 1972.

Tallis has spoken about his family background. In his 2003 book, Raging Bull, he explained that his great-grandfather came from Ambrym in Vanuatu. His great-grandmother was from Loh Island in the Torres Strait. His family always taught him they were Australians, and he is proud of that.

Professional Rugby League Career

Playing for St. George Dragons

Tallis moved to Sydney to start his top-level career with St. George. His first game was on August 29, 1992, when he was 19 years old. In 1992, he also played for junior representative teams. He was a reserve player when St. George lost the 1993 Grand Final to Brisbane.

In 1994, Tallis played his first games for the Queensland team in the State of Origin series. In 1995, he was chosen for the Tongan team for the 1995 World Cup, but he could not play due to an injury.

In 1996, a new competition called Super League was planned. Tallis wanted to join the Brisbane team. He even offered to pay to leave his contract with St. George early. However, St. George did not agree, and he had to stay with his contract. Because he had already signed with Brisbane, Tallis decided not to play in the 1996 season. After playing 54 games for St. George, he left Sydney.

Playing for Brisbane Broncos

Gorden Tallis about to receive the ball during a Brisbane Broncos match in 2004.

Tallis returned to rugby league with the Broncos for the 1997 Super League season. He was a very strong player in the competition. Brisbane won the Telstra Cup Grand Final 26–8 against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. Tallis also played for Queensland in the Super League Tri-series and made his international debut for Australia against Great Britain in 1997.

In 1998, Tallis played against St. George for the first time since leaving them. Fans booed him, but he scored a try that helped Brisbane win 30–18. Brisbane won another championship that year. Tallis scored a try and won the Clive Churchill Medal as the best player in the 1998 NRL grand final against the Canterbury Bulldogs. He also played his first Test match for the Australian Kangaroos.

In 1999, Tallis continued his great form. He played in the ANZAC Test and helped Queensland in the State of Origin series, which ended in a tie. However, he missed the Tri-Nations competition in October due to an injury.

In 2000, Tallis scored a try for Australia against New Zealand in the ANZAC Test. He was sent off in an Origin match for speaking rudely to the referee. Brisbane won the 2000 NRL grand final 14–6 against the Roosters. Tallis scored four tries in Australia's big win against Papua New Guinea before the 2000 World Cup. He was also chosen as Australian captain for a match against Russia, which Australia won by a record score.

Becoming a Captain

After winning the 2000 NRL Premiership, the Broncos played against St Helens R.F.C. in England for the 2001 World Club Challenge. Tallis was the new captain, but Brisbane lost the game. He captained a young Queensland team to a 34–16 win over New South Wales in the first match of the 2001 State of Origin series. He was named man-of-the-match.

Soon after, Tallis had a serious neck injury that needed surgery. This ended his season. He returned strongly in 2002. In the deciding match of the 2002 State of Origin series, Tallis made a famous tackle on Brett Hodgson, dragging him off the field. Tallis then gestured to a section of the crowd, which caused a lot of discussion. It was later explained that he was reacting to an offensive sign about his mother. Tallis was later named Test captain for a match against New Zealand, which Australia won.

At the end of 2003, Tallis decided to stop playing representative football, but he continued with the Broncos. In 2004, his neck injury bothered him more. He played his last official game in the 2004 semi-final for the Brisbane Broncos. This game was in his hometown of Townsville against the Cowboys, and the Broncos lost. When he retired, he held the Broncos' record for the most career tries by a forward.

In 2007, the Broncos celebrated their 20-year anniversary. They announced a list of their 20 best players, and Tallis was on it. In 2010, Tallis was added to the Broncos' official Hall of Fame.

Career Statistics

Club Games (NSWRL/ARL/Super League/NRL)

Representative Games

Awards and Achievements

• Clive Churchill Medal: 1998 (Award for best player in the NRL Grand Final)
• Dally M Second Rower of the Year: 1999 (Award for best second-row player)
• Indigenous Team of the Century: 2008
• NRL Team of the 1990s: 2003
• Australian Sports Medal: 2000
• Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame: 2018

Life After Playing Rugby League

After retiring from playing, Gorden Tallis continued to be involved in rugby league. In 2005, he joined the NRL board, which helps manage the sport. He later stepped down from this role. He was also a director for the North Queensland Cowboys team.

Tallis joined the South Sydney Rabbitohs as a coach for their forwards players. He was brought in by actor Russell Crowe, who is a co-owner of the team, to share his knowledge and strong playing spirit.

Today, Tallis works as a commentator for Fox Sports, where he talks about rugby league games. He also writes columns for newspapers. Tallis has shared his strong opinions on fighting in rugby league, saying that players should always support their teammates.

In 2016, a special emoji keyboard called "Gord-e-moji" was made for Tallis. In August 2019, Tallis suggested that some Sydney NRL teams should move to other cities. He believed that crowds at Sydney games were sometimes "embarrassing" and that teams should play where more fans would come to watch.

Tallis also co-hosts a sports segment on Triple M Radio Brisbane. In 2024, he joined the TV show NRL 360 on Fox League.