Frank Halloran was a rugby league footballer who played in Auckland, New Zealand. He represented Auckland and made the New Zealand team in 1937, playing two tests against Australia at halfback. When doing so he became the 250th player to represent New Zealand. Halloran played for the Ponsonby United (Ponies) club in the Auckland Rugby League competition from 1934 to 1938. Prior to this he had played for the Northcote & Birkenhead Ramblers club as a junior. He later fought in World War 2.
Early life Frank Halloran was born on 11 November 1912, to Richard Francis Halloran (1876-1956), and Lilian Knox (1889-1961). He was one of 15 children with his other siblings being Evelyn Frances Halloran (1907-?), Josephine Halloran (1909-1913), Myrtle Lilian Halloran (1910-1976), Barbara Kate Halloran (1914-?), Esma Mary Halloran (1916-2003), John Haslett Halloran (1918-2001), Thomas Walter Halloran (1921-2007), Phillip Halloran (1923-2002), Joan Augusta Halloran (1925-2001), William Mervyn Halloran (1926-2001), Robert Halloran (1927-1991), Patricia Moria Halloran (1930-2015), Colleen Halloran (1934-1934), and Maureen Halloran (1935-2016).
The first mention of Frank in the local newspapers was in the Auckland Star and New Zealand Herald on 11 January 1926, when he nearly drowned at Brown's Island in Auckland's Hauraki Gulf. He was aged 13 at the time and was there as part of the Colonial Sugar Refinery Company's annual picnic for employees. He "fell into the water, and was in serious difficulties when Mr. Charles Neads, jumped in fully clothed as he was and brought the boy to safety".
Playing career Northcote & Birkenhead Ramblers Halloran began his rugby league playing career at the Northcote & Birkenhead Ramblers club which was based in the Northcote, and Birkenhead suburbs of Auckland's North Shore. His name appeared for the first time in association with the game on 25 May in 1928, in the Sixth Grade A competition. Northcote finished at the bottom of the competition. The following year in 1929 Halloran was still playing in the same side. The team fared better, winning around half of their matches to finish in the top half of the competition. In 1930 Halloran had moved up to Northcote's 5th grade side which finished mid table once more. In 1931 Halloran had progressed into the 4th grade side which performed well winning most of its games and finishing near the top of a 15 team competition.
The 1933 season was where Halloran began to make a name for himself. He was now aged 20 and became the captain of the Northcote 3rd grade intermediate team. They won the championship with an undefeated season scoring a remarkable 346 points and only conceded 6 which all came from penalty kicks. The team was pictured in the Auckland Star. In mid July Halloran applied for financial assistance on behalf of the club for their trip to Taranaki on 5 August. The side intended to play against the Taranaki junior side as a curtain-raiser to the Auckland match with Taranaki. The Auckland Rugby League decided to assist the team.
Transfer to Ponsonby United At the start of the 1934 season Frank Halloran was granted a transfer to the Ponsonby United club. At the time Northcote's highest graded side was their 3rd grade intermediate team while Ponsonby had a long established senior side in the 1st grade Fox Memorial competition. Halloran moved there along with his teammates from Northcote, brothers John and Walter (Wally) Stockley with all three moving straight into the 1st grade side. Walter would go on to represent Auckland 5 times. John was killed in action on 24 December 1943, during World War 2 while in Italy aged 31.
The first match Halloran played for Ponsonby was in a pre-season game against Marist Old Boys on 21 April at Carlaw Park. His first official match came in round 1 of the Fox Memorial first grade championship on 28 April at Carlaw Park. Ponsonby won 28–8 with Halloran playing well. The Herald wrote:"Halloran, a junior player from Northcote, was the best back on the ground, usually a centre, Halloran played a fine game behind the scrum. His passes were well directed, and he varied his methods to combine with the forwards". The Auckland Star said that he "made a very promising debut at half-back, and when he opened up the play, [Brian] Riley and [Walter] Stockley with clever, incisive running gave the Ponsonby three-quarter line plenty of opportunities". In comments later in the week the Herald wrote that he "played a fine game behind the Ponsonby pack. He was responsible for at least three of the tries scored. Halloran, who played for Northcote juniors last year at fullback, is a natural scrum half. His passes were well directed and he frequently joined the three-quarters in passing bouts". Then the following week in a 17–2 win over Devonport United the Herald said "great credit for Ponsonby's success must be given to Halloran, halfback, and W. Stockley, first five eighths. Both are players well above the average, Halloran changing his play cleverly and getting the ball away very smartly". In another article it was predicted that his play "stamps him as a coming representative player". The following week Ponsonby lost to Richmond 16-4 and Halloran had "more limited opportunities than usual [but] was still a notable half-back- a quick thinker, resourceful and varied in his methods". The matches were played before a crowd of 17,000 to mark the opening of the new grandstand at Carlaw Park. He "played another fine game... although he had a tendency to overdo the blind side play". In a narrow 8–5 win over Newton Rangers credit for their win went to their "better understanding between Halloran, at halfback, and the five eighths, their combination being good".
