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Get to know... Ethan O'Neill

Find out more about Ethan O'Neill:

Factfile

Name: Ethan O’Neill

Age: 26

Place of Birth: Sydney, Australia

Clubs played for: Tweed Seagulls (2021), Central Queensland Capras (2021-2022), South Sydney Rabbitohs Reserves (2023), Burleigh Bears (2024), Leigh Leopards (2025)

Position: Second Row

Super League Debut: Vs Wigan Warriors (Round One, 13^th February 2025)

Career so Far: Club

Son of of two-time NRL Premiership winner and World Club Champion Julian O'Neill, Ethan first made his breakthrough as part of Sydney Roosters' junior programme. Moving through the ranks, he played in both the SG Ball to the Harold Matthews Cup competitions alongside a handful of household names including Lachlan Lam, Victor Radley and Latrell Mitchell.
The second rower left Sydney to sign for Tweed Seagulls in 2020 to be a part of Ben Woolf's Hastings Deering Colts squad, but didn't make an appearance due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Back in action in 2021, he stepped up to make his Queensland Cup debut for the Seagulls against Wynnum-Manly in round two, and went on to play four times for the side, adding a sole try against Redcliffe in a 28-16 result.
A mid-season transfer saw O'Neill move to Central Queensland for the remainder of the 2021 season as the Capras finished bottom of the standings, but the side bounced back in 2022 to come within 80 minutes of the NSW Cup Grand Final. O'Neill started all 19 games that season as the Capra's finished in fifth place during the regular season, and was named in the second row for the quarter final win over Northern Pride and the semi final defeat to Burleigh Bears. He was one of the side's top scorers with eight tries.

The forward was on the move back to Sydney in 2023, this time to join the Rabbitohs (one of his dad's former clubs) as part of Joe O'Callaghan's Reserves team. He started the season coming off the bench for the Rabbitohs in their pre-season clash against Manly Sea Eagles, before going on to play 25 times in the New South Wales Cup as Souths collected their first Reserves Grand Final in 40 years. He opened his campaign with a try against Newtown Jets in round one and went on to score nine times, including one in the close 22-18 Grand Final victory over North Sydney Bears.

He capped off his year with a State Championship appearance too against Queensland Cup champions Brisbane Tigers and was a try scorer again in a more convincing 42-22 result for the Rabbitohs. It is the club's sole State Championship win since the competition was introduced in 2014.

In search of minutes in the senior NRL competition, O'Neill moved north to NRL Grand Finalists Brisbane to follow in his dad's footsteps again. Despite impressing Kevin Walters during pre-season to earn an opportunity to start the Broncos' second trial match of the pre-season challenge against Manly, the forward fractured his eye socket in the 40-14 win and missed the start of the season. He spent the year back in the Queensland Cup with Brisbane's affiliate club, Burleigh Bears, and scored three tries in 16 appearances to help the club finish in the playoffs. That year he was utilised off the bench or at centre, as the Bears reached the elimination final where they were beaten 32-24 by O'Neill's former club Central Queensland.
At 25-years old, he made the move away from the Australian competition to join Super League side Leigh Leopards in 2025, and was one of the mainstays in Adrian Lam's side. In the wake of losing Kai O'Donnell to the NRL, O'Neill proved to be the perfect replacement as he featured 22 times across the league and cup competitions, and scored seven tries in games against Catalans, Warrington, Wigan, Hull KR and Salford. He was also one of the Leopards' top defensive players with 692 tackles.