John Kolc

John Joseph Kolc (born 7 September 1950) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 1980s. An Australian international representative halfback, he played in Sydney’s NSWRFL premiership for the Parramatta club. Kolc was one of the smallest international rugby league players: only late 1920s St. George hooker “Snowy” Justice is believed to have played for Australia at a lighter weight, although 1950s backs Darcy Henry and Johnny Hunt are believed to have been similarly small.

A Parramatta junior from Hill District, Kolc was graded with Parramatta for the 1971 season and made his first-grade debut the following season. He showed great promise with his sharp dashes around the rucks and superb low tackling: early in 1973 Kolc was already widely viewed as a future representative player.; however, a broken ankle ligament (which were to affect Kolc’s career and reduce his speed off the mark) and competition with former State halfback Terry Reynolds meant Kolc missed the second half of 1973 and was in and out of first grade throughout 1974 and 1975.

At the end of this 1975 season, Kolc played in Parramatta’s first-ever reserve grade premiership team – scoring a try in the Grand Final win over Cronulla – and with Reynolds retiring Kolc was chosen over Johnny Wilson as the regular first-grade halfback for the 1976 season. The season saw Kolc play for Parramatta in the club’s maiden first-grade grand final, which was lost to Manly-Warringah.

With the Eels dominating the NSWRFL during the first half of 1977, Kolc gained selection for the Australian national team in the 1977 Rugby League World Cup Final, his sole international game, becoming Kangaroo No. 502. He scored the match-winning try in the one-point win over Great Britain at the Sydney Cricket Ground. After this, Kolc missed a number of games due to the return of his old ankle ligament problems, but he came back – though lacking his old sharp pace – to play at halfback in the drawn grand final and replay against St. George.