{{Short description|British rugby league footballer}} {{Infobox rugby league biography |name = Paul Forber |fullname = |image = |imagesize = |caption = |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1964|4|29|df=y}} |birth_place = St Helens, England |death_date = |height = |weight = |position = {{rlp|SR|PR}} |club1 = St Helens |year1start = 1982 |year1end = 93 |appearances1 = 248 |tries1 = 50 |goals1 = 7 |fieldgoals1 = 1 |points1 = 215 |club2 = Salford |year2start = 1993 |year2end = 98 |appearances2 = 146 |tries2 = 33 |goals2 = 0 |fieldgoals2 = 0 |points2 = 132 |club3 = Workington Town |year3start = 1999 |year3end = |appearances3 = 22 |tries3 = 4 |goals3 = 0 |fieldgoals3 = 0 |points3 = 16 |club4 = Rochdale Hornets |year4start = 2000 |year4end = |appearances4 = 2 |tries4 = 0 |goals4 = 0 |fieldgoals4 = 0 |points4 = 0 |teamA = Lancashire |yearAstart = 1985 |yearAend = |appearancesA = 1 |triesA = 0 |goalsA = 0 |fieldgoalsA = 0 |pointsA = 0 |retired = yes |source = <ref>{{cite web |title=Paul Forber - Playing Career |url=https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/paul-forber/summary.html |website=Rugby League Project |access-date=4 November 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Rugby league records |id=6152 |title=Paul Forber |access-date=4 November 2024}}</ref> }} '''Paul Forber''' (born 29 April 1964) is an English former rugby league footballer who played as a {{rlp|sr}} or {{rlp|pr}} in the 1980s and 1990s. He spent most of his career with St Helens, making almost 250 appearances in 11 seasons at the club. He also spent several seasons with Salford before finishing his career with Workington Town and Rochdale Hornets.
==Playing career== Forber started his professional rugby league career with St Helens, signing for the club in May 1981. He made his first team debut a year later against Australia during the 1982 Kangaroo tour.<ref>{{cite web |title=Paul 'Buffer' Forber; A home-grown packman who ran the ball in hard |url=https://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/sport/19106202.paul-buffer-forber-home-town-packman-ran-ball-hard/ |website=St Helens Star |access-date=4 November 2024 |date=21 February 2021}}</ref> He established a regular place in the first team during the 1984–85 season, and played for the club in the 1985 Premiership final, appearing as a substitute in the 36–16 win against Hull Kingston Rovers.
The following season, he represented Lancashire in a "War of the Roses" match against Yorkshire. He was a non-playing substitute in the 1987 Challenge Cup final defeat against Halifax.
He played at {{rlp|sr}} in the 1987–88 John Player Special Trophy victory over Leeds. He also played in the 1989 Challenge Cup final, but was again on the losing side, this time against Wigan.
Forber missed most of the 1990–91 season due to injury,<ref>{{cite news |title=Keeping Faith In Saint Paul |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/903514660 |work=Liverpool Echo |date=16 April 1991 |page=18 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription}}</ref> but returned the following season to help Saints win the 1991–92 Lancashire Cup against Rochdale Hornets.<ref>{{cite web |title=St Helens beat Rochdale Hornets in 1991/92 Lancashire Cup Final |url=https://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/news/18951702.st-helens-beat-rochdale-hornets-1991-92-lancashire-cup-final/ |website=St Helens Star |access-date=5 November 2024 |date=17 December 2020}}</ref>
In January 1993, Forber was signed by Salford for a fee of £25,000.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hadfield |first1=Dave |title=Rugby League: Hornets sell off Hall to Wigan |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby-league-hornets-sell-off-hall-to-wigan-1478141.html |website=The Independent |access-date=4 November 2024 |date=12 January 1993}}</ref> He was released at the end of the 1998 season, and joined Workington Town.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sporting Digest: Rugby league |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/sporting-digest-rugby-league-1075539.html |website=The Independent |access-date=4 November 2024 |date=22 January 1999}}</ref>
In 2023, Forber was inducted into the St Helens Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web |title=Annual Past Players Dinner Hosted for 2023 |url=https://www.saintsrlfccommunity.com/annual-past-players-dinner-hosted-for-2023/ |website=Saints Foundation |access-date=5 November 2024}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|2}}
==External links== * [https://www.saints.org.uk/saints/player.php?num=15329 Profile] at Saints Heritage Society
{{DEFAULTSORT:Forber, Paul}} Category:1964 births Category:Living people Category:English rugby league players Category:Rugby league second-rows Category:Rugby league players from St Helens, Merseyside Category:St Helens R.F.C. players Category:Salford RLFC players Category:Workington Town players Category:Rochdale Hornets players Category:Lancashire rugby league team players Category:20th-century English sportsmen