Laurie Spina
Laurie Joseph Spina is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer and rugby league commentator. In 1995, Spina was the inaugural captain of the North Queensland Cowboys.
Background
Born in Ingham, Queensland, Spina was a stand-out player during his junior years in the Herbert River local competition. His consistency earned him his first Foley Shield match against previous year title holders, Mount Isa, in which he won Man of the match. In 1982, he was a member of Herbert River's undefeated team that drew with Townsville in the Foley Shield final.Playing career
North Sydney Bears
In 1983, Spina moved to Sydney, where he joined the North Sydney Bears in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership. He made his first grade debut as a 19-year-old, coming off the bench in the Bears' 22–20 win over the Newtown Jets. The following week, he started at halfback and scored twice in the Bears' loss to Canberra. He would spend the rest of the season as North Sydney's starting halfback. During his two seasons with the Bears, he played 37 games and scored 11 tries.Eastern Suburbs Roosters
In 1985, he joined the Eastern Suburbs Roosters and would spend five seasons with the club. In his first season, he started 23 of his 24 games at halfback. He was the starting halfback throughout the majority of his stint with the Roosters, starting 89 of his 99 games in the position.In 1987, many judges thought Spina would represent Queensland in the 1987 State of Origin series after playing in a State of Origin trial played at Lang Park between a Queensland Residents team and a New South Wales-based Residents team. Playing for the New South Wales-based side, Spina played alongside Sam Backo, another Ingham product. He was widely thought to have had a better game than his opposite halfback, Ipswich's Allan Langer. Queensland captain Wally Lewis later said both he and coach Wayne Bennett had supported Spina, but he was sensationally left out of the Maroons' team for the series and never went on to play a game for them.