Bob McCarthy
A tough-as-nails South Sydney legend who transitioned from premiership-winning player to a long-serving, influential national selector.
Born 1946 (age 80)·Australian RL coach and former Australia international rugby league footballer·Birthday: August 5·Baby Boomers
Biography
Bob McCarthy's name is synonymous with the cardinal and myrtle of South Sydney. A rugged, tireless second-rower, he debuted for the Rabbitohs in 1963 and became the heart of a formidable pack, embodying the club's blue-collar ethos. His relentless work rate and leadership were instrumental in Souths' dominance through the late 1960s and early '70s, a period that yielded multiple premierships. After a stint with Canterbury, he moved into coaching, finding success in Brisbane by steering the Souths Magpies to a premiership in 1981. His most enduring impact, however, came off the field. For over two decades, from 2001, he chaired both the Australian and New South Wales selection panels, a role that placed his deep understanding of the game and unflinching judgment at the core of State of Origin and Kangaroos team building, shaping the fortunes of Australian rugby league for a generation.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Bob was born in 1946, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bob Was Born
The biggest hits of 1946
#1 Movie
The Best Years of Our Lives
Best Picture
The Best Years of Our Lives
Bob's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1946Born
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1951Started school
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1959Became a teenager
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Could drive
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1964Could vote
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Turned 21
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1976Turned 30
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 40
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 50
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 60
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 70
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 80
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played 211 games for South Sydney, winning premierships with the club in 1967, 1968, 1970, and 1971.
- Represented Australia in 20 Test matches and was part of the 1968 and 1970 World Cup-winning squads.
- Coached the Souths Magpies to the Brisbane Rugby League premiership title in 1981.
- Served as chairman of the Australian and NSW rugby league selection panels for over 20 years, from 2001.
Did You Know?
He was awarded the MBE in 1976 for his services to rugby league.
He famously played in South Sydney's 1970 grand final victory just weeks after having his appendix removed.
His son, Chris McCarthy, also played first-grade rugby league in Australia.
He was known by the nickname 'Macca' throughout his playing career.
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