Former Greats - Viv Thicknesse
Viv Thicknesse
| Plyr No. |
Debut Year |
Final Year |
Birth Date | Death Date | Games | Tries | Points |
| 210 | 1932 | 1937 | 18/11/1910 | 19/08/1986 | 75 | 19 | 57 |
| Debut Club Game | 16/04/1932 | Round 1, 1932 v North Sydney North Sydney Oval (Age 21) |
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| Final Club Game | 19/06/1937 | Round 9, 1937 v Newtown Sydney Cricket Ground, Moore Park (Age 26) |
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| Seasons | 6 | 1932 - 1937 | |||||
| Debut Club | One Club Player? | Final Club | |||||
| Sydney Roosters | Yes | Sydney Roosters | |||||
90 years after Viv Thicknesse retired, at age 26 due to business commitments, he remains unchallenged as the Roosters greatest half back of its 120 seasons. The rugby union convert joined the Roosters in 1932 and through six seasons of first grade he won three premierships, two as captain. He stood in for the injured skipper Dave Brown in the 1935 Decider and took over the captaincy, ahead of Ray Stehr and Joe Pearce, when Brown left for Warrington, leading the Roosters to a third successive title in 1937.
In 75 first grade matches for the Roosters, Thicknesse suffered defeat on just 13 occasions. When scrums were a vital part of the game, the quality of the service Thicknesse gave his five eighth, Ernie Norman, was crucial in setting alight the greatness of the Easts outside backs of that era. Thicknesse became the No. 1 half back in the game by 1933 and was the regular half back for both NSW and Australia until his representative retirement in 1936. Thicknesse was named amongst the 100 greatest players of the first century of Australian rugby league and was inducted into the NRL Hall of Fame in 2008. On retirement from the game, Thicknesse served as a Club selector for Easts.
| Representative Honours | ||
| Australia | 7 Tests (Player No. 181) | 1933 - 1936 |
| New South Wales | 11 Interstate Games (Player No. 286) | 1933 - 1936 |
| Club Honours |
| 3 Premiership Titles (1935, 1936 and 1937) |
| 2 Premiership Titles As Captain (1935 and 1937) |
| 3 Premiership Deciders (1934, 1935 and 1936) |
| Sydney Roosters Life Member (2025) |
| Sydney Roosters Team of the 20th Century Halfback (2007) |
| Roosters Captain (12 games) |
| Game Honours |
| NRL Hall of Fame Inductee No. 34 (2008) |
| Australian Rugby League's 100 Greatest Players (1908 - 2007) |
Sydney Roosters respect and honour 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.
