Men of League - Issue 63

Issue 63 - June 2016

This magazine made possible by

FINDING LEAGUE’S GREATEST CAPTAIN

RAIDERS’ AMAZING COACHING LINE MAL’S KANGAROO PASSION

HELPING MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY 1 ‘95 MAROONS’ MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

GO ALL OUT UNTIL THE

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MEN OF LEAGUE JUNE 2016

IN THIS EDITION 5 Ray Warren 6-8 Canberra Coaching Connection 10-12 Maroons of ‘95 16-18 Captains’ Captain 17 Ross Nixon 20-21 Mal’s Kangaroo mission 22-23 Stevo backs Bennett move 24-26 Des O’Reilly 28-29 Chris Mortimer 32-33 A non-monetary cap 34 Bob Farrell 35 Dud Beattie 48 A bit of poetry 50-51 Tommy Bishop 56-57 Gary Dobrich

We will be celebrating our mission to care for the rugby league community with the NRL Men of League Foundation Round in Round 20 this year. From 21 July to 25 July, we will join to showcase how great our game is off the field as well as on.

PLUS THE REGULARS: 14-15 Events calendar 27 League trivia 30/49 Committee profiles: Far South

Coast / Central Highlands 36-37 Around the Grounds 38-41 Tributes 42-47 Helping Hand 53 Volunteer profile: John McAllister 54-55 NRL welfare activities 61-70 Committee news

As part of our dedicated NRL round, we’ll be hosting the Men of League Foundation gala dinner on 19 July at Four Points by Sheraton, Sydney. Our wonderful gala dinner will provide us a forum to honour families among us who have fallen on hard times and help us raise essential funds to continue to care for the men, women and children of the rugby league community.

EDITOR: Neil Cadigan (editor@menofleague.com) DESIGN: Brilliant Logic PHOTOS: The Foundation thanks NRL Photos for supply of photographs ADVERTISING: Brilliant Logic Phone: (02) 4324 6962 www.brilliantlogic.com.au www.menofleague.com DEADLINES: Deadline for submitted material for the next edition: 29 July 2016

At our gala dinner we’ll be awarding the Captains’ Captain. This is a public vote to find history’s foremost Australian Kangaroos captain.

The award will recognise the recipient’s service to Australia as well as their leadership, excellence and longevity as a player and citizen. Our independent panel of experts undertook an exhaustive process to determine the final 12 nominees.

NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS Patron: The Hon John Fahey AC Chairman: Ron Coote AM Treasurer: Geoff Thoroughgood Directors: Mark Gasnier, Brad Howell, Professor The Hon Stephen Martin, Alan Sullivan QC, Darryl Van de Velde and Helen Wood Grant WELFARE COMMITTEE Ray Beattie OAM, Sarah Connor, Ben Ross, Geoff Thoroughgood and Ken Vessey

FROM THE

CHAIRMAN

EXECUTIVE Welfare & Education Manager: Ben Ross Financial Controller: Emile Assaf Operations Manager: Sandra Hopwood

We’ll also be recognising our 2016 honourees and life members. Our honourees will be Bob McCarthy and Mick Veivers. This year we’ll be taking the special step of appointing two life members in Noel Kelly and Greg Veivers. Noel is a member of the Team of the Century and very well-respected. Greg (cousin to Mick Veivers) has been a significant leader with us for many years.

Our search for a CEO continues with interviews to take place in June. There has been a huge amount of interest and we will take the time needed to secure the right person for this key role in the organisation. In the meantime, a steering committee has been formed comprising three directors – chaired by me – to ensure our staff members have the guidance they need to continue their great work uninterrupted.

Finally, I’d like to acknowledge Ray Beattie’s service as our interim CEO for the past six months. I look forward to him continuing his welfare and well-being roles with us.

