Robbie Farah

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Robbie Farah
Robbie Farah (8600572708).jpg
Personal information
Full name Robert Peter Farah
Born (1984-01-23) 23 January 1984 (age 40)
Canterbury, New South Wales, Australia
Height 179 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight 89 kg (14 st 0 lb)
Playing information
Position Hooker, Halfback
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2003– Wests Tigers 245 59 12 16 276
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2002 Lebanon 1 1 0 0 4
2006–12 NSW City 6 1 0 0 4
2006–14 Prime Minister's XIII 5 1 0 0 4
2009–16 New South Wales 14 0 0 0 0
2009–12 Australia 8 0 0 0 0
2010–13 NRL All Stars 2 0 0 0 0
As of 1 June 2016
Source: [1][2]

Robert Peter "Robbie" Farah (Arabic: روبي فرح‎‎) (born 23 January 1984 in Sydney, New South Wales) is a professional rugby league footballer who plays for the Wests Tigers club of the National Rugby League. An Australia national and New South Wales State of Origin representative hooker, he has played his entire professional career to date at the Tigers, with whom he won the 2005 NRL Premiership. Between 2006 and 2012, Farah represented City Origin six times, captaining the team from 2009 onwards.[3]

Background

Farah is of Lebanese descent and was educated at St Mel's Primary, Campsie,[4] De La Salle College Ashfield, and the University of Sydney, graduating with a Bachelor of Economics in 2010.

Having been a junior with Enfield Federals and Leichhardt Wanderers, as an 18-year-old in 2002, he toured with the Lebanese team, playing France in Tripoli and scoring a try.[5]

Farah is a supporter of Liverpool F.C. in English football's Premier League, his favourite player being Steven Gerrard.[6][7][8][9][10]

Playing career

2003

In Round 13, Farah made his NRL debut for the Wests Tigers against the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles at Leichhardt Oval, playing off the interchange bench in the Tigers 38-30 loss.[11] Farah played in 4 matcheds in his debut year.

2004

Farah's season was marred by a knee re-construction and his first-grade playing time was restricted to 3 matches for 2004.[12]

2005

With Wests Tigers hookers Robbie Mears and Darren Senter both retiring at the end of the 2004 season, Farah was the club's main hooker for 2005. Early in the year he would often start on the bench and interchange with Ben Galea, but by the end of the year he was described as having replaced, "captain Darren Senter at hooker with relative ease."[13] In Round 7 against the Parramatta Eels, Farah scored his first and second NRL career tries in the Tigers 26-16 loss at Parramatta Stadium.[14] In Round 20 against the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Farah scored a hatrick in the Tigers 42-20 win at Leichhardt Oval.[15] Farah was the starting hooker in the Wests Tigers 30-16 2005 NRL grand final winning team over the North Queensland Cowboys.[16] Farah finished the Tigers successful season with him playing in 27 NRL matches scoring 8 tries.

2006

As NRL Premiers, Wests faced Super League champions Bradford Bulls in the 2006 World Club Challenge. Farah played at hooker in the Tigers 30-10 loss.[17] Farah was selected for the NSW City Origin squad playing in City's 12-10 loss to NSW Country Origin in Dubbo. Farah was named the Wests Tigers player of the year in the 2006 NRL season, playing in 20 matches and scoring 5 tries.[18] In September, Farah was selected in the Prime Minister's XIII squad.[19] Soon after, he re-signed with the Tigers on a contract to the end of the 2010 season.[20]

2007

In May, Farah played for the NSW City team again, scoring a try.[21] He was named hooker of the year at the 2007 Dally M Awards, and was one point behind the Player of the Year, Johnathan Thurston. Some pundits claim Farah should have won.[22] Farah was again named the Wests Tigers player of the year, playing in all the Tigers 24 matches, scoring 7 tries, kicking 12 goals and 4 field goals in a stellar year.[23]

2008

In August, Farah was named in the preliminary 46-man Kangaroos squad for the 2008 World Cup.[24][25] but later missed selection. Farah finished the 2008 NRL season with him playing in 17 matches and scoring 6 tries.

