Gavin Miller

Gavin John Miller (born 4 January 1960) is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1970s, and 1980s. An Australian international and New South Wales State of Origin representative forward, he played the majority of his club football for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and is an Immortal of the club. He won two successive Dally M Player of the Year awards in 1988 and 1989.

At his peak Miller was regarded as the most dangerous attacking force in the NSWRL owing to his great ball skills, and his skill made Cronulla-Sutherland a formidable side after many years in the doldrums. Australian selectors during his brief but brilliant heyday were often criticised for ignoring Miller, but it is true he had failed to show his skills in a badly beaten New South Wales side during the 1989 State of Origin series.

Gavin Miller was born in Inverell, New South Wales. Before his late-1980s fame, Miller had already a long career in rugby league. He began playing for Goulburn as a centre three-quarter and was recommended to the Western Suburbs Magpies in 1977. That year, he obtained a regular place in the team at the age of seventeen but was signed by Eastern Suburbs Roosters the following year. Miller did poorly for Easts in the following two years but Cronulla thought he had potential and signed him for 1980.

Still playing as a centre three-quarter, Miller obtained a regular place in the Cronulla side and gradually showed he had exceptional ball skills as well as the ability to run which he had shown with Wests. Over his first four years at Cronulla he was moved into the forwards and did so well that by 1983 he was chosen to play for New South Wales. He did not fulfill expectations and at the end of the year returned to Easts but played so poorly that he failed to retain a first grade berth despite the Roosters winning only five games out of 24.

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