Thank you Ray. Ron Coote AM

ben@menofleague.com emile@menofleague.com sandra@menofleague.com

Events & Community Engagement Manager: Jason Turik jason@menofleague.com

Membership Officer: Claire White Database Administrator: Richard Mills NSW State Manager: Stuart Raper QLD State Manager: Frank Barrett QLD Events & Operations: Tegan Jennings QLD Administration: Kristy West Media, Marketing & Sponsorship: Louise Duff

claire@menofleague.com richard@menofleague.com stuart@menofleague.com frank@menofleague.com tegan@menofleague.com kristy@menofleague.com lduff@brilliantlogic.com.au

NSW & CENTRAL OFFICE Level 3, Eastern Grandstand, ANZ Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park NSW 2127 PO Box 7049, Silverwater NSW 2128 Phone: 02 8765 2232 Fax: 02 8765 2808 QLD OFFICE QRL Office, 83 Castlemaine Street, Milton QLD 4064 PO Box 1217, Milton QLD 4064 Phone: 07 3367 6080 Fax: 07 3367 3464

HELPING MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

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YOUR MEN OF LEAGUE LOCAL CONTACTS NEW SOUTH WALES CANBERRA MONARO President: Noel Bissett 0407 597 533 Secretary: Susan Gerrard 0406 378 086 CENTRAL COAST President: Don Parish 0414 353 141 Secretary: Trevor Andrews 0412 694 857 CENTRAL WEST President: John Lasker 02 6852 2477 Secretary: Norm Cook 0458 658 827

FAR SOUTH COAST President: Terry Dickson 0429 449 058 Secretary: Damian Kennedy 0417 069 723 ILLAWARRA President: Peter Fitzgerald 0412 263 733 Secretary: Barry Harle 0400 845 424 MACARTHUR/STH HIGHLANDS President: Ron McEntee 0448 118 789 Secretary: Stephen Hazelton 0450 010 770 MID NORTH COAST President: Brian Atherton 0427 523 818 Secretary: Kevin Rayment 0427 533 644 MID WEST President: Badger Babbage 0428 164 398 Secretary: Elwyn Lang 0429 721 266 NEWCASTLE HUNTER President: Garry Leo 0400 421 767 Secretary: Peter Corcoran 0413 453 473 NORTH COAST President: Peter Barrett 0414 227 068 Secretary: Terry Clark NORTH WEST President: Don Pascoe 0477 132 456 Secretary: John Campbell 0408 421 065

RIVERINA President: Dave Mulrooney 0438 017 428 Secretary: Ian Lloyd 0457 850 384

GOLD COAST President: Ian Amos 0417 005 180 Secretary: Wayne Thompson

SOUTH COAST President: David Hayward 0405 102 361 Secretary: Carol Weller 0408 478 043

GOONDIWINDI President: Trevor Brown 0417 213 686 Secretary: Col Trehearn 0427 712 679

SOUTHERN SYDNEY President: Terry Hughes 0447 488 052 Secretary: Bruce Thompson 0419 475 465

GYMPIE President: Ross Groundwater 0408 825 466 Secretary: Greg Pountney 0432 397 974

SYDNEY METRO President: Henry Morris OAM 0418 115 706 Secretary: Seamus O'Connell 0411 126 060 TUGGERAH LAKES President: Denis Smith 0415 433 976 Secretary: Terry Wand 0438 521 736

MACKAY President: Paul Hudson Secretary: Alf Abdullah 0417 752 694

ROCKHAMPTON President: Shane Nipperess Secretary: Dominique McGregor

TWEED DISTRICT President: John Strong 0421 971 586 Secretary: Michael Howard 0410 655 987

ROMA President: Owen Lingard 0400 496 507 Secretary: Jason Coonan

UPPER HUNTER President: Paul Medd 0409 482 297 Vice President: Peter Collins 0419 763 279

SOUTHERN DIVISION President: Andrew O’Brien 0417 748 489 Secretary: David Skinner

WESTERN REGION Secretary: Ross Tighe 02 6882 4649 Vice President: Bryson Luff 0438 058 563

SUNSHINE COAST President: Bob Hagan 0419 252 092 Secretary: Barry Marsden 0402 654 231

WESTERN SYDNEY President: Steve Winbank Secretary: Garry O'Donnell 0418 699 257

TOWNSVILLE President: Mark Williams 0409 894 427 Secretary: Terry Feeney 0488 000 899

QLD AND AFFILIATED STATES BRISBANE President: Ian Gatenby 0412 038 013 Secretary: Vance Rennie 07 3350 6436

NORTHERN RIVERS Patron: Bob Abbott AM Secretary: Tony Cicchinelli 02 6621 3096 Media Officer: Barry Cheadle 02 6686 2977

BUNDABERG DISTRICT President: Terry Dodd 0414 526 828 Secretary: Greg Pershouse

NORTHERN SYDNEY President: Trevor Bailey 0414 843 600 Secretary: Jim Phelan 0419 414 759