Farah playing for the Wests Tigers

2009

On 13 January, it was announced that Farah had chosen to re-sign with the Wests Tigers until the end of the 2013 season, spurning a lucrative offer from the Gold Coast Titans.[26] At the same time, the club appointed Farah as team captain.[27]

Farah in April 2009

In May, Farah captained NSW City to a 40-18 win over NSW Country.[28] Farah was subsequently named at hooker in the 17-man squad to represent New South Wales in the opening State of Origin match on 3 June 2009, in Melbourne.[29] Farah played in the first two games of the series,[30] but his performances were described as, "underwhelming."[31] Farah finished the 2009 NRL season with him playing in 21 matches, scoring 8 tries and kicking 4 field goals. Later that year he was named in the Prime Minister's XIII to play Papua New Guinea[32] and Australia's Four-Nations squad.[33] Farah played in two matches in the 2009 Four Nations. He made his debut for Australia from the bench in the match against England, relieving starting hooker Cameron Smith just before halftime.[34] A week later he played in the starting line-up in the team that beat France 42–4.[35]

2010

On 13 February, Farah played off the interchange bench for the NRL All Stars team against the Indigenous All Stars team in the inaugural 2010 All Stars match at Cbus Super Stadium.[36] He again captained the NSW City team.[37] At the 2010 Dally M Awards Farah came second behind Todd Carney by a point, and was also named Hooker of the Year.[38] He played in all of the Tigers 27 matches for the year, scoring 6 tries and kicking 4 field goals. Farah was named in the Australian squad for the 2010 Four Nations.[39] With first-choice hooker Cameron Smith playing in all matches, Farah made just one appearance, coming off the bench in the "dead-rubber" match against New Zealand.[40]

2011

Farah played in all 27 matches for the year, scoring 7 tries and kicking 3 field goals. Farah was again named as second-string hooker in the 2011 Four Nations, but withdrew from the tournament for family reasons before he could make an appearance.[41]

2012

Farah returned to State of Origin football in 2012. In the weeks leading up to the team selection, Farah was contacted by New South Wales coach Ricky Stuart, to explain that his first choice for hooker would be Danny Buderus, who had recently returned to the NRL. Furthermore, assistant coach Steve Roach declared Farah was not, "an Origin type player."[42] After an injury to Buderus, and a man-of-the-match performance in the City vs Country Origin match, Farah was named at hooker for the first match of the series.[43] Despite playing for the losing team, Farah was described as, "one of the Blues' most creative and effective players."[44] New South Wales won the second match of the series, and Farah was named as the player's player. During the match, Farah handled the ball 101 times and made a record 63 tackles, and missed no tackles. The previous record for most tackles in a State of Origin match was held by Dallas Johnson, who had made 60 in a game in 2007. Unfortunately, soon after, Robbie's mum Sonia died of cancer.[45][46] Farah was awarded the Brad Fittler Medal for the New South Wales outstanding player of the series, as voted for by his team-mates.[47]

Making 16 appearances, Farah surpassed Darren Senter's previous record of 86 games as captain of the Wests Tigers. Farah was nominated for the Dally M hooker of the year award.[48] With the departure of Chris Heighington at the end of the season, Farah became the most experienced and longest-serving player at the Wests Tigers. Farah was in the press in September, when he called for harsher penalties for Twitter abusers after receiving a tweet about his recently deceased mother that he described as, "vile."[49] He said, "The laws are piss weak and people should be accountable for their comments."[50] Soon after he issued an apology, when it was revealed that he had earlier tweeted that Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard should be given, "a noose," for a 50th birthday present.[50]

2013

In February, Farah made his return to NRL All Stars team, playing off the bench.[51] On 22 March, Farah signed a new 4-year contract to remain with the Wests Tigers until the end of the 2017 season. He said, "As captain of the club, I see myself as having the responsibility, when things aren't as good as we’d like them to be ... I see it as my challenge to help turn the club around, not to just give up and walk away. You might get cranky at some things, but you've got to ride the good times and the bad times. That’s what it's all about."[52]

