Jackson Ford (born 17 February 1998) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a second-row forward and lock for the New Zealand Warriors in the National Rugby League (NRL).

Jackson Ford
Personal information
Full nameJackson Ford
Born (1998-02-17) 17 February 1998 (age 26)
Shellharbour, New South Wales, Australia
Height187 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight97 kg (15 st 4 lb)
Playing information
PositionSecond-row, Lock, Prop
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2019–22 St. George Illawarra 33 2 0 0 8
2023– New Zealand Warriors 43 7 0 0 28
Total 76 9 0 0 36
Source: [1]
As of 26 July 2024

He previously played for the St. George Illawarra Dragons in the NRL.

Background

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Ford was born in Shellharbour, New South Wales, Australia.

He played his junior rugby league for the Gerringong Lions in the Group 7 Rugby League.

Playing career

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2019

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In Round 20 of the 2019 Canterbury Cup NSW competition, Ford scored 4 tries as St George Illawarra defeated the Wentworthville Magpies 36-16 at Kogarah Oval. After this performance, Ford was called into the first grade team.

Ford made his first grade debut for St George Illawarra against the Gold Coast Titans in round 21 of the 2019 NRL season which ended in a 40-28 victory.[2][3][4] The following week against Cronulla-Sutherland, Ford scored his first try in the top grade as St George Illawarra lost the match 18-12 at Shark Park.[5]

On 29 September 2019, Ford was named in the 2019 Canterbury Cup NSW team of the season for his performances throughout the year as St George Illawarra finished as the competition's minor premiers.[6]

2020

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Ford played a total of 12 games for St. George Illawarra in the 2020 NRL season as the club missed out on the finals.

2021 & 2022

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Ford played a total of 11 matches for St. George Illawarra in the 2021 NRL season as the club finished 11th on the table and missed out on the finals, he made his long awaited return in the Round 24 win over the Wests Tigers scoring a try running 11 times for over 125 metres 20 tackles and an offload in the 37 minute stint. [7] In September 2022, Ford was announced to have signed with the New Zealand Warriors on a two-year deal, starting in 2023.

2023

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Ford played 24 games with the New Zealand Warriors in the 2023 NRL season as the club finished 4th on the table and qualified for the finals. Ford played in all three finals games as the club reached the preliminary final stage before being knocked out by Brisbane.[8]

2024

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Ford played 19 games for the New Zealand Warriors in the 2024 NRL season which saw the club finish 13th on the table.[9] On 23 October 2024, it was announced that Ford had signed a two-year extension.[10]

Statistics

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Season Team Pld T G FG P
2019   St. George Illawarra Dragons 5 1 0 0 4
2020 12 0 0 0 0
2021 11 0 0 0 0
2022 5 1 0 0 4
2023   New Zealand Warriors 24 4 0 0 16
2024 19 3 12
Totals 76 9 0 0 36

References

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  1. ^ "Jackson Ford - Career Stats & Summary". Rugby League Project.
  2. ^ "NRL Round 21 team announcements". NRL.com. 11 August 2019. Archived from the original on 6 August 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  3. ^ McKirdy, Lachlan (10 August 2019). "Dragons vs Titans: Gold Coast Titans defence slammed as 'too easy for first grade'". Sporting News. Archived from the original on 12 August 2019.
  4. ^ "Canterbury Cup NSW Team of the Week". NSW Rugby League. 6 August 2019. Archived from the original on 12 August 2019.
  5. ^ "Sydney Roosters belt Warriors, Cronulla Sharks beat St George Illawarra Dragons to go into top eight". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 18 August 2019. Archived from the original on 18 August 2019.
  6. ^ "2019 Canterbury Cup NSW Team of the Year". NSW Rugby League. 29 September 2019. Archived from the original on 29 September 2019.
  7. ^ Brunsdon, Simon (28 August 2021). "Luckless Cowboy ends 14-game losing streak; Dragons find their new No.6: 3 Big Hits". Fox Sports. Archived from the original on 6 October 2021. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  8. ^ "NRL 2023: New Zealand Warriors season review". www.sportingnews.com.
  9. ^ "The Mole's end-of-season review: The 'harsh' Shaun Johnson truth that plagued highly-fancied Warriors". www.nine.com.au.
  10. ^ Staff, Writer (22 October 2024). "Two-year extension for Ford". Warriors. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
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