Mark Nicholls (rugby league)

Mark Nicholls (born 5 January 1990) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a for the Dolphins in the National Rugby League (NRL).

He previously played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, the Melbourne Storm and the Canberra Raiders in the NRL.

Background
Nicholls was born in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales. He played junior rugby league for the Leeton Greenies and Gungahlin Bulls, before being signed by the Canberra Raiders.

Education
When the NRL announced its annual Academic Team of the Year for 2023 in recognition of the educational achievements of current players off-field, Nicholls' academic record included a Graduate Certificate of Program Management from Queensland University of Technology (2021), a Diploma of Business from Australian Vocational Training Company (2013) and a Bachelor of Sport Management & Coaching Science from the University of Canberra (2012).

Early career
From 2008 to 2010, Nicholls played for the Canberra Raiders' NYC team. In October 2010, he played for the Junior Kangaroos against the Junior Kiwis.

Canberra Raiders (2012–2015)
In round 17 of the 2012 NRL season, Nicholls made his NRL debut for the Raiders against the St. George Illawarra Dragons. He played twelve consecutive games that year, coming off the bench as a prop.

On 25 April 2013, Nicholls re-signed with Canberra on a two-year contract. However, he only played twice for Canberra in those two seasons. Otherwise, Nicholls played for the New South Wales Residents against the Queensland Residents in July 2014. He played a total of five games for Canberra in 2015.

Melbourne Storm (2016–2017)
In 2016, Nicholls commenced a one-year contract with the Melbourne Storm. On 1 February, he was named in the Storm's 2016 NRL Auckland Nines squad but did not appear for Melbourne in the 2016 NRL season.

Nicholls was named in the Storm squad for the 2017 NRL Auckland Nines. He made his Melbourne debut against the Penrith Panthers in round 5 of the 2017 NRL season. He made a total of nine appearances for Melbourne. The club itself won the minor premiership and the 2017 NRL Grand Final; however, Nicholls did not play in the latter.

South Sydney Rabbitohs (2018–2022)
Nicholls made his South Sydney debut in round 1 of the 2018 NRL season, starting at prop in South Sydney's 20–32 loss to the New Zealand Warriors. He made a total of twelve appearances for South Sydney that season. In the 2019 NRL season, South Sydney finished third on the table and qualified for the finals. Nicholls made a total of twenty-four appearances including all three of the club's finals games; one of which was the preliminary final loss against his former club Canberra.

In round 10 of the 2020 NRL season, Nicholls scored his first try for South Sydney in their 18–20 loss to the Newcastle Knights at Bankwest Stadium. He made a total of nineteen appearances for Souths and played in all three of the club's finals matches including their preliminary final loss to Penrith. In round 24 of the 2021 NRL season, Nicholls scored two tries for South Sydney in a 52–12 victory over arch-rivals the Sydney Roosters. In round 25, he was named captain for the match against St. George Illawarra, after South Sydney chose to rest Adam Reynolds in the lead-up to the finals. Nicholls played a total of twenty-seven games for South Sydney in the 2021 NRL season including the club's 2021 NRL Grand Final loss to Penrith.

In the 2022 NRL season, Nicholls scored one try in eighteen games for South Sydney including all three of the club's finals matches when they reached the preliminary final for a fifth straight season. Souths lost the preliminary final 12–32 to Penrith, the eventual premiers.

Dolphins (2023–present)
In January 2022, Nicholls signed a two-year deal with the Dolphins from 2023 onwards. He made his club debut for the inaugural Dolphins team in round 1 of the 2023 NRL season, scoring a try as the new team pulled off a big upset defeating the Sydney Roosters 28–18 at Suncorp Stadium. In round 6, Nicholls captained the Dolphins in their 32–22 win against the North Queensland Cowboys at Queensland Country Bank Stadium due to regular captain Jesse Bromwich missing the game because of a throat infection.

In round 8, Nicholls scored a try for the Dolphins in their 28–26 victory over the Gold Coast Titans at Suncorp Stadium. During that match, he broke a thumb and subsequently underwent surgery to stabilise the joint, rendering him unfit to play for the next few weeks. Nicholls next played in round 13 and scored a try for the Dolphins in their 26–12 victory over the St. George Illawarra Dragons at Kayo Stadium. He finished 2023 with twenty-one appearances, three tries and 93.9% tackle efficiency. In September, the Dolphins' Inaugural Presentation Ball was held at Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, and Nicholls received the club's annual Best Forward award.

On 15 May 2024, Nicholls re-signed with the Dolphins until the end of 2025.

Personal life
On 2 November 2019, Nicholls married professional model and executive assistant Perrie Davis in the Great Hall at the University of Sydney. Perrie is also an accredited pilates instructor. The couple have two daughters and bought a house in the Moreton Bay region of Queensland in 2022.