Name Ken Wilson | Role Rugby league | |
Ken Wilson was an Australian rugby league player from the 1970s.
He was a skilful halfback or five-eighth, despite lacking pace, but is best remembered as one of rugby league’s greatest goal kickers.
He came from an Australian Rules background to be graded by the Newtown Jets in 1970, and played four seasons with Newtown between 1971 and 1974. Wilson only gradually established in first grade – in a famous match he was the point-scorer with a field goal for the only 1-0 scoreline (against St. George in 1973) – thirteen seconds after coming onto the field. In 1976 Wilson moved to the Penrith Panthers for three seasons. He returned to the Newtown Jets in 1979 and stayed with them until the club folded at the end of 1983, being their captain during the final two seasons.
Wilson set many point scoring records with both the Jets and Panthers. Wilson came on as a replacement in the 1981 Grand Final, and later coached reserve grade at Canterbury-Bankstown and the Ryde-Eastwood club.