John Cartwright

Gifted forward's ability to off-load seemingly impossible around-the-corner passes became his trademark. The son of Penrith founding-father Merv Cartwright, John Cartwright was a gangly teenager when he made his first grade debut in 1985. He honed his ball skills to gain State of Origin selection in 1989 but NSW lost the series 3-0 and Cartwright was ill-used in the front-row. The following year, he was one of four Penrith players selected in the Kangaroo squad but was unlucky to be dropped after Australia's First Test loss against Great Britain at Wembley. The same fate befell him the following year against NZ but while he became a regular selection in the national side as reserve (1991 versus NZ, 1992 Ashes series against Great Britain and victorious World Cup campaign), Cartwright's stature continued to grow at club level. Injury saw him on the bench for Penrith's 1991 grand final team but his inclusion on the field just before half-time was a turning point in the match. The following year, he took over the club captaincy from Greg Alexander and held the club together during a difficult year with his mature leadership both on and off the field. Named Penrith's 'Player of the Year' in 1992, Cartwright’s career was plagued by leg and shoulder injuries over the next three years. Named Penrith captain again for 1995-96, Cartwright was threatened with legal action by the ARL when he wavered from his 'loyalty' contract to listen to Super League offers. He left the club at the end of the following year to see out his career with Salford in England but the move was short-lived. Cartwright returned to the Panthers as a First Division coach, his charges losing to the Bulldogs in the lower grade grand final in 2000, before linking with the Roosters in 2002. Cartwright has since proven an able assistant to coach Ricky Stuart and took the Roosters to the Premier League premiership in 2004. After guiding the USA Tomahawks in the international match against the Kangaroos in Philadelphia in December 2004, Cartwright was named coach of the newly promoted G’Coast Titans for 2007.