E.T.'s Rugby League
Andrew Ettingshausen | |
|---|---|
| Born | Andrew Ettingshausen October 29, 1965 Sutherland, Sydney, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Rugby league player, broadcaster |
| Years active | 1983–2000 (rugby league) |
| Known for | Rugby league career with Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks; hosting Escape with ET |
Andrew "ET" Ettingshausen (born 29 October 1965) is a retired Australian professional rugby league player whose career spanned from the 1980s into the early 2000s. Throughout his entire first-grade tenure in Australia, he remained loyal to the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, concluding his playing days after the 2000 NRL season with 328 appearances—a record for the most games played at a single club in NSWRL/ARL/SL/NRL history until Darren Lockyer surpassed it in 2010.
Nicknamed "ET," he earned representative honors with both New South Wales and the Australian Kangaroos, taking part in two prestigious Kangaroo tours. Upon retiring from the field, Ettingshausen moved into broadcasting, where he hosted and produced the fishing program Escape with ET.
Recruited by Cronulla as a teenager, he made his first-grade debut at the age of 17 while still attending school, eventually securing a long-term position and playing eighteen seasons for the Sharks. In recognition of his impact, he was inducted into the NRL Hall of Fame in 2008.
Early life
Born in Sutherland, a suburb in southern Sydney, Ettingshausen began playing rugby league at six years old with his local club. His talent was noticed early, leading to his signing as a junior by the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.
During his time at Cronulla De La Salle, he represented the Australian Schoolboys team in both 1982 and 1983.
1983
Ettingshausen made his first-grade debut under coach Terry Fearnley in round 5 of the 1983 season against the Newtown Jets at FB, marking the occasion by scoring a try in the second half.
1985–91
By 1985, he had established himself firmly within the Sharks squad, scoring ten tries mainly while playing as fullback or centre.
In 1988, Ettingshausen featured in the Australian television film The First Kangaroos, which portrayed the historic 1908–09 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain. He appeared alongside New South Wales teammate and captain Wayne Pearce.
His representative career began in 1987 when he debuted on the wing for New South Wales during Game 1 of the State of Origin series held at Lang Park, Brisbane.
The following year, Ettingshausen transitioned from wing to centre—a position he would predominantly occupy thereafter. He also made his first of eight City Origin appearances in 1988, helping City secure a narrow 20-18 win over Country Origin. Despite Queensland’s clean sweep in that year's State of Origin series, his strong performances earned him selection for Australia’s national team.
During the successful 1990 season, he scored 13 tries across 20 games and played fullback in all three State of Origin matches as New South Wales clinched the series. Subsequently, he was chosen for the 17th Kangaroo Tour of Great Britain and France. Ettingshausen participated in all five test matches on tour and finished as top try scorer with 15 tries from 12 games—including hat-tricks against St. Helens and Wigan. His form secured him a starting spot for Australia's first test at Wembley Stadium, which ended in a 19-12 loss. Australia rebounded to claim The Ashes by winning at Old Trafford and Elland Road; Ettingshausen contributed his sole test series try during the decisive 14-0 victory.
1992–2000
The start of Ettingshausen’s 1992 NSWRL season was slow while playing fullback for Cronulla; however, he was selected as fullback for New South Wales throughout all three games of that year’s Origin series, aiding NSW to a 2-1 series triumph. He also maintained fullback duties during all three tests against Great Britain in The Ashes.
In the following year’s Origin series (1993), he took up wing positions for games one and two and shifted to centre for game three. Although omitted from Australian selection for the initial test on their New Zealand tour, he served as reserve for both subsequent tests.
Ettingshausen regained top form during the 1994 season by scoring an impressive 18 tries over as many games while captaining Cronulla. A standout moment was when he crossed for five tries in a single match against South Sydney at Endeavour Field, contributing to a dominant 42-0 win. By Round 5, he had reached his milestone of scoring 100 tries for Cronulla and ended that season with a total of 112 tries. His second Kangaroo tour followed that year; once again, he led try-scoring charts with 15 tries from 11 games—featuring appearances in all three tests against Great Britain and one against France—making him unique as top scorer on consecutive Kangaroo tours.
As captain, Ettingshausen led Cronulla to the 1997 Super League Grand Final where they were defeated by Brisbane Broncos 26-8 at ANZ Stadium in Brisbane—the first night Grand Final held outside Sydney. That same year, he toured with Australia's Super League team playing four tests at centre but did not score any tries—a rare instance aside from his goalless Ashes tour in 1992.
In one of Cronulla’s best seasons (1999), Ettingshausen played in 26 games as they captured the minor premiership but fell short in the preliminary final against St George at Stadium Australia.
His final season came in 2000, ending with a Round 23 victory over Auckland Warriors at Shark Park. Retiring after amassing 328 first-grade appearances—all exclusively with Cronulla—he set a then-record for most games played at one club and ranked sixth overall. Darren Lockyer surpassed this record in 2009. As of 2013, Ettingshausen remains sixth on the all-time NSWRL/ARL/SL/NRL games list behind Lockyer (355), Terry Lamb (349), Steve Menzies (349), Brad Fittler (336), and Cliff Lyons (332).
