Bill Whitehead
FameRank: 3

"William Albert (Bill) Whitehead", better known as rugbyleaguebill in Rugby League circles, is a New Zealand sports administrator who has been involved in rugby league for more than 50 years, and also worked in horse racing and bowls. He received the Queen's Service Medal in 1987. He also played one game for Marist, and played with University for one season.

He is arguably the most decorated man in Rugby League, being the holder of nine Life Memberships, both the senior and schoolboys Boards of Canterbury and West Coast, his club Marist and NZ Marist Rugby League Assn of which he was President for a record eight years, and Patron when it was disbanded by President/Secretary Ross Lipscombe in 2000.

More Bill Whitehead on Wikipedia.

Northridge typically was quicker to loose stuff and was more alive than us. They played well and that was not our best game. They were the aggressor tonight.

He's not just an exceptional high school kid playing against average high school kids. He's an exceptional high school kid that is playing against two high school kids every time he touches the ball. And that's been every night.

He really had good skills. I thought about how to bring him along slowly, yet capitalize on those skills. But by Christmas, his play made it clear that he just needed to be thrown in there. He was going to be fine.

With how good our league is, we still might be able to get a bye in the first round of the state tournament, and at least a home game.

One of the things that is really unique about Neal is that, although he stretched out so fast and even though he didn't have some of the strength he has now, he maintained his skill level. That's really rare. Typically, when kids grow that fast, the phone rings and they fall, and that didn't happen with Neal.

The strength of their team is absolutely to dribble penetrate. When a team allows them to dribble penetrate, that team is in trouble. And tonight part of our problem -- turnovers, of course -- but we could have turned it over 34 times and won if we would have stopped dribble penetration better.

It's kind of grandfatherly talk, but Neal is a very good boy. He doesn't want a lot of attention. Yet, here it is.

Just on paper, without seeing him play you would know he's a good player. When you watch him play, it's clear that he's a good player. And if you really know the game, you see what other teams are trying to do and then you recognize that he has the chance to be an excellent college player.

I never had to break up a fight or worry about someone getting upset with somebody else because somebody stole somebody's girlfriend -- stuff that sometimes happens never happened. These are young gentlemen that I enjoyed coaching very, very much. They're terrific.