Robert Fulton (1 December 1947 – 23 May 2021), also nicknamed "Bozo", was an Australian international rugby league footballer, coach and later commentator. Fulton played, coached, selected for and has commentated on the game with great success at the highest levels and has been named amongst Australia's greatest rugby league players of the 20th century. As a player Fulton won three premierships with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in the 1970s, the last as captain. He represented the Australian national side on thirty-five occasions, seven times as captain. He had a long coaching career at the first grade level, taking Manly to premiership victory in 1987 and 1996. He coached the Australian national team in thirty-nine Tests. He was a New South Wales State selector and a national selector. He was a radio commentator with 2GB at the time of his death in 2021, aged 73. In 1981, he was selected as one of the initial four post-war "Immortals" of the Australian game and, in 2008, he was named in Australia's team of the century.
Background
Fulton was born in Stockton Heath, a civil parish of Warrington, in the English county of Cheshire. He moved to Australia with his family when he was four years old.
Playing career
At 18 years of age, Fulton made his senior football debut in the Illawarra Rugby League with Western Suburbs in 1965 and went on to represent Country Seconds.
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Fulton was signed to Sydney's Manly-Warringah by club secretary Ken Arthurson after being spotted by John Hobbs (Manly talent scout) and started his NSWRFL first grade career in 1966 aged 19. As a or Fulton made an immediate impact. He earned State representative honours in 1967 and the following year became the youngest ever captain in Grand Final history when he led Manly in the 1968 decider against Souths.
Fulton made 219 appearances for the Manly club between 1966 and 1976. He scored 520 points (129 tries, 10 goals and 56 field goals) – the club's record try tally until Steve Menzies went one better in 2006. Fulton won premierships with Manly in 1972 (also the League's top try-scorer this season), 1973 and 1976. In the 1973 bloodbath against Cronulla he single-handedly took control of the game scoring two tries to take the side to victory.
At the end of the 1976 season Fulton caused a sensation in Sydney rugby league circles when he left Manly and signed a 3-year deal with the Eastern Suburbs club. He left Manly holding the club record for most tries.
Warrington Wolves
Following the 1969 NSWRFL season, Fulton accepted an offer to play a season with his 'home town' club Warrington in the 1969–70 English season. Fulton played 16 games for Warrington, scoring 16 tries and kicking 1 field goal before returning to Australia and Manly for the 100% won that year1970 season.
Eastern Suburbs Roosters
Fulton played 56 matches for the Eastern Suburbs club, mainly at . In his first season there Fulton was a member of the side that won the pre-season cup and was the club's leading try scorer. In 1978 he was a member of the Easts side that defeated St George in the mid-week cup final. In 1979, Fulton was appointed captain-coach at the Roosters. A chronic knee injury saw him retire after just eight games that year.
Representative career
Fulton made his international début for Australia in the 1968 Rugby League World Cup and played in the World Cup final at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Playing as a , Fulton won his first of three World Cups when Australia defeated France 20–2. In 1967, two NSW City v NSW Country fixtures were held to formline Kangaroo selections at seasons end. The main game in May outlined the majority of the NSW players penned for the squad, whilst the second game in September was played to give fringe NSW players a chance for final selection. Fulton had the distinction at only 19 years of age to Captain/Coach the September City side that lost to Country 16 -12. Whilst he was disappointed at missing out on the 1967 Kangaroo Squad as 2nd string to Tony Branson from the Nowra Warriors, he did play for the next eleven seasons as a consistent national representative.