Leon Bott
 Bott playing for Manly RUFC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 30 October 1986 Canterbury, New South Wales, Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 178 cm (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 98 kg (15 st 6 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Halfback, Wing, Centre | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Rugby League Project, Yesterday's Hero As of 8 September 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leon Bott (born 30 October 1986 in Canterbury, New South Wales) is an Australian rugby league and union player.
Early years
Bott attended Lurnea Public School, Lurnea High School, Moorebank High School and Westfield Sports High School, making the Australian Schoolboys Rugby Union Team in 2003 & 2004.
Career
Brisbane Broncos
Leon Bott made his debut in the National Rugby League in the 2005 season playing for the Brisbane Broncos, the club he followed as a boy. He signed with the Brisbane Broncos for a reported A$20,000 a year and reportedly turned down a contract from the Sydney Roosters worth around A$350,000 a year. It proved to be worthwhile for Bott who played in 24 games and scored 13 tries for the Broncos including a hat-trick against the St George Dragons in Round 6. At the end of the 2005 season Leon Bott won the Brisbane Broncos 2005 Rookie of the Year Award. He was also nominated for the Dally M Rookie of the Year the same year but missed out to Parramatta Eels half-back Tim Smith.
The 2006 season would not be as bright for Bott as his rookie season proved to be as he injured his shoulder and struggled to hold down a wing slot at the Broncos due to eventual Brisbane Broncos 2006 Rookie of the Year award winner Darius Boyd playing very strongly. After such a strong rookie season in 2005 in the NRL he only played once for the Broncos in 2006 and became frusturated being stuck playing with the Broncos feeder club side Toowoomba Clydesdales in the Queensland Cup and eventually asked for a release from the Broncos and signed mid-season with the Cronulla Sharks.
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Again Bott never had a concrete role in the first grade squad at the Sharks and after only one appearance in the NRL in the 2006 season he again asked for a release at the end of the year.
Bulldogs
Bott joined his home-town team the Canterbury Bulldogs during the 2007 pre-season on a train-and-trial basis but medical staff discovered his shoulder was not stable and he required reconstructive surgery. After going through extensive rehabilitation and one-on-one fitness sessions with Bulldogs trainers, he was signed with the Bulldogs until the end of the 2008 season.
Rugby Union
Bott switched back to rugby union, the code he grew up playing at school, to play for Manly RUFC in the 2009 Shute Shield season. Bott played season 2010 for Penrith Emus in the Shute Shield.[1]
References
- ^ "2009 NRL Player Movements". NRL Live. 4 October 2008. Retrieved 4 October 2008.