{{Short description|Australian rugby league footballer}} {{use Australian English|date=March 2020}} {{use dmy dates|date=March 2020}} {{Infobox rugby league biography |name = Jackson Ford |fullname = Jackson Ford |nickname = |image = Jackson Ford.jpg |image_size = |position = {{rlp|SR|PR|LK}} | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1998|02|17|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Shellharbour, New South Wales]], Australia |height = {{convert|187|cm|ftin|abbr=on}} |weight = {{convert|101|kg|stlb|abbr=on}} | club1 = [[St. George Illawarra Dragons|St. George Illawarra]] | year1start = 2019 | year1end = 22 | appearances1 = 33 | tries1 = 2 | goals1 = 0 | fieldgoals1 = 0 | points1 = 8 | club2 = {{nowrap|[[New Zealand Warriors]]}} | year2start = 2023 | year2end = present | appearances2 = 76 | tries2 = 14 | goals2 = 1 | fieldgoals2 = 0 | points2 = 58 | new = yes | source = <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/jackson-ford/summary.html |title=Jackson Ford - Career Stats & Summary |website=Rugby League Project }}</ref> |updated = {{date|{{REVISIONTIMESTAMP}}|DMY}} }}
'''Jackson Ford''' (born 17 February 1998) is an Australian professional [[rugby league]] [[footballer]] who plays as a {{rlp|sr|pr}} and {{rlp|lk}} forward for the [[New Zealand Warriors]] in the [[National Rugby League]] (NRL).
He previously played for the [[St. George Illawarra Dragons]] in the NRL.
==Background== {{unreferencedsect|date=May 2026}} 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== ===2019=== 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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/08/06/round-21-nrl-team-announcements/ |title=NRL Round 21 team announcements |date=2019-08-11 |website=NRL.com |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190806130139/https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/08/06/round-21-nrl-team-announcements/ |archive-date=2019-08-06 |access-date=2019-08-06}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/au/league/news/nrl-gold-coast-titans-st-george-illawarra-dragons-coach-defence/5xhsb3rxkpuc1wnerzm4lpu98/ |title=Dragons vs Titans: Gold Coast Titans defence slammed as 'too easy for first grade' |last=McKirdy |first=Lachlan |date=2019-08-10 |website=Sporting News |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190812093454/https://www.sportingnews.com/au/league/news/nrl-gold-coast-titans-st-george-illawarra-dragons-coach-defence/5xhsb3rxkpuc1wnerzm4lpu98/ |archive-date=2019-08-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2019/08/06/canterbury-cup-nsw-team-of-the-week--rd-20/ |title=Canterbury Cup NSW Team of the Week |date=2019-08-06 |website=NSW Rugby League |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190812152521/https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2019/08/06/canterbury-cup-nsw-team-of-the-week--rd-20/ |archive-date=2019-08-12}}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-18/nrl-scorecentre-roosters-warriors-sharks-dragons/11412292/ |title=Sydney Roosters belt Warriors, Cronulla Sharks beat St George Illawarra Dragons to go into top eight |date=2019-08-18 |work=ABC News |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190818135344/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-18/nrl-scorecentre-roosters-warriors-sharks-dragons/11412292 |archive-date=2019-08-18 |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2019/09/29/canterbury-cup-nsw-team-of-the-year-2019/ |title=2019 Canterbury Cup NSW Team of the Year |date=2019-09-29 |website=NSW Rugby League |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190929104415/https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2019/09/29/canterbury-cup-nsw-team-of-the-year-2019/ |archive-date=2019-09-29}}</ref>
===2020=== 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=== 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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brunsdon |first=Simon |date=2021-08-28 |title=Luckless Cowboy ends 14-game losing streak; Dragons find their new No.6: 3 Big Hits |url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/nrl-2021-st-george-illawarra-dragons-vs-north-queensland-cowboys-live-stream-blog-score-updates-supercoach/news-story/bb4205d15445f75b33404ef10c54a3b6/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211006192827/https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/nrl-2021-st-george-illawarra-dragons-vs-north-queensland-cowboys-live-stream-blog-score-updates-supercoach/news-story/bb4205d15445f75b33404ef10c54a3b6 |archive-date=2021-10-06 |access-date=2021-10-06 |website=[[Fox Sports (Australia)|Fox Sports]]}}</ref> In September 2022, Ford was announced to have signed with the [[New Zealand Warriors]] on a two-year deal, starting in 2023.
===2023=== 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sportingnews.com/au/rugby-league/news/nrl-2023-new-zealand-warriors-season-review/8343d491a8ee8126ee2829c2#:~:text=This%20season%2C%20they%20struggled%20to,magic%20they%20had%20last%20year./|title=NRL 2023: New Zealand Warriors season review|website=www.sportingnews.com}}</ref>
===2024=== Ford played 19 games for the New Zealand Warriors in the [[2024 NRL season]] which saw the club finish 13th on the table.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nine.com.au/sport/nrl/news-2024-the-mole-season-review-warriors-analysis-exclusive-20240909-p5k98f.html/|title=The Mole's end-of-season review: The 'harsh' Shaun Johnson truth that plagued highly-fancied Warriors|website=www.nine.com.au}}</ref> On 23 October 2024, it was announced that Ford had signed a two-year extension.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Staff Writer |date=2024-10-22 |title=Two-year extension for Ford |url=https://www.warriors.kiwi/news/2024/10/23/two-year-extension-for-ford/ |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=Warriors |language=en}}</ref>
===2025=== In round 8 of the [[2025 NRL season]], Ford scored two tries for New Zealand in their 26-12 victory over Newcastle.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.totalrl.com/new-zealand-warriors-triumph-in-front-of-full-house-in-christchurch/|title=New Zealand Warriors triumph in front of full house in Christchurch|website=www.totalrl.com}}</ref> Ford played 21 matches with New Zealand in the 2025 NRL season as the club finished 6th on the table and qualified for the finals. They were eliminated by Penrith in the first week of the finals.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nine.com.au/sport/nrl/news-2025-the-mole-season-review-exclusive-new-zealand-warriors-luke-metcalf-injury-20250918-p5mwb6.html/|title=The Mole's season review: Disastrous injury blow exposed major issue as Warriors fall flat|website=www.nine.com.au}}</ref>
===Statistics=== {| class="wikitable" style="border-collapse:collapse;text-align:center" |- ! Season !! Team !! Pld !! T !! G !! FG !! |P |- | [[2019 NRL season|2019]] || rowspan="4" | {{leagueicon|St. George Illawarra Dragons|23}} [[St. George Illawarra Dragons]] || 5 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 4 |- | [[2020 NRL season|2020]] || 12 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 |- | [[2021 NRL season|2021]] || 11 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 |- | [[2022 NRL season|2022]] || 5 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 4 |- | [[2023 NRL season|2023]] || rowspan="4" | {{leagueicon|New Zealand Warriors|23}} [[New Zealand Warriors]] || 24 || 4 || 0 || 0 || 16 |- |2024 |19 |3 | | |12 |- |2025 |21 |3 | | |12 |- |2026 | | | | | |- ! !! Totals !! 97 !! 12 !! 0 !! 0 !! 48 |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.dragons.com.au/teams/telstra-premiership/st-george-illawarra-dragons/jackson-ford/ Dragons profile]{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
{{New Zealand Warriors squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ford, Jackson}} [[Category:1998 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Australian rugby league players]] [[Category:Rugby league players from New South Wales]] [[Category:Rugby league second-rows]] [[Category:St. George Illawarra Dragons players]] [[Category:New Zealand Warriors players]] [[Category:21st-century Australian sportsmen]] [[Category:People from Shellharbour]]