Justin O'Neill

Justin O’Neill was born at Warwick, but played his junior rugby league for the Hughenden Hawks and Townsville Brothers, when the family moved north.

He attended The Cathedral School in Townsville, graduating in 2008 and joining the Melbourne Storm.

O’Neill, who has Vanuatuan heritage, was a national schoolboy record holder in long jump, and could run 100 metres in just over 11 seconds. He enjoyed success with the Storm's National Youth Competition side, being part of their premiership winning side in 2009, scoring a try in a 24-22 win over Wests Tigers in the grand final.

O'Neill made his NRL debut in 2010, but had an injury interrupted 2011. Still, he did enough to be selected for the Queensland State of Origin Emerging Squad, at the start of 2012.

He played wing in the Storm's 14-4 win over Canterbury Bankstown in the 2012 NRL grand final, and won a second NRL premiership in 2015, in his first season with North Queensland Cowboys, playing centre in the 17-16 win over the Broncos, and scoring a try.

O’Neill scored 15 tries in 26 games in 2015, and formed a deadly combination with Johnathan Thurston. He made his Origin debut in 2016, replacing centre, Will Chambers, who was out with injury. O'Neill had an almost flawless game in his debut, and put Dane Gagai over for the sole Queensland try in a 6-4 win, while also keeping Blues' speedster, Michael Jennings quiet.

To make my Origin debut was a dream come true.

Justin O'Neill FOG #184

O'Neill played all three matches in the series and was selected in Australia’s Four Nations squad, playing centre, against Scotland in Hull and New Zealand in Coventry. He also played in the first match of the 2017 Origin series.

He announced his retirement in August, 2021, because of a chronic knee injury.

O'Neill played 190 NRL games, 123 with the Cowboys. He scored 77 tries in his NRL career.

O'Neill started an apprenticeship with a home building and renovation company at the end of his football career.