CENTRAL HIGHLANDS President: Mick Roach 0439 079 686 Secretary: RJ Stewart 0407 766 841

NSW POLICE Patron: Andrew Scipione President: Dennis Clifford 0411 266 610

FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND President: John McAllister 0409 722 455 Secretary: Pietro Narducci

PENRITH President: Alex McKenzie 0414 330 651 Secretary: Adam Przybyla 0407 847 312

FRASER COAST President: Kev Embrey 0427 250 545 Secretary: Vic Beardmore 0407 303 187

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VICTORIA President: Peter Foreman 0439 533 171 Secretary: Greg Brentnall 03 8412 4905 NORTHERN TERRITORY President: Dave Cannon 0428 895 211 Secretary: John Barry 0417 732 660 WESTERN AUSTRALIA President: James Sullivan 0414 733 083 Secretary: Justin Reid 0403 012 252

QLD STATE COMMITTEE Qld State Manager: Frank Barrett Chairman: Darryl Van de Velde Vice Chairman: Pete Psaltis Treasurer: Tony Woodgate Committee: Mitch Brennan, Ken Brown, Mark Donlan, Darryl Foster, Tony Joseph, Mark Murray, Justin Ribot, Wayne Roberts, Greg Veivers

RAY’S WRAP

The voice of the game and league’s greatest TV broadcaster Ray Warren

THIRD PARTY AGREEMENTS ISSUE TOO COMPLICATED AND UNFAIR

NRL’s integrity unit boss Nick Weekes and CEO Todd Greenberg announce the Eels penalties.

T

he season has been dominated news-wise mainly by the situation at Parramatta. I am not privy to any more detail than you but what is clear to me is that the Third Party Agreements (TPAs) section of the salary cap is yet another major problem in our game.

Put simply, the whole thing seems too difficult for the common man to understand.

That is not to say Parramatta didn’t know what they were doing. The evidence that we know of is damning in itself, however policing these sort of payments seems almost impossible.

If Parramatta has done as they are alleged to have, then how many others are doing similar things to get an edge on their opponents?

To properly administer all clubs and their use of TPAs would seem impossible. It’s as though every club needs to have an independent person working for them to see that nothing untoward is occurring.

Then of course how would such an appointee be able to police the age old brown paper bag? I would love to know how many board members can honestly put their hand up and say “I understand thoroughly the workings of the Third Party Agreements”.

Having said all that are TPAs fair to all clubs?

To me they seem ridiculously unfair. How can the less affluent clubs attract sponsors against the big guns.

You don’t need to be told that some clubs cater for much bigger communities than others, so how can that be fair?

Obviously there is more chance of grabbing a sponsor if you are a bigger organisation with a popular brand.

The rules say they must be kept at arm’s length;

I take that to mean the CEO or the marketing people within any club cannot get involved.

They say there must be no favours done for a third party sponsor. If you were the CEO or marketing manager of a club and Billy the sponsor rang asking for six tickets to Sunday’s game, do you honestly think you would say no? That is one of the many things Parramatta is alleged to have done.

Forget just for the moment all the other wrongs they are supposed to have done.

John Quayle, when he brought down the salary cap, insisted it would work better in conjunction with a draft.

I don’t know the ins and outs of what he meant by that but I do know that if Quayley says something you are mad if you don’t listen and in this case I think his plan might alleviate the problem and the unfairness of TPAs. On the field, when the Broncos and the Cowboys clash it is proving to be a must watch match. They are just so entertaining and I think they will play the grand final again.

Melbourne is my third pick even without the mercurial man called Slater. The dark horse or the one to come from behind might well be the Panthers.

The Sharks, as I write this, are going great. They have never won the competition and 50 seasons is a long wait isn’t it? But they just might be capable in 2016.

I feel sorry for the fans of Parramatta because you really had gathered a good roster. Miracles do happen but your hurdle is massive.

God Bless – Rabs.

HELPING MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

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GREEN (COACHING) MACHINE An extraordinary legacy was born from Canberra’s first premiership winning squad of 1989 … and it is as influential today as it ever was.

BY NEIL CADIGAN

H

istory was made when the Tim Sheenscoached Canberra Raiders of 1989 became the first team outside of Sydney to win the NSWRL premierships, which morphed into the ARL and NRL competition.

