Jim Leis (born 10 October 1959) is an Australian former professional

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...

footballer who played in the 1980s.

Playing career

A New South Wales representative forward, he played in the

New South Wales Rugby League The New South Wales Rugby League Ltd (NSWRL) is an Australian rugby league football competition operator in rugby league in New South Wales, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory and is a member of the Australian Rugby League Co ...

(NSWRL) competition for Western Suburbs for three seasons between 1980 and 1982,

Canterbury-Bankstown Canterbury-Bankstown is a customary region of Sydney, Australia, in Inner South-Western Sydney. The region is located to the north of the St George region (from which it is separated by Wolli Creek) and to the south of the Inner West region ...

for three seasons between 1983–1985 and the

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the Sutherland Shire of Southern Sydney, Southern Sydney, New South Wales. Cronulla compete in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australasia's premier rugb ...

for two seasons between 1986 and 1987. In his debut first-grade season, Leis was selected to represent

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

in the 2nd state of residence game, and kept his place at for the inaugural State of Origin game in 1980. In the same year he was selected to tour

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

with the Australian national team, playing in 2 games on the 7 game tour, although he did not play in a test, and earned two

Dally M The Dally M Awards are the official annual player awards for the National Rugby League competition. As well as honouring the player of the year, who received the Dally M Medal, awards are also given to the premier player in each position, the be ...

awards in 1980 for lock-forward of the year and rookie of the year. He retired after the 1987 season after eight seasons in first grade. Leis was named at lock in the

Western Suburbs Magpies The Western Suburbs Magpies (legal name: Western Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club Ltd) is an Australian rugby league football club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 1908, Wests, as the club is commonly ...

Team of the Eighties. Starting his career in the country, Leis is a supporter promoting rugby league in country regions.

References

1959 births Living people Australia national rugby league team players Australian rugby league players New South Wales Rugby League State of Origin players Country New South Wales rugby league team players Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs players Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks players Rugby league players from New South Wales Rugby league locks Western Suburbs Magpies players 20th-century Australian sportsmen {{Australia-rugbyleague-bio-1950s-stub