Steve Merrick

Steven Paul Merrick is an Australian former rugby union international.
Merrick played rugby league while growing up in Singleton, [New South Wales|Singleton] and did not switch codes to rugby union until he was 18. He played rugby union for Singleton in the Newcastle and Hunter [Rugby Union|Hunter Valley] competition and was a New South Wales country representative.
In 1995, Merrick was Australia [national rugby union team|Australia]'s scrum-half in two Bledisloe Cup Tests against New Zealand, taking the place of George Gregan. He had debuted for the New [South Wales Waratahs] earlier that year and his promotion to the Wallabies side was one of many made after team's poor showing at the 1995 [Rugby World Cup].
Merrick turned down a lucrative contract from the ARFU to return to Singleton, where he worked as a coal truck driver. The contract would have required he be based in Sydney and play for the Waratahs rather than Singleton.