Anyone who looked at that bunch of young players at their training ground Seiffert Oval could never have anticipated the effect on the game’s history they would still have 27 years later, from club football through to State of Origin and the Test arena.

That Green Machine has produced four State of Origin coaches, two NRL premiership winning coaches, two Australian coaches, another two who have coached at NRL level, and two current NRL assistant coaches.

The 2016 Australian and both State of Origin coaches – Mal Meninga, Kevin Walters and Laurie Daley – all came from that Raiders team.

The man who has taken Melbourne to five grand finals, Craig Bellamy, was in that ’89 outfit. So too was Ivan Henjak, who succeeded Wayne Bennett at the Broncos from 2009-11, and Dean Lance who was the top coach at Perth Reds, Adelaide Rams and Leeds in England.

Then we can add hooker Wayne Collins who has had 13 seasons as an NRL full-time assistant coach.

A Raider of ’89 has held the Australian coaching job since 2006 – 11 straight seasons. It went from Ricky Stuart (2006-08) to Sheens (2009-15) to now Meninga.

State of Origin has been fought out by Raiders teammates of ’89 every season since 2008. It began with Meninga taking on Craig Bellamy from 2008-10, then big Mal went head-to-head with Stuart for two seasons before Laurie Daley took over the Blues reins in 2013, only to have to confront another Raider teammate in Kevin Walters this year when Meninga moved onto the Kangaroos.

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Current Raiders coach, Ricky Stuart, held the Australian coaching job from 2006-08.

At club level Stuart won the 2002 premiership in his first season as a first grade coach, Sheens won the last of his four premierships with Wests Tigers in 2005, Bellamy won with Melbourne Storm in 2009 and 2012 (although the 2009 title was stripped because of the Storm’s salary cap abuse). Maguire took South Sydney to their first title since 1971 in 2014, with Collins as an assistant, while Collins was also Bennett’s assistant when he won the 2010 title. Furner was Green’s righthand man when they won last year’s grand final.

It must have been a smart football team.

“You could have walked past everyone at training and pointed the fingers at the blokes who have wandered into coaching,” says one of the class of ’89, Ricky Stuart. “You could have selected them as the ones who had the ability to coach and teach.

“There is a footballer and there’s the footy player who is a student of the game, who lives and breathes it. We had a few of those. Training wasn’t a chore for us, it was a passion. We were very, very fortunate because we had smart, thorough coaches too.

“The coaches who coached us [during their Raiders careers] were all Australian Test coaches in Don Furner, Wayne Bennett and Tim Sheens. I believe [former CEO] John McIntyre and Don Furner, early in their days at Canberra, recruited smartly and that led Don, Wayne and Tim recruiting genuine football players.

“I think Craig Bellamy, for example, coaches how he played; he was a real hard worker at his game with how he trained and prepared; a stickler for attention to detail with his preparation which is how he coaches now. He would always be out on the field at the back end of sessions practising his skills.”

Perhaps the simplest explanation is that the next generation of coaches had great mentors as their careers progressed in Sheens, and Bennett whose only season at Canberra was in 1987 as Furner’s co-coach.

The Canberra Connection goes further into the coaching ranks. Current NRL head coaches Neil Henry and Michael Maguire came through the playing ranks at the national capital in the 80s-90s, as did David Furner who won a premiership under Sheens in 1994 and coached the Raiders from 2009-13 and is Paul Green’s assistant with the Cowboys.

One factor that is familiar with all of the Class of ’89, though, is the influence of Tim Sheens, who took the Green Machine to premierships in 1989, ’90 and ’94.

“He was great for us Sheensy,” Laurie Daley recently declared on The Footy Show. “He is a great student of the game but he was also a great man manager and really got to know his players.

“We took a lot of that knowledge ourselves and used it in our own careers. If you ask all of the coaches who had anything to do with Tim they would say he’s top of the tree.”

Stuart and Bellamy concur. Both say it was Sheens’ thoroughness in his match-preparation that rubbed off on so many of his students.

“It was his thoroughness of preparation that I learned from,” says Stuart who began as Canterbury’s Jersey Flegg coach in 2001 before the Roosters gambled on him as a rookie NRL coach in 2002 with Phil Gould his mentor.

