Adam Dykes

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Adam Dykes bigraphy, stories - Australian rugby league player

Adam Dykes : biography

5 February 1977 –

Adam Dykes (born 5 February 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer. He has previously played for the Parramatta Eels, Cronulla Sharks and Hull. His position of choice is five-eighth, though he has also been shuffled around the backs during his career, playing minor parts of it at both Lock and in the half back role.

Biography

Early career

Dykes began playing rugby league at an early age after being heavily involved and influenced into the game by his father John Dykes who was a professional player himself for one season in 1976 for the Cronulla Sharks, along with also being their reserve grade coach between 1993-1994.

With Adam possessing copious amounts of talent for the game along with his fathers heavy influence within the Cronulla Sharks many believed that it would only be a matter of time before Adam would don the Sharks jersey.

1995

Adam Dykes made his first grade debut for the Cronulla Sharks as an 18 year old in the 1995 season (11 March Round 1) against the Newcastle Knights. With several impressive performances for the club he quickly cemented his position in John Lang’s outfit as the key five eighth.

1996-2001

He remained a key player for the club in the number six for several seasons. In 2001 he rose to represent City in the annual City vs Country Origin match.

2002-2004

Dykes was controversially signed by Parramatta Eels head coach Brian Smith for the start of the 2002 NRL season (on a four-year deal), angering many Sharks fans as they had seen him as one of the central members of the team along with the fact that he was a born and bred Cronulla junior. With this in mind many fans began speculating that Dykes had clashed with new Cronulla coach Chris Anderson and that this had led to his departure, though none of these claims were ever proven to be factual.

His three-year Parramatta career though proved to be at best disappointing for Dykes.

After three troublesome years at Parramatta, Dykes approached the club asking them for a termination on his final year with the club, citing wanting to return home to the Sharks.

2005-2007

Dykes returned to the Cronulla Sharks in 2005 under the influence of coach Stuart Raper.

2008

Dykes had a disappointing year in England featuring only 12 times for Hull, missing the Challenge Cup final in a season wrecked by injury. He was released from the final year of his contract in September 2008.

Representative games

  • City: Represented City in the City/Country origin during the 2001 season.

Rumours

Many sides have been linked with Dykes’s services since his departure from Hull.F.C. after a disappointting spell at the club where his arrival was effected by injury. He has been linked with lower league British sides such as Widnes Vikings although he has strongly been linked with a move back to Australia where he will link up with Wests Tigers on a one-year deal. No rumours came to fruition tho and Adams Dykes retired from first grade rugby league after his stint at Hull.

Point scoring summary

Games Tries Goals F/G Points
189 52 6 7 255