Steve Ella
Steve Ella (born 1960 in Mt Pritchard, New South Wales) is an Australian former rugby league player. He was a utility back for the Australian national team, playing in 4 Tests between 1983 and 1985. He is a cousin of the Ella brothers who were prominent in Australian Rugby Union in the 1980s.
Club career
Steve Ella had a ten year career with the Parramatta Eels playing at fullback, centre, wing, halfback and five eighth.
Nicknamed "The Zipzip Man" Ella was a member of Parramatta's star studded backlines of the early 1980s playing alongside Brett Kenny, Mick Cronin, Peter Sterling and Eric Grothe.
He was a member of four Premiership winning sides at Parramatta in 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1986 as well as the 1984 Grand Final loss to Canterbury. He played a season in England with Wigan in 1985-86 scoring 21 tries in 23 games and finished his career in 1989 with Wakefield Trinity.
Club records and statistics
He scored 544 career points for Parramatta in 157 games putting him in 3rd place on the club's all time points list. In 1982 he was the season's top try-scorer and also set the standing club record of a total of 23 tries in a season. He scored 92 career tries for Parramatta placing him in 2nd place behind Brett Kenny on the club's all time try tally.
Representative career
Steve Ella made seven Rugby League State of Origin appearances between 1983 and 1985. He was first selected for the New South Wales Blues in game II of 1983 where he scored a try in the Blues' sole win of the series. He figured in game III of 1983, games I and III of 1984 and in all three games of 1985 when the Blues finally had a series triumph over Queensland.
At the national level, he was selected for the 1982 Kangaroo Tour and appeared in twelve minor games though no Tests on that tour. In the tour match against Wales in Cardiff, Ella scored four tries equalling the record for an Australian in a full international. On that same tour in a game in France against Villeneuve he scored seven tries equalling a record set by Cec Blinkhorn in the 1930s.
Steve Ella made his Test debut for the Kangaroos against New Zealand in the 2nd Test of 1983 and played in three more Tests against them in 1985.
1st Grade matches
| Team | Matches | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Parramatta | 156 | 1980-1986 |
| Wigan | 23 | 1986-1987 |
| Wakefield | 4 | 1989 |
| New South Wales | 8 | 1952-1959 |
| Rest of the World | 1 | 1988 |
| Australia | 17 | 1982-1985 |
Sources
- Andrews, Malcolm (2006) The ABC of Rugby League Austn Broadcasting Corpn, Sydney
- NRL Official 2007 Season Guide, News Magazines Surry Hills Sydney, for the National Rugby League