Paul Mellor is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He played for four different Sydney NRL clubs and in Britain before retiring at the end of the 2007 season. He primarily played on the, or as a.
Early career
A South Sydney junior from the Matraville Tigers Club, Mellor is the youngest Rabbitoh in history having made his first grade début at the age of 16 years and 10 months on 30 June 1991 against the Gold Coast Chargers.
Career
Mellor played 17 seasons at the highest level, spanning 221 NRL games and scoring 90 tries. He played for South Sydney, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and Castleford in the UK. Mellor finished as South Sydney's top try scorer in the 1994 and 1996 seasons. Whilst at Cronulla, Mellor was part of the 1999 Cronulla side which won the minor premiership and were one of the favourites to take out the competition before losing to rivals St George in the preliminary final by a score of 24-8 at Stadium Australia. Mellor would go on to experience further preliminary final heartbreak with Cronulla in 2001 and 2002. Mellor signed for Castleford Tigers for the 2003 and 2004 season of Super League. Mellor was utilised in the centre and second row but in the 2004 season moved to the wing and improved his form.
Retirement
Mellor played his final game of Rugby League in the 2007 Qualifying Final against the Manly Sea Eagles on 8 September 2007 at Brookvale Oval, electing to retire from the game at the conclusion of the 2007 season.
Refereeing
Since retirement from playing, Mellor took up refereeing. He regularly appears as the video referee in NRL matches.
Personal life
Mellor does a lot of work with South Sydney Juniors, helping to bring through the next generation of young players. He also helps coach his sons’ teams in the Cronulla junior league. Mellor was schooled at Marist Brothers in Pagewood, completing his Higher School Certificate before studying a Bachelor of Human Movement at the Australian Catholic University. He has also completed a level strength and conditioning course through the Rabbitohs. In 2012, it was revealed that Mellor's former Cronulla teammate and best friend Andrew Ettingshausen had a 12 month affair with Mellor's wife Ali. Ettingshausen later spoke of his shame about the affair saying "I feel far beneath any level of humankind, Every day, I cry tears of shame and my mind aches with an intensity that no medicine can cure".
