Leonard "Les" "Jock" Livingston - South Sydney Player Report

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FG Player - 292

Livingston was an allround sportsman at school, representing New South Wales at schoolboy cricket and a member of Don Bradman's junior coaching class. He also played B grade tennis and played Rugby Union at Technical High. He earned the nickname "Jock" from being built like a horse racing jockey, weighing 5st 8lb when he left school.

In 1940 he joined a number of players who crossed codes between cricket and rugby league and was graded by South Sydney. He made his senior grade club and premiership debut in the 1940 Round 12 clash against Newtown at the Sports Ground. The following week he stepped up to reserve grade in the 1940 Round 13 Reserve Grade clash against Canterbury-Bankstown at the Sports Ground. A month later he joined the first grade squad on tour to make his first grade club debut against Waratah-Mayfield in Hamilton. He finally made his first grade premiership debut in the 1941 Round 5 game against North Sydney at Erskineville Oval.

Livingstone was a lightweight left footed, goal-kicking fullback who could run 100 yards in 10.4 seconds. In 1941 he was regarded as the best fullback since Howard Hallett. 1942 Livingston chose to not play rugby league after being hospitalised from a broken nose he received two years prior, that were causing him sever dizziness and headaches.

Over the summer he continued to continue his love for cricket. He was a opening bat and wicket-keeper for New South Wales between 1941 and 1943. In the 1941-42 season he scored over 1000 runs. Between 1941 and 1943 he joined many fellow South Sydney rugby league players in a dedicated RL players cricket team made up of South Sydney current and former players.

Livingston played 4 seasons with South Sydney between 1940 and 1943. He played 21 first grade club games which included 18 first grade premiership games and 1 first grade cup game. Overall he played 34 senior grade games for South Sydney, which included 31 senior grade premiership games.

Livingston played his final first grade premiership game for South Sydney in the 1943 Round 14 clash against Newtown at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The following week he played his final first grade cup game for South Sydney in the 1943 State Championship Round 1 clash against Cessnock at the Sports Ground.

Represetative Qualification
NSW City

Date of Birth
Canterbury - 3rd May 1920 (Died - 1998)

Previous Clubs
Illawarra (Cricket)                  (1933-37)
Randwick (Cricket)                   (1938-39)
Glebe (Cricket)                      (1939-42)
South Sydney RL (Cricket)            (1941-43)
Military Service                     (1940-44) Army Driver Fortress Workshops (Stationed in Newcastle)

Previous Rep Honours
New South Wales Schoolboys (Cricket) (1934-36)
New South Wales (Cricket)            (1941-43)

Playing Career at South Sydney (1940-43)

South Sydney First Grade Debut
1940 Aug 31 Tour2 Hami v Waratah-Mayfield (20y 121d)
1941 May 24 Rd06  Ersk v North Sydney     (Premiership - 21y 21d)

First Grade
                           Premiership :                        City Cup :              State Championship :                            Tour
         M   S   R   T   G/A   FG  Pts :   M   S   R   T   G/A   FG  Pts :   M   S   R   T   G/A   FG  Pts :   M   S   R   T   G/A   FG  Pts
1940     -   -   -   -   -      -    - :                                 :                                 :   1   1   -   1   4      -   11
1941     7   7   -   -   9      1   20 :                                 :   -   -   -   -   -      -    - :   1   1   -   -   5      -   10
1942     1   1   -   -   -      -    - :   -   -   -   -   -      -    - :                                 :   -   -   -   -   -      -    -
1943    10  10   -   -   3      -    6 :                                 :   1   1   -   -   -      -    - :   -   -   -   -   -      -    -
 
TOTAL   18  18   -   -  12      1   26 :   -   -   -   -   -      -    - :   1   1   -   -   -      -    - :   2   2   -   1   9      -   21

SS Cup   1   1   -   -   -      -    -
SS FG   21  21   -   1  21      1   47 

South Sydney Senior Grade Debut
1940 Jul 20 Rd12  SSG  v Newtown              (Third Grade)
1940 Jul 27 Rd13  SSG  v Canterbury-Bankstown (Reserve Grade)

Lower Grades
                         Reserve Grade :                     Third Grade
Year     M   S   R   T   G/A   FG  Pts :   M   S   R   T   G/A   FG  Pts
1940     2   2   -   1   3      -    9 :   3   3   -   1   2      -    7
1941     2   2   -   -   -      -    - :   2   2   -   -   -      -    -
1942     -   -   -   -   -      -    - :   2   2   -   -   1      -    2
1943     2   2   -   -   3      -    6 :   -   -   -   -   -      -    -

TOTAL    6   6   -   1   6      -   15 :   7   7   -   1   3      -    9

South Sydney Senior(FG/RG/3G) Grade Career
                           Premiership :                             Cup :                     All Matches
         M   S   R   T   G/A   FG  Pts :   M   S   R   T   G/A   FG  Pts :   M   S   R   T   G/A   FG  Pts
CAREER  31  31   -   2  21      1   50 :   1   1   -   -   -      -    - :  34  34   -   3  30      1   71


Short Form
                    Short-Game Matches
         M   S   R   T   G/A   FG  Pts
1940     -   -   -   -   -      -    -
1943     -   -   -   -   -      -    -

TOTAL    -   -   -   -   -      -    -

SS SF    -   -   -   -   -      -    -

Captaincy Record at South Sydney

never

Suspension Record at South Sydney

Year       Grade v           Wk CHARGE
never

Representative Honours at South Sydney

Year Pos  Team                 Versus               Match         T  G/A  FG
none

After Leaving South Sydney

Livington was a very accomplished cricketer. He was a aggressive left handed wicketkeeper-batter who also bowled slow left arm orthodox. He narrowly missed going on the 1948 Australian cricket tour of England after representing New South Wales between 1941 and 1947, he then moved to England to continue his career as a professional cricketer, playing county cricket. During his cicket career he played 236 first class matches, scoring 15,260 runs at a average of 45.01, scoring 34 100s and 79 50s, with a highest score of 210. As a wicketkeeper he took 171 first class dismissals of which 23 were stumpings. As a bowler he took 4 wickets at a average of 12.5 with a best bowling of 2/22. He captained a Commonwealth international team in 1949-50 on a tour of India playing 5 tests.

Subsequent Clubs                           First Grade
                                       M  T   G FG  Pt
Glebe (Cricket)           (1944-45)
Randwick (Cricket)        (1945-48)
Royton (Cricket-England)  (1949)      
Northampton (Cricket)     (1950-57)
Randwick (Cricket)        (1952-53)

Subsequent Rep Honours                 M  T   G FG  Pt
Newcastle Army            (1944)                          (c)
New South Wales Services (Cricket) (1944-45)
New South Wales (Cricket) (1941-47)                       Played 5 matches with a average of 32 and a highest score of 100 not out
Commonwealth (Cricket)    (1949-50)                       (c) (Tour of India)

When Livingston retired from playing cricket, he became a director of Gray-Nicholls cricket batting company. In 2022, he is recognised as the best Jewish batsman Australia has produced.

Ref - Wiki / RLP / ESPN / ANC / NAA-177887 / FN-46


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