Dally Messenger

Dally Messenger

Messenger in 1907
Personal information
Full name	Herbert Henry Messenger[1]
Born	(1883-04-12)12 April 1883[1] Balmain, New South Wales, Australia[1]
Died	24 November 1959(1959-11-24) (aged 76)[1] Gunnedah, New South Wales, Australia
Playing information
Height	5 ft 7.5 in (171.5 cm)
Weight	12 st (76 kg)
Rugby union
Position	Wing,[1] First five-eighth, Centre
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1905–07 Eastern Suburbs 24 4 37 1 105 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1906–07 Sydney 3 0 4 0 11 1906–07 New South Wales 13 5 14 0 46 1907 Australia 2 1 2 0 7
Rugby league
Position	Centre
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1908–13 Eastern Suburbs 48 21 159 0 381 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1907–12 New South Wales 26 21 120 0 308 1908 New Zealand 2[2] 1 0 0 3 1908–10 Australia 9 5 23 0 59 1908 Queensland 1 1 3 0 9 1908–12 City NSW 6 5 29 0 73
Source: [3][4]

Herbert Henry Messenger, nicknamed "Dally" and sometimes "The Master"^[5] (12 April 1883 – 24 November 1959) was one of Australasia's first professional rugby footballers, recognised as one of the greatest-ever players in either code.^[6] He played for New South Wales in the first match run by the newly created New South Wales Rugby Football League, which had just split away from the established New South Wales Rugby Football Union.

Messenger had a stocky build, and while standing only about 172 centimetres (5 ft 8 in) in height, he was a powerful runner of the ball and a solid defender. According to his peers, the centre's greatest attributes were his unpredictability and astonishing physical co-ordination, coupled with a freakish ability to kick goals from almost any part of the ground. He was a teetotaller and non-smoker during his career and other than breakfast, Messenger would rarely eat before a match.