Craig Bellamy (right) coached Melbourne Storm to five grand finals and also held the job of NSW State of Origin coach from 2008-10.

“I’m very strict on preparation and I had that drummed into me by Tim. He put so much emphasis on the need to be ready to play,” Stuart says.

“Tim made a lot of players then become students of the game. I’ve still got crates and crates of notebooks where I was writing things down in team meetings; I’d be constantly writing down game plans and notes about individual teams and players.

“He created good relationships amongst his players too; he wanted his team to be close, and he was big at making sure life at home was comfortable and I try to make that a big part of my coaching too - making sure players are happy off the field.

“I’m big on building team relationships. I have never coached a closer bunch of blokes when it comes to mateship and team spirit than the guys I have at Canberra. That’s not easy when you’re throwing 30 blokes together of different ages and backgrounds.”

It was Sheens who tempted Bellamy into the coaching ranks, although it was initially in strength and conditioning where Bellamy was aiming after doing some courses while he was still playing. He was a smart centre or five-eighth as a player who played 148 first grade games (many off the bench) from 1982-90.

After a season as player-coach in Wagga then a stint in England with Swinton, he returned to Canberra for one last season in 1992 before Sheens invited him to coach their under-21s in 1993 while repairing photocopying machines during the day. When Shaun McRae left the club for England, Bellamy took his strength and conditioning role while doubling up as reserve grade coach in 1996.

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“I’ll be forever grateful to Tim for giving me the opportunity to start coaching and without a doubt Tim’s influence is still there today,” said Bellamy.

“He was always very structured in how he set up his training week. He was big into video reviewing, obviously his own team but also the opposition and that’s the other big thing I’ve picked up that I have never lost.

“Some coaches don’t concern themselves with the opposition a lot and focus on themselves; Wayne was like that. Tim was pretty in depth with his video with a set on their defence, their attack and their kicking which was ahead of the time seeing we weren’t full-time.

“Another thing I learned from him was that whatever team you had, you had to play to their strengths. Vary your game plan to what you’ve got; he was very good at that as was Wayne.”

Bennett had a great impact too, particularly on Meninga, Walters and Bellamy, (who worked for him at the Broncos), and Gary Belcher who was another of the class of ’89 who went into the NRL coaching system.

Bellamy later took over the head of performance role under Bennett in Brisbane and that gradually led to him coaching as Bennett’s assistant, before he was given his chance as head coach with Melbourne in 2003 and took them to the finals seven years straight.

He says Bennett had different influences on him than Sheens – particularly in his care and interest in players’ holistic life pattern.

Country Origin coach from 2008-12, before heading up the Blues’ Origin camp from 2013.

Walters has done the longest apprenticeship and has been unable to land an NRL head coaching position. He coached Toowoomba and Ipswich in the Queensland Cup, had two seasons as the boss of Catalans Dragons in Super League, and almost a decade of assistant coaching at Brisbane and Newcastle under Bennett and Melbourne under Bellamy. Now he has his big opportunity with the Queensland side.

And while Bennett and Sheens taught him much, he now concedes it is what he learned from Bellamy during his four years as his assistant in Melbourne that has added a new level to his capabilities.

It makes one wonder. With Bellamy and Stuart so entrenched at club level – who of the current playing ranks may continue the coaching tree into the next generation?

With the pedigree of the Raiders of ’89, it is sure to happen.

1989 CANBERRA RAIDERS Laurie Daley – NSW coach (2013-16), NSW Country Origin (2008-12) Mal Meninga – Canberra Raiders (1997-01), Queensland (2006-15), Australia (2016)

“I had a good education by the time I got to Melbourne, to have worked under Tim and Wayne – two of the best operators there have been,” he said.

Kevin Walters – assistant at Brisbane, Melbourne, Newcastle, head coach Catalans Dragons (2009-10), Queensland (2016)

“And to have had those differing hands-on roles [coaching and fitness] really gave me a good perspective on how a footy club operates. Plus, only having coached in one-team towns, which often really encourages team unity and spirit, has been good too.”

Ricky Stuart – Roosters (2002-06), Cronulla (2007-10), Parramatta (2013), Canberra (2015-16); NSW (2005, 2011-12), Australia (2006-08).

