Paul Broughton

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Paul Broughton
OAM
Personal information
Born(1931-03-31)31 March 1931
Australia
Died3 December 2022(2022-12-03) (aged 91)
Playing information
PositionFive-eighth, lock
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1954 St. George 7 1 0 0 3
1957 Balmain 1 0 0 0 0
Total 8 1 0 0 3
Coaching information
Club
Years Team Gms W D L W%
1974 Past Brothers 24 12 1 11 50
1975–76 Balmain 45 22 2 21 49
1977–78 Newtown 27 2 0 25 7
Total 96 36 3 57 38

Paul Broughton OAM (31 March 1931 – 3 December 2022)[1] was an Australian rugby league footballer, coach and club chief executive. He was the Chairman of the Gold Coast Titans in the NRL.[2] He also served on the board of the North Queensland Cowboys.[3] He has been described by some as an Australian rugby league football identity.

Playing career[edit]

Broughton was graded at St. George in 1952, and captained the team to the Third Grade premiership in 1953. He played in Sydney's First Grade NSWRFL Premiership for St. George in the 1954 season before playing with Corrimal as captain/coach. He played 44 grade games for St. George in all grades (1952-1954).

Broughton returned to the Sydney Premiership in 1957 with Balmain but was injured in the first match of the season and forced into retirement.[4][5]

Coaching career[edit]

Post-playing Broughton coached the St. George Dragons in third grade and reserve grade (three premierships 1962–1964) and went on to become the club's chairman of selectors in 1968. He later worked for the NSWRFL before a season coaching Brisbane's Brothers club in 1974. The following season Broughton returned to Sydney with the Balmain club, whom he coached from 1975 to 1976, then Newtown from 1977 to the fifth game of 1978, after which a major internal upheaval caused him, along with reserve grade coach Dave Bolton, to be dismissed in favour of St. George legend (and ex-Jet) Johnny Raper[6] and Bob Carnegie.

After coaching Broughton worked as New South Wales Rugby League development officer.[7]

Following the removal of the Gold Coast Chargers from the newly established National Rugby League at the end of the 1998 season, Broughton worked towards the foundation of the Titans, and has been described as "the Godfather of Gold Coast rugby league".[8] The Titans annual award for best and fairest player is named the Paul Broughton Medal in his honour.[9]

Personal life and death[edit]

Broughton received the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the 2017 Queen's Birthday Honours "for services to rugby league, and to the community."[10] He died in December 2022, at the age of 91.[11]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Titans founding chairman Paul Broughton dies, aged 91
  2. ^ Masters, Roy (2 July 2010). "Small men need not apply to this select club". The Sydney Morning Herald. Australia. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  3. ^ Gee, Steve (25 June 2010). "NRL fans demand home and away comp". The Daily Telegraph. Australia. Retrieved 4 July 2010.
  4. ^ "Player Profile – Paul Broughton". yesterdayshero.com.au. Australia: SmartPack International Pty Ltd. Archived from the original on 6 September 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
  5. ^ Alan Whiticker/Glen Hudson: Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players, 1995. ISBN 1875169571
  6. ^ "Raper takes over the reins"; in Sydney Morning Herald; 28 April 1978; p. 18
  7. ^ Curran, Brian (11 July 1989). "Last Word". The Sydney Morning Herald. Australia. p. 51. Retrieved 4 July 2010.
  8. ^ Turgeon, Luke (8 August 2009). "Godfather awaiting his finals blessing". goldcoast.com.au. Australia. Retrieved 4 July 2010.
  9. ^ "Bailey, Laffranchi share Titans' top honour". Australia: ABC News. 4 October 2007. Retrieved 4 July 2010.
  10. ^ "QB17 – Gazette Order of Australia" (PDF). Governor-General of Australia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 November 2017. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  11. ^ O'Loughlin, Liam (4 December 2022). "Rugby league figure Paul Broughton dies, aged 91". The Sporting News. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Clarrie Jeffries
1974–1976
Coach

Newtown

1977–1978
Succeeded by
Preceded by Coach

Balmain

1975–1976
Succeeded by
Ron Willey
1977–1979