View source for Gavin Miller

{{short description|Australia international rugby league footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2013}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
| name         = Gavin Miller
| fullname     = Gavin John Miller
| image        = 
| image_size   = 
| position     = {{rlp|ce|sr|lf}}
| birth_date   = {{birth date and age|1960|1|4|df=y}}
| birth_place  = Inverell, New South Wales, Australia
| height       = 
| weight       = {{convert|87|kg|stlb|abbr=on}}
| club1        = [[Western Suburbs Magpies|Western Suburbs]] 
| year1start   = 1977
| year1end     = 77
| appearances1 = 17
| tries1       = 2
| goals1       = 1
| fieldgoals1  = 0
| points1      = 8
| club2        = [[Sydney Roosters|Eastern Suburbs]] 
| year2start   = 1978
| year2end     = 79
| appearances2 = 13
| tries2       = 0
| goals2       = 0
| fieldgoals2  = 0
| points2      = 0
| club3        = {{nowrap|[[Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks|Cronulla-Sutherland]]}}
| year3start   = 1980
| year3end     = 83
| appearances3 = 56
| tries3       = 6
| goals3       = 0
| fieldgoals3  = 1
| points3      = 19
| club4        = [[Sydney Roosters|Eastern Suburbs]] 
| year4start   = 1984
| year4end     = 84
| appearances4 = 11
| tries4       = 0
| goals4       = 0
| fieldgoals4  = 0
| points4      = 0
| club5        = [[Hull Kingston Rovers]] 
| year5start   = 1984
| year5end     = 87
| appearances5 = 79
| tries5       = 24
| goals5       = 0
| fieldgoals5  = 0
| points5      = 96
| club6        = [[Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks|Cronulla-Sutherland]] 
| year6start   = 1986
| year6end     = 92
| appearances6 = 124
| tries6       = 6
| goals6       = 0
| fieldgoals6  = 0
| points6      = 24
| club7        = [[Hull Kingston Rovers]] 
| year7start   = 1988
| year7end     = 89
| appearances7 = 22
| tries7       = 3
| goals7       = 0
| fieldgoals7  = 0
| points7      = 12
| teamA        = [[New South Wales rugby league team|New South Wales]]
| yearAstart   = 1983
| yearAend     = 89
| appearancesA = 5
| triesA       = 0
| goalsA       = 0
| fieldgoalsA  = 0
| pointsA      = 0
| teamB        = [[Country Rugby League|NSW Country]]
| yearBstart   = 1989
| yearBend     = 89
| appearancesB = 1
| triesB       = 0
| goalsB       = 0
| fieldgoalsB  = 0
| pointsB      = 0
| teamC        = [[Australia national rugby league team|Australia]]
| yearCstart   = 1988
| yearCend     = 1988
| appearancesC = 2
| triesC       = 2
| goalsC       = 0
| fieldgoalsC  = 0
| pointsC      = 8
| retired      = yes
| source       = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/gavin-miller/summary.html|title=Gavin Miller|website=www.rugbyleagueproject.org|access-date=25 Oct 2020}}</ref>
| updated       = 25 October 2020
}}

'''Gavin John Miller''' (born 4 January 1960) is an Australian former [[rugby league]] footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. An [[Australia national rugby league team|Australian international]] and [[New South Wales rugby league team|New South Wales]] [[State of Origin series|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 earned two successive [[Dally M Awards|Dally M Player of the Year awards]] in 1988 and 1989.

Miller's influence was at the helm of the [[Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks|Cronulla-Sutherland]] becoming Premiership contenders after having spent some years at the lower end of the ladder. During Miller's heyday, Australian selectors were often criticised{{cn|date=June 2025}} for ignoring him, notwithstanding that Miller did not show the best of his skills in a badly beaten New South Wales side during the [[1989 State of Origin series]].


==Early life==
Gavin Miller was born in [[Inverell, New South Wales]].

==Career==
Before his late-1980s fame, Miller had already a long career in rugby league. He began playing for Goulburn as a {{rlp|ce}} and was recommended to [[Western Suburbs Magpies|Western Suburbs]] in 1977. That year, he obtained a regular place in the team at the age of seventeen but was signed by [[Sydney Roosters|Eastern Suburbs]] the following year. Miller did poorly for Easts in the following two years but Cronulla thought he had potential and signed him for 1980.{{cn|date=June 2025}}

