Sam Isemonger
 | ||||||
| Personal information | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Sam Isemonger | |||||
| Nickname | Iceman, Bloodied Bandit (BB) | |||||
| Born | 4 May 1978 Sutherland, New South Wales, Australia | |||||
| Playing information | ||||||
| Height | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) | |||||
| Weight | 114 kg (17 st 13 lb) | |||||
| Position | Bench, impact bench | |||||
| Club | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| 1998–05 | Cronulla Sharks | 74 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 36 |
| 2006–07 | St. George Illawarra Dragons | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Total | 95 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 40 | |
| Source: NRL Stats | ||||||
Sam Isemonger (born 4 May 1978 in Sutherland, New South Wales) is an Australian former rugby league footballer for the St George Illawarra Dragons in the Australian National Rugby League competition. He has also previously played for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. His position of choice was the second row or bench. His most memorable moment in the NRL came in Rd 21 of the 2005 season, when Benji Marshall stepped him not once, but twice on his way to a spectacular solo try.[1]
Isemonger is also the son of former professional rugby league player for Cronulla David Isemonger.
Biography
Childhood and early career
Isemonger grew up in the Sutherland Shire and began playing rugby league at an early age for his local club side Como Jannali Rugby League Football Club. He spent all of his early years playing C grade for Como Jannali after an unsuccessful stint playing basketball with the Sutherland Pirates. He was eventually signed by the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks while still a teenager.
1998
After signing with his local National Rugby League side Isemonger eventually made his first grade debut on 10 July 1998 at the age of twenty against the Parramatta Eels.
1999-2005
Over the next several years Isemonger was both in and out of the first grade team with the Sharks for a variety of reasons; originally having to compete with representative players such as Chris McKenna, Tawera Nikau, Les Davidson and Danny Lee meant a first team position was more often than not hard to come by. With several senior players moving on as the years passed Isemonger was able to get more game time but again hit a stumbling block with two knee reconstructions in 2001 and 2002, and several ingrown toenails cutting back his playing time once again.[2]
After eight seasons with the Sharks in which he made a total of seventy-four appearances he was subsequently released from his contract by new coach Stuart Raper.
2006-present
After being released by the Sharks Isemonger signed on to local rivals the St George Illawarra Dragons for the beginning of the 2006 NRL season.
Sam retired in 2007 and took to coaching his junior club the Como Rangers under the watchful eye of close friend and lifelong mentor Kev McDermott. "I'm so glad to finally return to a life of danger with the Como Rangers." He said at the time.
References
External links
- "Sam Isemonger Official player profile". Archived from the original on 7 June 2007.
- "Sam Isemonger NRL player profile". Archived from the original on 19 December 2007.