Profile

Hull FC apps: 36
Hull FC tries: 9
International honours: Australia, New South Wales
Hull FC debut: 1983

Dally M and Clive Churchill medal winner Peter Sterling has become a Hull FC legend in the modern era despite the former Parramatta Eels star scrum-half only having played 38 games for the Black and Whites in two spells.

‘Sterlo’ made an incredible impact on the club and its fans in just a short space of time. During his two years with the Airlie Birds, he mesmerized the opposition, enchanted the Faithful and wrote his name in the history books as one of the greatest players to wear the club’s famous irregular hoops.

Now a TV commentator back home in Australia and a member of the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame, Sterling was a true star and when coach Arthur Bunting brought him over, it was seen as one of the biggest signings ever by a British club.

He was the Kangaroos’ national scrum-half, capped 18 times for his country, at the peak of his career when he first arrived on these shores for an eight-match stint in 1983-84.

The magic of the club and its fans enticed him back and he returned the following year, making 30 appearances including a Yorkshire Cup victory, an appearance in the John Player Trophy final and that epic Challenge Cup final against Wigan at Wembley, where only his Eels half-back partner, Brett Kenny, denied him the coveted Lance Todd Man of the Match trophy.

He was an inspirational player, a superb defender, an excellent kicker and he had an exceptional football brain which enabled him to always be one step ahead of his rivals, as he proved in the Cup semi-final replay against Castleford.