Brad Godden

Brad Godden

Personal information
Full name	Bradley Godden
Born	(1969-07-13) 13 July 1969 Newcastle, New South Wales
Playing information
Position	Fullback, Centre, Wing
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1991–96	Newcastle Knights	89	17	0	0	68
1997	Hunter Mariners	11	2	0	0	4
1998–99	Leeds Rhinos	51	19	0	0	76
	Total	151	38	0	0	148
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1992	Australia
Source: Rugby League Project and Yesterday's Hero

Brad Godden (born 13 July 1969 in Newcastle, New South Wales) is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1990s. He played for the Newcastle Knights, Hunter Mariners and the Leeds Rhinos as a Fullback, Centre and on the Wing.

Career

Australia

Godden started his first grade career with the Newcastle Knights, playing from the bench in a 30-0 loss to the Parramatta Eels at Parramatta Stadium in Round 14 of the 1991 NSWRL season. He played just four games for the Knights in 1991, scoring his first try from fullback in Round 19 at Marathon Stadium in a 32-16 win over the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

Brad Godden's form at fullback for the Knights was one of the reason's Newcastle qualified for their first finals series in 1992. Representative players Mark Sargent, Paul Harragon, Michael Hagan and Robbie McCormack led the Knights to a 4th placed finish in the regular season. They then accounted for Western Suburbs 21-2 in the Minor Preliminary Semi-final, with Godden scoring just his third try for the season, before going down to eventual Grand Finalist St. George 2-3 in a rare low scoring encounter in the Minor Semi-final.

Godden continued with the Knights until the end of the 1996 season. He was able to stay in Newcastle though as a member of the new Hunter Mariners team who played in the new Super League competition. However, the emergence of Robbie Ross saw Godden restricted to just 11 games for the Mariners only season of existence. Godden also missed playing for the Mariners in the 1997 World Club Championship final against the Brisbane Broncos in Auckland.

Ironically, the year after Godden left the team, the Knights won their first premiership in 1997 with a 22-16 win over the Bob Fulton coached Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles thanks to a last minute try to flying winger Darren Albert.

England

Brad Godden then linked with the Leeds Rhinos in 1998, playing centre in their 1998 Super League Grand Final loss to Wigan Warriors. After playing at centre for the Rhinos throughout the 1999 season, where he scored 7 tries in 24 games, Brad Godden retired from playing at the age of 31.

Representative career

After starring at fullback for the Knights in the 1992 Finals series, Godden gained selection for Australia for the 1992 World Cup Final in England. He played in one of the three preliminary matches on the tour, but wasn't selected for the final at Wembley Stadium, coach Bob Fulton preferring Balmain youngster Tim Brasher instead. Despite being two years older than Brasher, the speedy Balmain back had big game experience over Godden, having played centre as a 17-year-old in the Tigers losing 1989 Grand Final side, as well as playing for New South Wales in Game 3 of the 1992 State of Origin series. Brasher also was a handy back-up goal kicker to team captain Mal Meninga.

External links

• Rugby League Project stats
• Profile at leedsrugby