Anthony Minichiello
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Anthony Minichiello | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 181 cm (5 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 91 kg (14 st 5 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Fullback, Wing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: NRL Stats and Rugby League Project | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Anthony Minichiello (born 24 May 1980) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Sydney Roosters of the National Rugby League. He plays at fullback and Winger. He has represented New South Wales and Australia in the National Rugby League.
Early years
Born in Liverpool in South-western Sydney,[1] Minichiello began playing rugby league for East Valley United junior rugby league club.[2]
At a young age, he was spotted by then Roosters recruitment officer, Arthur Beetson, who signed him up to the foundation club.[3] In 1999 he played for Italy in the inaugural Mediterranean Cup .[4] After a stint in the lower grades, he made his first grade debut at the age of 19 in the Roosters round 4 clash on 25 February 2000 at the Sydney Football Stadium against the Bulldogs.[5] This made him the 994th first grader to play for the Roosters.[6]
He tasted the bitterness of defeat at the end of his debut year in the Roosters loss to the Broncos in the 2000 NRL Grand Final. However just two seasons later he and the Roosters went the extra step and won the 2002 NRL Premiership,whilst scoring 16 tries in the NRL season and finals. He was also part of the successful Roosters team that took out the 2003 Rugby League World Club Challenge against St. Helens.
By mid way through his second season he had proven himself worthy of representative football by his selection to play for City in the 2001 City vs Country Origin match.
2003 NRL season
For his first three seasons he played on the wing, but the retirement of Luke Phillips in 2003 prompted the then Roosters coach Ricky Stuart to move Minichiello to fullback.[7]
With the help of the recently retired New Zealand Warriors fullback and newly appointed Roosters Premier League coach Ivan Cleary, he became a real force in the Roosters attack.[7]
His great performance in his new position soon paid off with selection for City in the 2003 City vs Country Origin match and for New South Wales in the 2003 State of Origin series. He was also selected to play for Australia in 2003 Great Britain Kangaroo Tour.
He played his 100th first grade game in the first Preliminary Final of the 2003 NRL Final Series.[8] He was declared Man of the Match in the Roosters victory the Bulldogs 28 points 18.[9] The Roosters subsequently lost the Grand Final to the Penrith Panthers.[10]
2004 onwards
In 2004, he was again selected to play for New South Wales but just five days out from game I he was sacked for taking a mobile telephone out contrary to team instructions during a wild bonding session.[11] However he fought his way back into the squad and help steered New South Wales to series victory.
He was named the Dally M Fullback of the Year in 2004[12] and has won the Harry Sunderland Medal as the player's player of the year.[13]
Another great season in 2005 was capped off with him winning the Harry Sunderland Medal again as the man of the 2005 Rugby League Tri-Nations series and 2005 Golden Boot Award as the international player of the year. He was known to be the best fullback of the modern era and of-course with the golden boot...known to be the best player in the world.[14]
One of the longest injury/suspension free period of any player in the modern era came to end in round 6 of 2006. A back injury, first sustained in Roosters round 3 clash on 26 March 2006 against the Canberra Raiders, that eventually required surgery[15] forced Minichiello out for the remainder of season.[16]
His back injury allowed several younger fullbacks to stake claims for the Australian jersey, particularly Brisbane Broncos fullback Karmichael Hunt, and his stated aim for 2007 is to win back his representative jerseys.
As part of the Roosters 100th season celebration a "Team 100 - The Centurions" was announced at the 2007 season launch. Minichiello was named as fullback. He kicked his first field goal in his career which was also a match winner against the Sharks in Round 12 2007.[17]
Anthony was re-selected as the fullback for the NSW State of Origin team in 2007. He played an impressive first game but unfortunately was ruled out of the second game and the third game too as his back injury was troubling him. His was replaced with Manly's Brett Stewart. Unfortunately, his back injury put him on the sideline for the remainder of the 2007 season.
The 2008 NRL season saw Anthony return to the field after a re-occurring back injury put him out for most of the 2007 season. Unfortunately, during a round 4 clash with the Bulldogs, pain in Anthony's back retuned. Anthony is currently taking precautionary time-out to try and resolve the re-occurring injury. Unfortunately, this will most likely jeopardise his chances of getting an Australian fullback jersey making way for the likes of younger up-coming fullbacks Brett Stewart from the Sea Eagles and Billy Slater from the Storm.
In 2009, Anthony played 2 games before injuring his ankle against the Canberra Raiders. It was announced that he would be sidelined from 8-12 weeks.
It has been confirmed that Minichiello will be back for the Roosters for Round 20 and beyond. He will also be captain until Craig Fitzgibbon returns to the side.
Personal life
Formerly a gymnast,[18] Minichiello was a finalist in the Sexiest Man in League contest for 2006,[19] where he finished sixth with 7% of the vote. He was crowned the NRL's Most Wanted on The Footy Show in 2003, and with his brother Mark (who is currently playing for the Gold Coast Titans), posed for Cosmopolitan magazine's Lonsdale Boys With Balls '06 feature.
Minichiello is currently dating prominent Australian shoe designer, Terry Biviano.
He is the elder brother of Gold Coast Titan, Mark Minichiello.
He is of Italian ancestry and due to his uncanny resemblance to the Count off Sesame Street, has the nickname of Count.
References
- ^ "Player profile of Anthony Minichiello". Sydney Roosters. Retrieved 2007-05-24.
- ^ "Player Page: Anthony Minichiello". NRL Stats. Retrieved 2008-10-11.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Fearless Mini may be ace in the pack". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2007-05-19. Retrieved 2007-05-24.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Minichiello helps Italy defeat France Total RL, 17 Nov 2007
- ^ "Player profile of Anthony Minichiello". National Rugby League. Retrieved 2008-03-14.
- ^ "Sydney Roosters All Time Player List". Sydney Roosters. Retrieved 2007-05-24.
- ^ a b "It's all in the timing as magnificent Minichiello escapes from constraints". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2003-09-30. Retrieved 2007-05-24.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Mascord, Steve (2003-09-26). "The Late Mail". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2007-05-24.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Roosters down Dogs to reach grand final". ABC News. 2003-09-27. Retrieved 2007-05-24.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Mascord, Steve (2003-10-06). "Fairytale win for Panthers". The Age. Retrieved 2007-05-24.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Minichiello sacked from State of Origin side". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2004-05-21. Retrieved 2007-05-24.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Buderus named Dally M Player of the Year". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2004-09-08. Retrieved 2007-05-24.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Mascord, Steve (2004-12-02). "Minichiello the players' player". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2007-05-24.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Minichiello gets the Golden Boot". ABC News. 2005-11-22. Retrieved 2007-05-24.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Jackson, Glenn (2006-05-08). "Surgery may rule Minichiello out of Origin". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2007-05-26.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Minichiello rates himself 90% for Origin". The Age. 2007-05-18. Retrieved 2007-05-26.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Sydney Roosters Team 100". Sydney Roosters. 2007-03-10. Retrieved 2007-05-26.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Payten, Iain (2007-05-19). "Mini rates himself". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2007-05-26.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Chesterton, Andrew (2006-07-16). "Mini's making a splash" (PDF). The Sunday Telegraph. p. 32. Retrieved 2006-05-26.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)