 |
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| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Martin Bella | |
| Place of birth | , Australia | |
| Youth clubs | ||
| Years | Club | |
 Mackay |
||
| Youth representative teams | ||
 Queensland Australia |
||
| Senior clubs* | ||
| Years | Club | Apps (points) |
| 19?? - 19?? 19?? - 19?? 1986 - 1989 1990 - 1992 1993 - 1994 1995 1996 - 1997 |
 Easts Tigers Halifax RLFC North Sydney Bears Manly Sea Eagles Canterbury Bulldogs North Queensland Gold Coast Chargers |
? (?) ? (?) 82 (4) 57 (8) 46 (8) 14 (0) 35 (8) |
| Representative teams** | ||
| 1987 - 1994 1988 - 1992 |
Queensland Australia |
21 (0) 9 (0) |
|
* Professional club appearances and points |
||
Martin Bella is an Australian former Rugby league player of Italian descent. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. History See also History of rugby league The grass roots of rugby league can be traced to early football history, through the playing of ball games The' Italian people' are a Southern European Ethnic group located primarily in Italy, Switzerland, France and by virtue of a wide-ranging Martin Bella's career started out in the Foley Shield. The Foley Shield is a Rugby league competition in North Queensland administered by the Queensland Rugby League. His Mackay Under 18 side defeated Herbert River in the final after representing Queensland and Australia the previous two seasons. Mackay is a city on the eastern coast of Queensland, Australia, about north of Brisbane, on the Pioneer River. Ingham is a town in North Queensland, Australia. It is situated approximately 110km north of the city of Townsville and is part of the Great Green Way The Queensland State of Origin team is a Rugby league team representing the state of Queensland that plays in Australia's annual three-match State of Origin Bella left North Queensland to play with Easts Tigers in Brisbane Rugby League premiership. For the Queensland Premier Rugby club see Easts Tigers Rugby Union. The Brisbane Rugby League (BRL premiership was a Rugby league competition held in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia from 1922 to 1997 After three seasons in Brisbane and two off-seasons playing for Halifax RLFC in England, Bella moved to North Sydney Bears in 1986. Brisbane ( is the state capital of Queensland. Brisbane is the third most populous city in Australia and the most populous city of Queensland Halifax RLFC is one of the most historic Rugby league clubs in the game formed over a century ago in 1873 in the Yorkshire town of Halifax. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The North Sydney Bears are an Australian Rugby league football club based in Sydney who currently compete in the New South Wales Cup.
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North Sydney Bears
During his time at the Bears, Bella was picked in the Kangaroo touring team, playing in most games on the tour, but not the Tests. In 1987 he played State of Origin and in 1988 made his first Test appearance in the third Test against the touring Great Britain side. State of Origin is an annual best-of-three series of Rugby league matches between the Maroons, representing the state of Queensland, and the Blues Great Britain was traditionally one of the major national teams playing Rugby league.
Also in 1988 he put on his boots for Queensland and made a clean sweep of the interstate series with Sam Backo providing a memorable rampaging display of front row power. Bella and Backo, both North Queenslanders, lined up for a repeat performance again against the Blues in 1989 with another awesome display up front, Bella was named man-of-the-match in the series opener as the Maroons again whitewashed the Blues. The New South Wales Rugby League team represents the state of New South Wales annually in the Rugby League State of Origin competition against arch-rivals Queensland Bella again toured with the Kangaroos in 1990 and played a total of nine Tests for Australia, and a record twenty State of Origin games, at the time a feat unequalled by any forward from either State.
Manly Sea Eagles
Bella played with the Manly Sea Eagles from 1990 to 1992, appearing in 57 matches and scoring two tries. The Manly - Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional Rugby league club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney In the third and deciding match of the 1991 State of Origin series he was once again named man-of-the-match. The 1991 State of Origin series was the 12th annual Australian Rugby League State of Origin series between New South Wales and Queensland.
Canterbury Bulldogs
His career continued with the Canterbury Bulldogs club, which he joined for the 1993 and 1994 seasons, until his return to North Queensland to play with the newly formed North Queensland Cowboys in the expanded twenty team Australian Rugby League competition. The Bulldogs Rugby League Football Club (formerly Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and "The Berries") are an Australian professional Rugby league The North Queensland Cowboys are an Australian professional Rugby league football team based in Townsville Queensland. The Australian Rugby League (ARL is the governing body for the Sport of Rugby league in Australia
North Queensland Cowboys
The burly Mackay forward had a long rep career but his signing at the Cowboys was sadly for them on the backend of his eventful career. There was nothing flashy about Bella's style of play - simple forward moving football. However, he was one of the strongest selections for the Cowboys first year in competition. Full of leadership qualities over the younger personnel at the club, Bella had vast experience behind him from those Kangaroo Tours and Queensland Maroons experience. Considered by many a Queenslander as a great forward with great passion. However he was cut from the club at the back end of the 1995 season because of behavioural problems leaving him looking down the barrel of retirement.
Cowboys Statistics
| Year | G | T | Gls | FGls | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Legend: Gms = Games, Trs = Tries, Gls = Goals, FGls = Field Goals, Pts = Points.
Gold Coast Chargers
Bella again managed to attract attention, this time around for another Queensland club, when he was lured out of possible retirement to play with the Gold Coast Chargers in 1996-97. Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern corner of the mainland continent Gold Coast were a Rugby league team which played in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership from 1988 to 1994, the Australian Rugby At the time, the Gold Coast club were dwindling away under debts and poor form and in need of some strong support. Bella produced numerous worthy performances and led the Gold Coast team to its first ever finals playoffs of its rollercoaster eight-year existence during the year of the Super League split in 1997.
In 2000 Bella was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for his contribution to Australia's international standing in rugby league. The Australian Sports Medal was an award given during 2000 to recognise achievements in Australian sport.
External links
- Martin Bella at the State of Origin official website. State of Origin is an annual best-of-three series of Rugby league matches between the Maroons, representing the state of Queensland, and the Blues
- Martin Bella at Foley Shield fan site
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