Jack Reardon

Who was Jack Reardon?

Jack Reardon was an Australian rugby league footballer of the 1930s and 40s who later became a sports journalist. An Australian international and both a New South Wales and Queensland representative centre, he played club football in country New South Wales before moving to Queensland and playing in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership. He is also well known for his football journalism and being the first to suggest 'state of origin' selection rules for interstate rugby league.

Reardon came from Ballina, New South Wales to play for the Marist Brothers club of the Lismore district. He achieved selection for the New South Wales rugby league team before being lured north to play for the Norths club of the Brisbane Rugby League in 1936. In his first year in Brisbane he was selected to represent Queensland, the following year being named vice-captain for the 1937-38 Kangaroo Tour. He captained his club, Norths, to a premiership in 1938 and in 1939 was named captain of Queensland. He won another premiership with Norths in 1940.

Reardon later became a football journalist for Brisbane's Courier Mail. He suggested the adoption of 'state of origin' selection rules as far back as 1964 but was met with derision from New South Wales. For his thirty years' service as the Courier Mail's senior rugby league writer, in 2006 he was inducted into Suncorp Stadium's Sports Media Hall of Fame.