A month before the Grand Final, the Wests selectors gave Bob a taste of first grade when they included him in the club’s team for the 500 pounds Caltex Knockout team at Wollongong Showground on 16 August 1964. The next year, Bob was a first grader from the start. Now 17, along with Maddalena and Peters, he played with Wests in the early season Ambulance Cup followed by the Illawarra Cup. His first senior representative match was with Illawarra seconds at Campbelltown on 18 April 1965. The Illawarra seconds, including Fulton, Maddalena and Peters, beat Combined Groups 6 and 7 seconds by 14-11.
The following week at Wollongong Showground, he came off the bench for Southern Division in their 20-15 Country Championship win over Northern Division. Next came the Country Championship semi final at Lithgow on Anzac Day 1965 against Western Division. Maddalena was on the Southern Division bench and Bob was at five eighth with two of the opposing backline being Australian players Barry Rushworth and Earl Harrison. In a tight game, Southern were beaten 7-3, but Bob impressed the Country selectors and was named in the Country Seconds team to take on City at the SCG on Saturday 22 May. It was a strong City team with Graeme Langland and Brian Moore in the centres while Les Johns was the fullback. Sydney won the game 23-5 but several Sydney clubs were interested in signing the 17 year old five eighth, including Manly and Balmain. The day after the City-Country game on Sunday 23 May at Wollongong Showground, Bob, along with Maddalena and Peters, played for Illawarra in the 19-6 State Cup loss to Newtown.
Bob Fulton's rugby league success is well known. What is not so well known about the blond haired five eighth, is the huge success he had at a young age.
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