Meninga openly admits he did not thrive in the club coaching environment when he succeeded Sheens in 1997 until 2001, but he took on the role when Canberra was not as stable as it had been and many players from the Sheens era were in their career twilight. At State of Origin level, however, his record will never be matched and now he has embarked on the Test arena.

Daley, despite several invitations to go into the NRL coaching scene, had elected to concentrate on television commentary and representative coaching through the NSW ranks as assistant coach and also 8

MEN OF LEAGUE JUNE 2016

David Furner – Canberra (2009-13), assistant coach North Queensland (2014-16) Ivan Henjak – Brisbane (2009-11), assistant coach Dean Lance – Perth Reds (1997), Adelaide Rams (1998), Leeds (1999-01) Gary Belcher – Brisbane Broncos assistant coach (2001-05) Wayne Collins – NRL assistant coach (Canberra 200406), Penrith assistant coach (2007-11), South Sydney (2012-16)

WESTERN SUBURBS OLD BOYS’ DONATION

T

he Western Suburbs Old Boys Association in Brisbane has made a generous donation of $13,486 to the Men of League Foundation.

Secretary of Wests Old Boys, Vance Rennie, presented Men of League Queensland state manager Frank Barrett with the cheque recently.

The Old Boys Association have regrettably decided to wind up operation due to their ageing demographic and wanted to donate part of the funds to the charity of their choice, Men of League, as well as a couple of deserving local junior rugby league clubs.

Men of League Foundation is overwhelmed by the generous donation and look forward to inviting members of the Wests Old Boys to various functions in the future as a gesture of our appreciation.

Vance Rennie (left) presents Frank Barrett with the Western Suburbs Old Boys’ generous donation.

MEN OF LEAGUE 2016 GALA DINNER, SYDNEY TUESDAY 19 JULY The Men of League Foundation proudly invites you to rub shoulders with rugby league elite and attend our annual Gala Dinner for the announcement of the Captains’ Captain.

Date:

Tuesday 19 July 2016

Time:

6:30pm for 7:00pm

Venue:

Four Points by Sheraton 161 Sussex Street Darling Harbour, Sydney

National Partner

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$300 per ticket | $3,000 per table $4,000 per Gold Table (host a nominee) Black Tie Men of League on 02 8765 2232 events@menofleague.com www.menofleague.com

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THE MIRACLE OF ‘95

It’s State of Origin time again and we wonder whether Queensland can progress further into league’s glorious history with a 10th victory in 11 series. It’s time then to remember the Maroons of 1995 – given no hope but every bit as special as the current breed. BY NEIL CADIGAN

I

t’s the most legendary of all State of Origin stories yet it involves the least number of Origin legends.

It’s the feat of Paul Vautin’s ‘no hopers’ Queensland side of 1995 which forever deserves its place in Australian sporting folklore.

As we count down to the 2016 interstate series, the Maroons are going in as hot favourites again and we wonder if they can make it 10 wins out of 11 series since 2006, it’s fitting to remember a different time and a vastly different Queensland outfit.

Players of today know nothing, or little, about the Super League war that split the game from 1995-97; that there were rival competitions for one season and the game’s best players were banned, politically, from league’s greatest contest.

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It means that Queensland had to field a side in ’95 that included nine debutants, a player who months earlier was preparing to play in the bush competition because no ARL club wanted him, another who had played 100 reserve grade games in the previous five seasons, an 18-year-old who had played three first grade games and the day before the Maroons were chosen had been selected in the Queensland under-19s and another picked out of reserve grade.

They would all become Queensland heroes – legitimate FOGS (Former Origin Greats).

At the end of the ’94 season Queensland provided just eight of the 28-man Kangaroo tour squad which made the last traditional end of season long tour of Britain and France, and one of those was retiring captain

Mal Meninga. NSW had won four of the previous five Origin series and were undisputed king pins.

Queensland team to secure a clean sweep until the current mighty Queensland squad did it in 2010.

When the ARL unofficially snubbed all players from clubs that had decided to join the rebel News Limitedinduced Super League competition for 1996 (it was aborted until 1997 after losing a court battle, then winning on appeal), the Blues still had 10 players left from the Kangaroos. Queensland had none.

The team gathered in Brisbane and the scenario has been well told of Ikin entering a lift with Vautin and player Matt Sing, and upon leaving the lift with Vautin on the sixth floor being told that fans were to stay downstairs and the players would be down soon to sign autographs – only for Ikin to tell him he was in his team.

