Harold Horder
Winger
Player Bio
- Inducted:
- 2008
- Date of Birth:
- 23 February 1894
- Birthplace:
- Sydney, NSW
- Nickname:
- -
- Debut Team:
- South Sydney
- Date:
- 24 August 1912
- Opposition:
- Glebe
- Venue:
- Wentworth Park, Sydney
- Representative:
- New South Wales, Queensland, Australia
- Clubs:
- South Sydney, North Sydney, Coorparoo
Career
Milestones
- Premierships: 1914, 1918, 1921-22
- Kangaroo Tour: 1921-22
- Rated No. 12 in Rugby League Week’s Top 100 players 1992
Playing
- First Class Games
- 270
- Points
- 1608
- Tries
- 336
Biography
When rugby league was in its infancy in Australia, there were only a few players with the ability to set the crowd alight every time they touched the ball.
The unpredictable ''Dally'' Messenger was one but perhaps not even he had the electric footwork and prolific try-scoring ability of Harold Horder.
The NSWRL's Rugby League Annual of 1928 said of him: ''If he is not the greatest of all rugby league footballers, he is unquestionably the greatest of all wing three-quarters''.
The flying winger from South Sydney burst onto the scene in 1912 in an end-of-season match against Glebe.
On one of his first touches of the ball, he ran 90 metres, beating defender after defender with a swerving, sidestepping run to the line. The try was the first of more than 200 that Horder would score in his senior career.
The son of a leading runner, Horder honed his skills in regular training sessions in Moore Park, where he would practice sprints and starts.
He went on to play for Souths and Norths in a 13-year career in the premiership, represented New South Wales 20 times and played 13 Tests for Australia.
When he retired he had a career tally of 239 tries from just 194 matches, a strike-rate well over a try per game at all levels of senior football.
He won premierships with Souths and Norths and formed a dynamic partnership with another prolific try scorer, Cec Blinkhorn.
“Champions come and go. You can reel off 100 or so of them. But there’ll never be another winger like Harold Horder.”
Cecil Blinkhorn Wing partner for club, state, and country
15. Harold Horder - Hall of Fame
Career Stats
Club Career
| Team Name | Competition | Year Start | Year End | Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Sydney | Premiership |
1912
1924 |
1919
1924 |
86 | 102 | 77 | - | 460 |
| South Sydney | City Cup |
1912
1914
1917
1924 |
1912
1915
1918
1924 |
18 | 22 | 20 | - | 106 |
| South Sydney | Tour games | 1918 | 1918 | 3 | 4 | 1 | - | 18 |
| North Sydney | Premiership | 1920 | 1923 | 50 | 50 | 73 | - | 296 |
| North Sydney | City Cup | 1920 | 1922 | 7 | 8 | 16 | - | 56 |
| Coorparoo | QRL Premiership | 1925 | 1926 | 19 | 15 | 23 | - | 91 |
Representative Career
Intercity
| Team Name | Competition | Opponent | Year Start | Year End | Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brisbane | 1925 | 1926 | 5 | 2 | 2 | - | 10 |
State
| Team Name | Competition | Opponent | Year Start | Year End | Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | Interstate series | Queensland |
1915
1919
1923 |
1915
1921
1924 |
9 | 23 | 18 | - | 105 |
| New South Wales | Queensland and New Zealand | 1921 | 1921 | 1 | 2 | 2 | - | 10 | |
| New South Wales | Touring teams |
1914
1919
1924 |
1914
1921
1924 |
9 | 8 | 12 | - | 48 | |
| New South Wales | Tour matches |
1913
1922
1924 |
1913
1922
1924 |
17 | 35 | 9 | - | 123 | |
| Queensland | Touring teams | 1925 | 1925 | 1 | 1 | 3 | - | 9 |
International
| Team Name | Competition | Year Start | Year End | Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Tests |
1914
1919
1924 |
1914
1922
1924 |
13 | 11 | 10 | - | 53 |
| Australia | Tour matches |
1919
1921 |
1919
1922 |
24 | 37 | 11 | - | 133 |
Other Representative
| Team Name | Opponent | Year Start | Year End | Played | Tries | Goals | Field Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metropolis | England | 1914 | 1914 | 1 | 2 | - | - | 6 |
| Metropolis | Newcastle | 1915 | 1915 | 2 | 5 | 10 | - | 35 |
| Sydney | England | 1920 | 1920 | 1 | 3 | 3 | - | 15 |
| Kangaroos | Rest of Australasia | 1922 | 1922 | 1 | 3 | 3 | - | 15 |
| Metropolis | Maoris | 1922 | 1922 | 1 | 3 | 3 | - | 15 |
| Metropolis | University XIII | 1922 | 1922 | 1 | - | 1 | - | 2 |
| Metropolis | Queensland | 1923 | 1923 | 1 | - | 1 | - | 2 |
Hall of Fame Members
National Rugby League respects and honours the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on.
