View source for John Peard

{{short description|Australian RL coach and former Australia international rugby league footballer}}
{{for|the British soldier|John Whitehead Peard}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2013}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2013}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
|name               = John Peard
|fullname           = John Henry Peard
|image              =
|caption            =
|retired            = yes
|position           = [[Rugby league positions#Stand-off|Five-eighth]]
|currentclub        =
|birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|1945|01|15|df=yes}}
|birth_place        = [[Atherton, Queensland]], Australia
|height             = {{convert|5|ft|8|in|cm|0|abbr=on}}<ref name="Rugby League Week">{{cite magazine |title=World Series |magazine=[[Rugby League Week]] |date=1975–1976 |page=85}}</ref>
|weight             = {{convert|12|st|0|lb|kg|abbr=on}}<ref name="Rugby League Week" />
|club1              = [[Sydney Roosters|Eastern Suburbs]]
|year1start         = 1966
|year1end           = 71
|appearances1       = 62
|tries1             = 11
|goals1             = 0
|fieldgoals1        = 10
|points1            = 53
|club2              = [[St. George Dragons|St. George]]
|year2start         = 1972
|year2end           = 73
|appearances2       = 17
|tries2             = 3
|goals2             = 0
|fieldgoals2        = 1
|points2            = 10
|club3              = [[Sydney Roosters|Eastern Suburbs]]
|year3start         = 1974
|year3end           = 75
|appearances3       = 45
|tries3             = 5
|goals3             = 28
|fieldgoals3        = 0
|points3            = 71
|club4              = [[Parramatta Eels]]
|year4start         = 1976
|year4end           = 79
|appearances4       = 59
|tries4             = 16
|goals4             = 62
|fieldgoals4        = 0
|points4            = 172
|teamA              = [[New South Wales state rugby league team|New South Wales]]
|yearAstart         = 1976
|yearAend           = 77
|appearancesA       = 4
|triesA             = 0
|goalsA             = 1
|fieldgoalsA        = 0
|pointsA            = 2
|teamB              = [[Australian Kangaroos|Australia]]
|yearBstart         = 1975
|yearBend           = 77
|appearancesB       = 11
|triesB             = 4
|goalsB             = 0
|fieldgoalsB        = 0
|pointsB            = 12
|teamC              = [[City New South Wales rugby league team|NSW City]]
|yearCstart         = 1976
|yearCend           = 77
|appearancesC       = 2
|triesC             = 1
|goalsC             = 0
|fieldgoalsC        = 0
|pointsC            = 3
|coachteam1         = [[Parramatta Eels]]
|coachyear1start    = 1980
|coachyear1end      =
|coachgames1        = 22
|coachwins1         = 11
|coachdraws1        = 2
|coachlosses1       = 9
|coachteam2         = [[Penrith Panthers]]
|coachyear2start    = 1982
|coachyear2end      = 83
|coachgames2        = 52
|coachwins2         = 16
|coachdraws2        = 1
|coachlosses2       = 35
|coachteam3         = [[City vs Country Origin|NSW Country]]
|coachyear3start    = 1988
|coachyear3end      =
|coachgames3        = 1
|coachwins3         = 1
|coachdraws3        = 0
|coachlosses3       = 0
|coachteam4         = [[New South Wales rugby league team|New South Wales]]
|coachyear4start    = 1988
|coachyear4end      =
|coachgames4        = 3
|coachwins4         = 0
|coachdraws4        = 0
|coachlosses4       = 3
|updated            =
|source             = <ref>[http://rugbyleagueproject.com/players/John_Peard.html RLP]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100131082804/http://www.yesterdayshero.com.au/PlayerProfile_John-Peard_6522.aspx Yesterday's Hero]</ref><ref>[http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/coaches/john-peard/summary.html Rugby League Project]</ref>
|new                =
}}