Still playing as a {{rlp|ce}}, 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 rugby league team|New South Wales]]. Miller did not fulfil expectations there and during the season was involved in a dispute with the Sharks' committee – he had said he would leave the financially crippled club if it did not win the KB Cup.<ref>Derriman, Phillip; 'Players Face Big Pay Cuts as League Feels the Pinch'; ''[[Sydney Morning Herald]]'', 7 July 1983, p. 9</ref> The Sharks failed to do this, and Miller was sacked at the beginning of October.<ref>Lester, Gary; 'Like It or Lump It'; ''[[The Sydney Morning Herald|The Sun-Herald]]''; 2 October 1983, p. 92</ref> That November Miller was signed by his former club Eastern Suburbs<ref>Sport Digest; ''Sydney Morning Herald'', 24 November 1983, p. 26</ref> but played so poorly that he was relegated so low as third grade,<ref>Dasey, Jason; 'Rebel Shark Finds New Life in "Old Dart"’; ''Sydney Morning Herald'', 15 September 1985, p. 105</ref> while the Roosters won only five first-grade games out of 24.

===Hull Kingston Rovers career===
After leaving Easts, Miller signed to English club [[Hull Kingston Rovers]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hullkr.co.uk/miller-completes-greatest-ever-13/|title=Miller completes greatest ever 13|website=www.hullkr.co.uk|access-date=25 Oct 2020}}</ref> During his three year stint with Hull KR, Miller received many awards.

Miller played {{rlp|lf}} in [[Hull Kingston Rovers]]’ 12–0 victory over [[Hull F.C.]] in the [[1984–85 League Cup (rugby league)|1984–85 John Player Special Trophy]] final during [[1984–85 Rugby Football League season|the 1984–85 season]] at [[Boothferry Park]], [[Kingston upon Hull]] on 26 January 1985.

Miller won the First Division Championship at [[Hull Kingston Rovers]] during the [[1984–85 Rugby Football League season|1984–85 season]].

Miller played {{rlp|lf}}, scored two tries, and was [[man of the match]] winning the [[White Rose Trophy]] in [[Hull Kingston Rovers]]’ 22–18 victory over [[Castleford Tigers|Castleford]] in the [[1985 Yorkshire Cup]] final during [[1985–86 Rugby Football League season|the 1985–86 season]] at [[Headingley Rugby Stadium|Headingley]], [[Leeds]] on 27 October 1985.

Miller played {{rlp|lf}} in the 8–11 loss to [[Wigan Warriors|Wigan]] in the [[1985–86 League Cup (rugby league)|1985–86 John Player Special Trophy]] final during the [[1985–86 Rugby Football League season|1985–86 season]] at [[Elland Road]], [[Leeds]] on 11 January 1986.<ref name="1985-1986 John Player Special Trophy Final">{{cite web|url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=675|title=1985–1986 John Player Special Trophy Final|website=Wigan.rlfans.com|date=31 December 2011|access-date=1 January 2012|archive-date=12 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181012054114/http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=675|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Miller played {{rlp|lf}} in [[Hull Kingston Rovers]]’ 14–15 loss to [[Castleford Tigers|Castleford]] in the [[1986 Challenge Cup]] final during the [[1985–86 Rugby Football League season|1985–86 season]] at [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]], [[London]], on 3 May 1986, in front of a crowd of 82,134.

Miller won the [[Man of Steel award]] for the [[1985–86 Rugby Football League season]].

[[List of Hull Kingston Rovers players]] Heritage No 834.

===Return to Australia===

Miller returned to Cronulla in 1986 a more mature player, and after a slow start to his second stint with the club, by 1988 Miller had become one of the most dominant players in the ARL. He had the ability to consistently offload and send players into gaps (despite being small for a forward at around {{convert|87|kg|stlb|disp=or}}<ref>Clarkson, Alan; 'League’s Man Mountains: Bigger, Faster and Meaner than ever Before'; ''The Sun-Herald''; 19 April 1992, pp. 58-59</ref>), and was at the helm of Cronulla winning fifteen of their last seventeen home-and-away matches, and claiming the club’s first minor premiership. Despite not playing for New South Wales against either Queensland or Great Britain, Miller's club form was enough that selectors did not ignore him for the Test against [[Papua New Guinea national rugby league team|Papua New Guinea]]. In a world international rugby league record 70–8 win, Miller "launched countless raid on the Kumuls' line"<ref>Middleton, David; ''Rugby League 1988/1989''; p. 77. {{ISBN|0-949853-19-4}}</ref> and scored a [[Try (rugby)|try]].<ref>{{cite news|title=O'Connor helps set Test records|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=r3BVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fpYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3512,275171|access-date=18 October 2013|newspaper=[[The Age]]|date=21 July 1988}}</ref> He also played in the World Cup final against New Zealand, remarkably scoring a try once again,<ref>Middleton, ''Rugby League 1988/1989''; p. 170.</ref> and in between was named as Man of the Match versus a "Rest of the World" team.