Controversy
In the course of the 1991 NSWRL season, Ettingshausen initiated a defamation case against the Australian publication HQ magazine and photographer Brett Cochrane. The dispute arose after Cochrane captured and published an unauthorized photograph of Ettingshausen showering during the 1990 Kangaroo tour. Ettingshausen prevailed in the lawsuit, initially being awarded $350,000, which was later decreased to $100,000 upon appeal.
In 2012, he publicly confessed to having engaged in a year-long affair with the spouse of his close associate Paul Mellor and disclosed that he had been battling depression.
City Origin
Ettingshausen made his first appearance in the annual City vs Country Origin match in 1988. Over the span from 1988 to 1996, he featured in eight games and crossed for four tries. His debut saw him positioned on the wing.
New South Wales
His debut for New South Wales came during the 1987 State of Origin series. Across nine years, he played 27 matches occupying roles on the wing, at fullback, and at centre. He recorded seven tries in State of Origin contests and took part in the 1997 Super League Tri-series, participating in every game including the drawn final against Queensland, which extended to 104 minutes before being decided by a field goal.
Australia
Between 1988 and 1997, Ettingshausen represented Australia in 29 Test matches, four of which were under the Super League banner. His international debut occurred in June 1988 against the Great Britain Lions, where he scored his inaugural test try during the second Ashes test. He was selected for both the 1990 and 1994 Kangaroo Tours, uniquely finishing as top try-scorer on consecutive tours with 15 tries each. Additionally, he toured Papua New Guinea in 1991.
His last test appearance took place during the 1997 Super League Test series in Leeds, where Australia triumphed over Great Britain with a score of 37-20. Despite consistently being chosen as a leading backline player, Ettingshausen never featured in a Rugby League World Cup final due to either non-selection or injury during critical tournaments in 1988, 1992, and notably in 1995 amid the Super League war.
Overall, his test career comprises 29 matches (five at fullback, fourteen on wing, ten at centre, and four off the bench) plus fifteen tour fixtures, accumulating fourteen test tries and twenty-five tries on tour.
Career playing statistics
Ettingshausen's tally of 165 tries places him fifth among Australian first-grade rugby league try-scorers, behind Ken Irvine (212), Steven Menzies (180), Alex Johnston (171), and Billy Slater (190). His total ranks second for players who devoted their entire careers to a single club, trailing only Slater of the Melbourne Storm.
He is counted among just ten players who have surpassed 150 tries across NSWRL/ARL/SL/NRL competitions.
Point scoring summary
| Games | Tries | Goals | F/G | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 328 | 166 | 1 | – | 662 |
Matches played
| Team | Matches | Tries | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Leagueicon Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks | 328 | 165 | 1983–2000 |
| Template:Leagueicon Australian PM's XIII | 1 | – | 1985 |
| Template:Leagueicon Leeds Rhinos | 40 | 30 | 1986–1989 |
| NSW City Firsts | 1 | 2 | 1987 |
| Template:Leagueicon New South Wales* | 30 | 10 | 1987–1998 |
| NSW City Origin | 8 | 4 | 1988–1996 |
| Template:Leagueicon Australia (tests)* | 29 | 14 | 1988–1997 |
| Template:Leagueicon Australia (non-test international) | 1 | 1 | 1988 |
| Template:Leagueicon Australia (non-international tour games) | 16 | 22 | 1990–1994 |
| TOTAL | 454 | 248 | 1983–2000 |
* Includes appearances under Super League during the year 1997.
Post Career Activities
In the aftermath of the 2005 Cronulla riots, Ettingshausen collaborated with prominent sports personalities such as Susie Maroney, Nick Davis, and former Sharks colleague Jason Stevens to spearhead a $250,000 initiative funded by the NSW government, aimed at reassuring the public that Sydney's beachside communities remain welcoming and secure for everyone.
February 2008 saw him honored as one of Australia's 100 Greatest Players spanning 1908 to 2007, a prestigious recognition commissioned by both the National Rugby League and Australian Rugby League to celebrate a century of rugby league in Australia.
To commemorate his significant contributions, the Cronulla club dedicated their $2.5 million 'Western Endeavour' grandstand at Endeavour Field in his name, officially renaming it the 'Andrew Ettingshausen' stand upon his retirement in 2000.
In 2003, fans and experts alike ranked Ettingshausen among the top ten Sharks legends, further elevating his status by naming him one of the club's inaugural three immortals alongside Gavin Miller and Steve Rogers.
Broadcasting Career
After concluding his rugby league tenure, Ettingshausen transitioned into television with his own program on the Nine Network starting in 1997, titled Escape with ET. The series primarily focused on fishing but also showcased various water-based sports such as white water rafting and wakeboarding, alongside off-road 4WD adventures and other outdoor pursuits.
The show enjoyed an eight-year run before moving to Network Ten in 2005. It frequently featured guest appearances from celebrities, including former professional rugby league athletes like David Peachey and Ryan Girdler, as well as notable figures such as musician Paul Kelly, footballer John Barnes, and surfer Layne Beachley.
Ettingshausen earned an Asian Television Award for Best Sports Presenter in 2014. The following year, he hosted the Discovery Channel’s four-part series Saltwater Heroes.
In 2019, he took part in the sixth season of Australian Survivor, where he was eliminated on Day 14, finishing in 19th place overall.