'''John "Bomber" Peard''' (born 15 January 1945) is an Australian former [[rugby league]] footballer and later coach. An [[Australian Kangaroos|Australian international]] and [[New South Wales rugby league team|New South Wales]] representative {{rlp|FE}}, he played for the [[Sydney Roosters|Eastern Suburbs]], [[St George Dragons|St George]] and [[Parramatta Eels|Parramatta]] [[New South Wales Rugby League|NSWRFL]] clubs in the 1960s and 1970s. Peard's nickname, 'Bomber', came from his revolutionary towering punt kick, popularly referred to as a [[Bomb (kick)|bomb]], which terrorised opposition players, especially the {{rlp|FB}}s and {{rlp|WG}}ers they were aimed at. It has now become a common feature of the modern game.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wmoRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=r-cDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2820,5865440|title=The Sydney Morning Herald - Google News Archive Search}}</ref>

==Playing career==
Peard played in Eastern Suburbs lower grades before making his 1st grade debut in [[1966 NSWRFL season|1966]]. That year the [[Sydney Roosters|Easts]] failed to win a game. But the club enjoyed more success over the next few years under the coaching of [[Jack Gibson (rugby league)|Jack Gibson]]. They reached the Semi-finals in [[1967 NSWRFL season|1967]] and [[1968 NSWRFL season|1968]].

After failing to reach the finals for the next three seasons, Peard joined [[Graeme Langlands]] at [[St. George Dragons|St. George]] in [[1972 NSWRFL season|1972]] and stayed for two seasons.

In [[1974 NSWRFL season|1974]] Peard, along with coach Jack Gibson, rejoined the Eastern Suburbs club for one of the most successful periods in the club's history. He was a key figure for Easts, winning back to back premierships in 1974 and [[1975 NSWRFL season|1975]], and they were also a winner of mid-week and pre-season cups. In Easts 38–0, 1975 premiership victory over St George, Peard kicked 7 goals. At the end of the 1975 season Peard was selected to represent Australia in that year's [[1975 Rugby League World Cup|Rugby League World Cup]], scoring a try in Australia's 25-0 thumping of [[England national rugby league team|England]] at [[Headingley Stadium|Headingley]] in [[Leeds]].

Peard joined the [[Parramatta Eels]] in [[1976 NSWRFL season|1976]] and was named 'player of the year' that season, helping the club to its first ever Grand Final appearance where they faced one of the power teams of the 1970s, Manly-Warringah. His "bomb" came into play early in the Grand Final as Manly winger [[Tom Mooney (rugby league)|Tom Mooney]] dropped a bomb over his tryline leading to a try by Eels winger [[Jim Porter]]. Unfortunately for Peard and Parramatta, the club's first premiership eluded them as Manly ran out 13-10 winners.

Parramatta made their second Grand Final in succession in [[1977 NSWRFL season|1977]], this time facing Peard's former team St. George. It was to be the first drawn Grand Final in premiership history with the scores locked at 9–9 at full time. The replay was a disaster for the Parramatta club as St. George ran riot, winning 22–0.

By [[1978 NSWRFL season|1978]], injuries had begun to take their toll and Peard retired at the end of the 1979 season.

==Post-playing career==
Peard moved on to coach Parramatta, [[Penrith Panthers]], and became the coach of New South Wales for the [[1988 State of Origin series]], in which NSW lost the series 3-0 despite having home ground advantage for the first time since the Origin concept became a series in [[1982 State of Origin series|1982]]. His tenure lasted just one series as he was sacked following the Blues' whitewash series defeat,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://the81stminute.com/2018/06/the-year-state-of-origin-chewed-up-the-legendary-jack-gibson-and-spat-him-out/|title=The year State of Origin chewed up the legendary Jack Gibson and spat him out|publisher=The 81st minute|first=Curtis|last=Woodward|date=6 June 2018|access-date=6 July 2018}}</ref> leaving him the least successful coach in State of Origin history.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/teams/new-south-wales-origin/coaches.html|title=New South Wales Origin &ndash; Coaches|publisher=Rugby League Project|access-date=6 July 2018}}</ref>

Peard was later the assistant coach, then officially the first grade 'co-coach' alongside [[Mark Murray (rugby league)|Mark Murray]] at the [[Sydney Roosters]] during 1993–94.

