Andrew McCullough

Dalby Devils Junior Rugby League product Andrew McCullough represented Queensland at schoolboy level in league and cricket.

His father, Graham was a fine footballer, who represented Toowoomba and played first grade for Brothers in Brisbane.

Andrew completed his schooling at State High in Brisbane, and signed with the Broncos for the 2008 season. At first, he played five-eighth in Brisbane's National Youth Competition side before switching to hooker. He made his NRL debut for the Brisbane Broncos in Round 10, 2008, and became the first player born in the 1990s to play in the NRL. 

Later that year, he played hooker in the Broncos 28-24 loss to Canberra in the NYC grand final. He became the Broncos' first choice hooker by mid-way through 2009 and was named Broncos' Rookie of the Year.

McCullough suffered another grand final loss in 2015, this time at NRL level, with the Broncos losing 17-16 to the Cowboys in a golden point extra time thriller.

After 225 NRL games for Brisbane, McCullough was rewarded with a State of Origin debut for Queensland, after the shock retirement of long-term hooker Cameron Smith, in 2018. 

Someone with a work rate like McCullough is definitely appreciated there.

Darren Lockyer FOG #104

McCullough had spent time in the Maroons' camp the previous year, getting to know what it was like to part of the squad. He played all three games in the 2018 series, giving immaculate service from dummy half and tackling himself to a standstill.

McCullough was released from Broncos' duty mid-way through 2020, and played the remainder of the season with Newcastle. He was set to return to the Broncos in 2021, but a three year offer from St George Illawarra saw him head south, to be reunited with his former Broncos' coach, Anthony Griffin.

McCullough earned an Origin recall for Game II of the 2021 series, at Suncorp Stadium.

At the start of the 2022 season, he had played 289 NRL games, 260 of them for Brisbane. He was twice the winner of the Paul Morgan Medal as Broncos' Player of the Year.