World Cup - Golden Lions - Paul Newlove

World Cups (1) - England 1995              Back to Golden Lions

Tries 4 (including one in Final)

Details based largely on the Saints Heritage Society site

Paul Newlove still holds the record for being the youngest Great Britain debutant at 18 years and 72 days, won 20 Test caps from 1989-98. Newlove had an outstanding tournament for England in the Centenary World Cup, scoring a try in the Final against Australia and being named in the Team of the Tournament.

After beginning his career with Featherstone in 1988, Newlove joined Bradford for a £245,000 fee five years later and in 1995 moved to St Helens in a world record move valued at £500,000.

Saints smashed the world record on November 29th., 1995 when they paid Bradford Northern £250,000 cash and sent Sonny Nickle, Bernard Dwyer and Paul Loughlin to Odsal. This deal was brokered by David Howes and partly financed with the sponsorship of local firms.

Paul proved an instant success at the Saints. He scored his a try in his debut game against Workington Town on December 3rd., 1995. The Saints went on to record a 58 points to 10 in that game. It was not too long before Paul formed a devastating left wing partnership with Anthony Sullivan that was to serve the Saints magnificently for the next seven seasons.

Paul was the Saints flagship in their efforts to end the Wigan trophy monopoly as the Game entered the Super League era. That first Super League season seemed to be one long hot sizzling summer as Saints swept all before them to lift the Championship and Challenge Cup double for the first time in thirty years. Paul Newlove was in his pomp as he rna through, brushed off or side-stepped opponents to end the season as top try scorer with 36 tries from only 27 matches. This haul included four hat-tricks against Castleford (4/2/96), Workington (31/3/96), Halifax (21/4/96) and Oldham (5/5/96). Paul ended the season with Challenge Cup and Championship medals.

Further success followed in the 1997 as Saints defeated Bradford Bulls to lift the Challenge Cup for the second year in succession. Paul scored another hat trick against Hull in a 54 points to 8 victory that season, his last for the Club. That season he scored 19 tries and remarkably scored the same number in the next two seasons. Throughout this period Anthony Sullivan was benefiting immensely from Paul’s slick service at centre.

Paul collected his first Grand Final winner’s ring in the 8 points to 6 defeat of Bradford in the 1999 Final at Old Trafford. In the following season Paul was plagued by injury, and one of these in the 54 points to 16 demolition of Wigan in the play-off series kept him out of second successive Grand Final. He was a grateful spectator as Saints outclassed their rivals by 29 points to 16. Newlove had regained his fitness in time to face Brisbane Broncos in the World Club Challenge Final at the start of the 2001 season. On a cold Bolton night who will ever forget the way that Paul skinned Sailor with his trademark sidestep of the left foot to set up Chris Joynt for a try to square the match. The ultimate victory in that match by 20 points to 18 duly completed Paul’s winners’ medals collection.

The 2001 Challenge Cup Final victory over Bradford Bulls at Twickenham had brought Paula third Challenge Cup winners medal. However, that 2001 season was cut short for Paul following a serious Achilles Tendon injury in the game against Hull – before his injury Paul had scored 15 tries in 21 games. As a long career was taking toll on his body Paul announced his retirement for international rugby during the 2001 season.

The 2002 season brought Paul a third Championship winning ring as Saints again dispatched a frustrated Bradford Bulls by 19 points to 18. Although bagging just 7 tries in 27 outings in that season the discernible fan would have noted Paul’s classic timing and distribution contributed greatly to the tries scored on the left wing by Tony Stewart and John Kirkpatrick. The season also illustrated a much under-mentioned aspect of Newlove’s attributes, namely his defence. However, 126 tries in 184 games by the end of the 2002 season generates a ratio of over 68 tries per 100 games – fifteenth on the all-time list of Saints top try scorers and cementing his rightful place as one of the game’s best ever centres.
 

Back to Golden Lions