Peard also worked for the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] as a rugby league commentator, most notably alongside [[Warren Boland]] and [[Arthur Beetson]]. This usually involved being the sideline caller of Saturday afternoon NSWRL games, for which the ABC had the live TV coverage rights for decades until the advent of the [[Super League War]] in 1995. Peard was famous for his humorous rapport with Boland, and in particular former teammate Beetson.

Peard is a life member of the Eastern Suburbs club. The John Peard Cup, which commenced in 2004, was named in his honour.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sydney Roosters and St. George honour former great|url=http://www.rleague.com/db/article.php?id=20833|publisher=Rleague.com|date=1 July 2004|access-date=1 April 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930204456/http://www.rleague.com/db/article.php?id=20833|archive-date=30 September 2007|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Peard suffered a life-threatening stroke in 2002 and he documents his rehabilitation in his autobiography ''Fine Thanks Mate: John 'The Bomber' Peard on Football, Life and Second Chances'', released in April, 2007.<ref>{{cite web|title=Book Description|url=http://shop.abc.net.au/browse/product.asp?productid=163821|publisher=[[ABC Commercial|ABC Shop]]|access-date=1 April 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070621134715/http://shop.abc.net.au/browse/product.asp?productid=163821|archive-date=21 June 2007|df=dmy-all}}</ref> As part of the book promotion he appeared on ''[[The NRL Footy Show|The NRL Sunday Footy Show]]'' on 1 April 2007.

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
* {{Cite book|author1=Peard, John|author2=Writer, Larry|title=Fine Thanks Mate: John 'The Bomber' Peard on Football, Life and Second Chances|year=2007|publisher=ABC Books|location=Sydney, New South Wales|isbn=978-0-7333-2103-0|page=269}}

{{S-start}}
{{S-sport}}
{{Succession box
| before = [[Ron Willey]]<br>1986-1987
| after  = [[Jack Gibson (rugby league)|Jack Gibson]]<br>1989-1990
| title  = [[New South Wales rugby league team#Coaches|Coach]]<br>{{leagueicon|new south wales|size=18}}<br>[[New South Wales]]
| years  = 1988
}}
{{Succession box
| before = [[Len Stacker]]<br>1979-1981
| after  = [[Tim Sheens]]<br>1984-1987
| title  = Coach<br>{{leagueicon|penrith|size=18}}<br>[[Penrith Panthers|Penrith]]
| years  = 1982-1983
}}
{{Succession box
| before = [[Terry Fearnley]]<br>1976−1979
| after  = [[Jack Gibson (rugby league)|Jack Gibson]]<br>1981-1983
| title  = [[List of Parramatta Eels coaches|Coach]]<br>{{leagueicon|parramatta|size=18}}<br>[[Parramatta Eels|Parramatta]]
| years  = 1980
}}
{{S-end}}

{{Eastern Suburbs Roosters squad 1974 NSWRFL premiership}}
{{Eastern Suburbs Roosters squad 1975 NSWRFL premiership}}
{{Australia squad 1975 Rugby League World Cup}}
{{Australia 1977 Rugby League World Cup final squad}}
{{New South Wales State of Origin coaches}}
{{Penrith Panthers Coaches}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peard, John}}
[[Category:1945 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Australia national rugby league team players]]
[[Category:Australian rugby league coaches]]
[[Category:Australian rugby league commentators]]
[[Category:Australian rugby league players]]
[[Category:New South Wales Rugby League State of Origin coaches]]
[[Category:Parramatta Eels coaches]]
[[Category:Parramatta Eels players]]
[[Category:Penrith Panthers coaches]]
[[Category:People from Far North Queensland]]
[[Category:Rugby league five-eighths]]
[[Category:Rugby league players from Queensland]]
[[Category:St. George Dragons players]]
[[Category:Sydney Roosters players]]
[[Category:New South Wales rugby league team players]]
[[Category:City New South Wales rugby league team players]]