Farah was chosen again to play for City, a record sixth appearance for a hooker, and the fourth consecutive time as captain.[53] Farah was selected to play hooker for NSW in the 2013 Series and played in all 3 games. On 12 July, following an injury to Paul Gallen, Farah was named captain for NSW for the first time for the series-deciding third game.[54] Unfortunately for New South Wales, Queensland won the game 12-10.[55] In Round 20 against Manly, Farah played in his 200th NRL career match, scoring a try in the Tigers 36-18 loss at Campbelltown Stadium.[56] Farah finished the 2013 NRL season having played in 18 matches and scoring a try. In September, Farah was selected as captain of the Prime Minister's XIII squad.[57] In October, Farah was selected in the Australian 2013 World Cup squad, playing in 3 matches.[58]

2014

In February, Farah was selected and captained the Tigers inaugural 2014 Auckland Nines squad.[59] In Round 6, Farah suffered a dislocated elbow, putting him in doubt for State of Origin Game 1. Farah was ruled out for 6 weeks,[60] but made a faster recovery and returned in Round 10 against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.[61] Farah was selected at hooker for the NSW Blues in Game 1 of the 2014 State of Origin Series at Suncorp Stadium, with the Blues winning the 100th State of Origin match 12-8.[62] He played in Game 2 of the series in the 6-4 win, resulting in the Blues breaking their 8-year losing streak to Queensland, and game 3.

In July, a feud erupted between Farah and Gorden Tallis over claims by the former great that Farah had told him Michael Potter "can't coach". Tallis said "Robbie Farah told me to my face when I was on Triple M last year on a Saturday show, he told me that Mick Potter can't coach," Tallis said. "I don't go on Chinese whispers; I go on what he told me." Later, Tigers Coach Mick Potter said that Farah doesn’t want to leave the club. "We are fine and we have always been fine, there has been no confrontation at all," Potter said.[63][64] Farah completed the season with 5 tries in 18 matches. In September, Farah was selected in the Prime Minister’s XIII squad.[65] He was then selected for the Australian Four Nations squad. Farah played in 1 match of the series in Australia's 30-12 loss to New Zealand.[66]

2015

With Paul Gallen unavailable due to injury, Farah was again chosen to captain in NSW in the opening game of 2015 State of Origin series. Despite suffering a shoulder injury, Farah was described as, "still one of the most influential players on the field," in the 11-10 loss. The Sydney Morning Herald said, "His workload with and without the ball was huge, completing a game-high 55 tackles and cleaning up a Cooper Cronk grubber kick when the Maroons appeared poised to score. No wonder the Queenslanders wanted him off the park."[67] Between the first and second State of Origin matches, Farah made no appearances for the Wests Tigers dues to his shoulder injury. It was said he, "Seemed to have a target painted on that bung shoulder," as Queensland forced him to make a game-high 48 tackles in the second game of the series as NSW won the game 26-18 at the MCG.[68]

In August, Farah was given permission from the Tigers to investigate opportunities to continue his playing career at another club from 2016 onward.[69] Farah finished the 2015 NRL season with him playing in 17 matches and scoring 2 tries. During the 2015 off-season, Farah’s contract saga was highly publicized. There were reports of Farah being demoted to New South Wales Cup if he stayed, his relationship with coach Jason Taylor turning sour, and about his $800,000 a season contract chewing up the Tigers salary cap.[70][71] Farah is set to remain with the Tigers for the 2016 season but has dropped himself as the Tigers captain and was replaced by Aaron Woods.[72][73] On 15 December, Farah was named on interchange bench for the World All Stars to play against the Indigenous All Stars on 16 February 2016.[74]

Highlights

Honours

Footnotes

  1. ↑ League Central
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  68. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  69. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  70. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  71. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  72. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  73. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  74. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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