1989 was Miller's greatest year, and he monopolised the player-of-the-year awards like no other player except perhaps [[Peter Sterling (rugby league commentator)|Peter Sterling]] and latterly [[Andrew Johns]]. His brilliant ball-playing skills were by now backed up with a superb kicking game, a high work-rate in defence and the ability to take the knocks that came from being a focal playmaker. He won not only the Dally M Player of the Year, but also the [[Rugby League Week]] Player of the Year and the Rothmans Medal. His form against [[Brisbane Broncos|Brisbane]] in the play-off for fifth was described as "mesmerising" and saw the Sharks win 38–14.<ref>Middleton, David; ''Rugby League 1989/1990''; p. 96. {{ISBN|0-949853-32-1}}</ref>

1990, with injuries contributing, saw Miller decline somewhat, though in two games against [[Balmain Tigers|Balmain]] and [[South Sydney Rabbitohs|South Sydney]] he showed he could still be as skilful as ever. At thirty, though, he was out of contention for the Kangaroo tour, and the following year, with the responsibility of captaincy, saw Miller decline further. In 1992, with the changing of the guard at Cronulla, he was surprisingly relegated to reserve grade, but still showed his old skill in patches when brought on for the first team, notably against [[North Sydney Bears|North Sydney]]. It was inevitable, though, that Miller would soon retire, and he returned to Goulburn as captain-coach at the end of the year.

After his retirement from first grade rugby league, Miller was named as one of the five "immortals" of the Cronulla club.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nrl.rleague.com/news/index.php?id=13065|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050106013225/http://nrl.rleague.com/news/index.php?id=13065|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 January 2005|title=National Rugby League|date=6 January 2005|access-date=19 April 2019}}</ref>

===Honours===

Rugby League World Cup Winner 1988

Rugby League Championship Winner 1984/85

Challenge Cup R/Up 1985/86

John Player Trophy Winner 1984/85 (R/Up 1985/86)

Rugby League Premiership Trophy R/Up - 1984/85

Yorkshire Cup Winner - 1984/85

Rugby League 'Man of Steel' - 1986

Hull KR Player of The Year - 1986

White Rose Trophy - 1985

'Dally M Medal' Winner - 1988, 1989

Rothmans Medal Winner - 1989

===Unique Achievement===

Miller remains unique in having won the Man of the Match award in the [[1985–1988 Rugby League World Cup]] Final against New Zealand in 1988, the [[Man of Steel award]], the [[Dally M Awards]] Player of the Year, the [[Rugby League Week]] Player of the Year and the [[Rothmans Medal]].

===Matches and point scoring summary===
{| class="wikitable"
! Team !! Years !! Matches !! Tries !! Goals !! Field Goals !! Points
|-
| Wests|| 1977|| 17|| 2|| 1|| 0|| 8
|-
| Easts|| 1978-1979, 1984|| 19|| 0|| 0|| 0|| 0
|-
| Cronulla|| 1980-1983, 1986-1992|| 178|| 12|| 0|| 1|| 43
|-
| New South Wales|| 1983, 1989|| 5|| 0|| 0|| 0|| 0
|-
| Australia|| 1988|| 3|| 2|| 0|| 0|| 8
|-
| Hull KR|| 1984-1989|| 102|| 27|| 0|| 0|| 108
|-
| Total<ref>Whitticker, Alan and Hudson, Glen; ''The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players'', p. 336. {{ISBN|1-875169-76-8}}</ref>|| 1977-1992|| 324|| 43|| 1|| 1|| 159
|-
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050911042907/http://sharks.leagueunlimited.com/miller.php Gavin Miller at sharks.leagueunlimited.com]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071004214507/http://www.eraofthebiff.com/p109a.html Gavin Miller at eraofthebiff.com]

{{Australia squad - 1985-88 World Cup champions}}
{{Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Team of the Half Century}}
{{Man of Steel Award}}
{{Dally M Medallists}}
{{Rothmans Medallists}}
{{White Rose Trophy winners}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, Gavin}}
[[Category:1960 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Australia national rugby league team players]]
[[Category:Australian expatriate rugby league players in England]]
[[Category:Australian rugby league players]]
[[Category:Country New South Wales Origin rugby league team players]]
[[Category:Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks players]]
[[Category:Hull Kingston Rovers players]]
[[Category:New South Wales Rugby League State of Origin captains]]
[[Category:New South Wales Rugby League State of Origin players]]
[[Category:Rugby articles needing expert attention]]
[[Category:Rugby league locks]]
[[Category:Rugby league players from Inverell, New South Wales]]
[[Category:Sydney Roosters players]]
[[Category:Western Suburbs Magpies players]]
[[Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen]]