His first try came in an 18–4 win over City on 26 May in round 5. Though it was noted that both he and Walter Stockley "were not as prominent as usual". In a convincing 16–7 win against Marist he was "always resourceful at halfback" and "played a fine game behind the pack in the second half. On every occasion he fed the backs to good advantage". On 11 June he "overshadowed G. Rhodes, the Devonport halfback by his enterprise", but Ponsonby still lost 10–0. A week later they lost again, this time to Richmond 26–10 with Halloran moved to fullback for the first time. The Herald said that he "played a poor game, hesitating far too much and being frequently caught in possession. His kicking was weak and often lacked height and direction". They noted that his replacement at halfback, Owen Wilkie didn't play as well there as Halloran does. The Herald wrote later in the week that Ponsonby's backline formation change was a "mistake". In an 12–11 loss to Newton Rangers he again played fullback and "played in a far more settled fashion... but can do much better". In his third consecutive match at fullback, in a 22–10 loss to City Rovers he "played a sound game... his fielding being very certain". The next week he was moved back to halfback in Ponsonby's 11–7 win over Marist Old Boys at the Onehunga Recreation Ground (Waikaraka Park). Halloran and Brian Riley "did the inside work very capably". In round 12 Ponsonby won 6–5 over Devonport with "Halloran, at halfback, the outstanding player. His clever work on attack frequently placed the backs in good positions, and each time his passes were well directed". The Herald went on to say that "the splendid all-round play of Halloran, behind the Ponsonby scrum, was a feature of the game. His passes were well directed, and he ran straight, giving the inside backs room to work. Halloran was given a lot of support from [Lou] Hutt...". In the last round of the championship Ponsonby lost to the champions Richmond Rovers 18–0. In regard to Halloran's head to head match with Roy Powell, a future New Zealand halfback, it was said that he "was more than his equal". He "shaped magnificently" with Riley, Stockley, and Kay in the early stages. The Herald said that he was "unlucky to be passed over by the selectors for the representative match next Saturday". The match being referred to was the 11 August game between Auckland and Northland. The herald said that Vincent Axman was a surprise inclusion at halfback and that "Halloran, the young Ponsonby half, has shown better all-round form during the season and can be accounted unlucky to miss selection". He was included in the match day squad amongst the reserves but was not required to play on the day.
His next match was Ponsonby's 19–11 win over Mount Albert in round 1 of the Roope Rooster knockout competition on 18 August. Halloran and Brian Riley "formed a dangerous combination in attack". He missed their remaining knockout games though no reason was reported in any of the newspapers.
He did however play in the Ponsonby XIII side's match against the touring Western Suburbs side from Sydney which had won the New South Wales competition. Western Suburbs won 26 to 13 in the 3 October match. The Auckland Star said that "Halloran, behind the scrum, was patchy, but improved as the game progressed". He had played opposite Percy Williams who played for New South Wales, and later represented Australia. Early in the match Halloran was penalised and Williams kicked the goal from the infringement. His last match of the season came in a game for the Auckland Colts representative side which was playing Auckland Māori (Tāmaki) on 20 October at Carlaw Park. The Colts side won 29–12 with Halloran scoring a try "at the end of a loose rush".
The 1935 season saw Halloran play 16 matches for Ponsonby, scoring 3 tries. He also played in an Auckland trial match. He was listed at halfback for Ponsonby's season opener against Marist on 4 May. In Ponsonby's round 3 thrashing of City by 39 to 13, Halloran was accused of being "inclined to run too much with the ball" from halfback. The next week in a loss to Richmond he "played a good game at halfback, starting his backs smartly and doing great work on defence". In a summation of the players in form in the Auckland competition the Herald said that there was "plenty of talent offering for the position of halfback for the representative team. Halloran, Ponsonby, and Wilfred Brimble, Newton, are both playing well". Ponsonby lost to Mount Albert in round 6 with the Auckland Star reporting that "despite the good work of Halloran and Riley as off-half, erratic handling and defects in positional play lost advantages". While the Herald said he "played a good game behind the scrum". Then in an 8–3 win over Marist in round 8 on 22 June he "varied his play as half ..., and his vis-à-vis Kerr, revealed quite good form".
Halloran was occasionally being listed at fullback and he played there in their 14–13 loss to Newton at the Glen Eden Recreation Ground in Glen Eden. He "played a safe game" in the position. He didn't play in their match against Devonport United in round 13, before moving back to halfback for their 17–11 loss to Mount Albert United the following week. He "did a lot of useful work behind the scrum...".
Halloran was named as a reserve in an Auckland trial match to help the selectors choose the Auckland side to face the touring Australian side. However following the next round of club matches he was named to start in the Auckland A trial team to play the Auckland B trial side. The selectors were Ernie Asher, Bert Avery, and William Mincham. The match was played as curtain raiser to the North Island – South Island inter-island match. He was chosen at halfback with Eric Fletcher and Ted Brimble outside him at first five eighth and second five eighths. He was also playing opposite Ted Brimble's younger brother, Wilfred at halfback for the B team. The A team won 22–19 with Halloran replaced at halftime by A.S. O'Connor of Wellington in a pre-arranged move so that the New Zealand selectors could see him play.