Jason Lidden Explained

Jason Lidden
Birth Date:24 April 1969
Birth Place:Sydney, New South Wales
Club1:Western Suburbs
Year1start:1988
Year1end:93
Appearances1:108
Tries1:9
Goals1:1
Fieldgoals1:0
Points1:38
Club2:Penrith Panthers
Year2start:1994
Year2end:95
Appearances2:25
Tries2:2
Goals2:0
Fieldgoals2:0
Points2:8
Club3:Canterbury Bulldogs
Year3start:1996
Appearances3:13
Tries3:1
Goals3:0
Fieldgoals3:0
Points3:4
Club4:Castleford Tigers
Year4start:1997
Appearances4:24
Tries4:7
Goals4:0
Fieldgoals4:0
Points4:28
Retired:yes
Source:[1]
Updated:23 October 2019

Jason Lidden (born 24 April 1969) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played for the Western Suburbs Magpies, Penrith Panthers, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and the Castleford Tigers (Heritage No. 740).

Club career

A Junee Diesels junior,[2] Lidden made his début with Wests in round 6 of 1988, playing five-eighth. He maintained his position in the side for the remainder of the season, switching between five-eighth and centre, and filled a similar role for three years.

With the arrival of new coach Warren Ryan and players Paul Langmack, Andrew Farrar and David Gillespie in 1991, Lidden was moved to the forwards, but played five-eighth in that year's semi-finals, the club's first appearance for many years. Lidden was noted as, "one of the big improvers in '91. The Junee Diesel played in every game for the Magpies and was one of the Winfield Cup's most under-rated performers."[3] The club made the semis again in 1992 and Lidden stayed with the club for one further season.[4]

Lidden joined Penrith in 1994, either starting in the back row or on the bench. He only played 7 games in 1995, before joining Canterbury for one season, where he played mainly from the bench. For a period, he was dropped from first grade and captained the reserve grade side.[5]

In 1997, Lidden spent a season overseas with the Castleford Tigers on a one-year contract,[6] playing 24 games and scoring 7 tries.[7] In 1999, he returned to coach the Junee Diesels for a season.[8]

Lidden was later named as a centre in the Magpies' Team of the Eighties.[9]

External sources

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Jason Lidden – Career Stats & Summary – Rugby League Project. Rugby League Project. 2019-10-23.
  2. Web site: Big Night for Bidgee at Community Awards. 8 February 2012. SportingPulse.
  3. Book: David Middleton. Rugby League 1991-92. 1992. Playright Publishing Pty Ltd. Caringbah, New South Wales. 978-0-949853-49-3. 136.
  4. Web site: Western Suburbs Magpies First Grade Players. Wests Magpies.
  5. Web site: Jason Lidden. 8 February 2012. Bulldogs.com.au.
  6. News: The Independent. London. Rugby League. 8 February 2012. 7 January 2012.
  7. Web site: Castleford RLFC A to Z Player List (All Time) . 8 February 2012 . Castleford Tigers . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120216084010/http://www.thecastlefordtigers.co.uk/alltime.php . 16 February 2012 .
  8. Web site: Junee Diesels Senior Rugby League. 8 February 2012. SportingPulse.
  9. Web site: VEST, KEATO, COGGER ALL HONOURED. 8 February 2012. weststigers.com.au.