The Broncos-dominated Maroons were ripped apart.

No Langer, Walters brothers, Renouf, Hancock, Carne, O’Neill, Darren Smith, Gee or Tallis. So little hope was the Queensland side given, initially selected coach Wayne Bennett walked away. When The Footy Show host Vautin, whose coaching experience was restricted to five games in charge of the Brisbane Capitals in the modified Queensland Cup series (which he won) three years earlier, people further ridiculed the chances of the Maroons and the legitimacy of a “half-baked” Origin series.

When the teams for the first clash were announced, NSW included ’94 Kangaroos Brad Fittler, Paul Harragon, David Fairleigh, Greg Florimo, Paul McGregor, Steve Menzies, Jim Serdaris, Terry Hill, Tim Brasher and Rod Wishart plus Origin debutants Andrew and Matthew Johns, Mark Carroll and Adam Muir who went on to play regular Tests football.

The Maroons included Craig Teevan, who had started in just 11 first grade games (and played 12 off the bench) in six seasons; Terry Cook who was unwanted

by Gold Coast and began the season in the newly formed South-East Crushers’ reserve grade and Ben Ikin who had played three games for Gold Coast but still stands as the youngest Origin debutant at 18 years and 83 days.

Queensland were given 19.5 points start by the bookies!

Prop Gavin Allen, more recently the Australian Test team’s manager, had played in the Broncos premiership sides of 1992-93 but was in reserve grade until a month after the Origin series was completed.

After watching the team being announced on television, he fielded a call from former Broncos teammate and Queensland’s most experienced player in the series, Mark Hohn. Allen said: “Mate, I think we’re going to get flogged,” to which Hohn replied: “How do you think I feel, I could only make the bench!”

To provide this background is not to discredit the Maroons team, but to emphasise what an enormous achievement it was that they beat the much better credentialed Blues three-nil. They were the last

But what was to unfold in the next few hours became the catalyst to Origin’s most incredible fairytale. In his first team meeting, Vautin unleashed his passion for the cause. When relaying his Origin experiences in the 1980s when he says his Queensland teams weren’t near as good, on paper, as the Blues but they won. He became emotional when he related what it meant to wear the Queensland jersey.

At the end of it he asked former teammate and team manager Chris Close to describe his experiences. So worked up and emotional was ‘Choppy’ Close, the man rarely short of a word, he choked up, tears welled in his eyes and he couldn’t speak. Newcomer Robbie O’Davis, the Newcastle fullback who was selected on the wing, leapt up and said “Let’s play the bastards now.”

Allen walked out of the meeting when it concluded and said to Hohn: “I think we can win this!”

The Maroons went to Sydney for the first match and as they walked down the players’ race for the kick-off, Billy Moore entered folklore with the image of him screaming “Queenslander, Queenslander” to his mates caught by TV cameras. In Origin’s only try-less clash, Queensland won 2-0 from a Wayne Bartim penalty goal after they repelled wave after wave of NSW attack of their line.

Skipper Trevor Gillmeister had a mighty windfall when he backed his team (players betting was legal then) with a $500 bet at odds of 9-2.

Game two was being played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and most people in the league world expected the Blues to snap out of their cocky mood and be far more passionate in the second clash. The word has spread that a ‘blue’ was planned from the first scrum and Vautin confessed he had been given the ‘mail’ from a Channel 9 colleague that the first call of ‘Queenslander’ from a Maroons player was the NSW team’s prompt to put on a brawl.

He took the information back to his team and asked “who is going to yell it then?.” Seventeen hands went up.

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Vautin says it’s still disputed who screamed the call first but it was either Bartim, Moore or Gary Larson.

The result was one of the most prolonged brawls we have seen, broken into three groups. Blues coach Phil Gould says such a plot never happened. “They made that up but it was all good theatre and it’s great what Fatty did with it.”

Queensland wrapped up the series with a 20-12 victory, with the most enduring moment (outside the brawl) being winger Brett Dallas saluting well before he reached the line as he ran away for the match sealing try.

Billy Moore broke three ribs 10 minutes into the game and was replaced by unsung hero Cook, who set up a second-half try for Adrian Lam. Moore returned to the field but was a casualty, yet laid on a table at halftime hardly able to breathe begging the doctor, Roy Saunders, to give him pain-killing injections to re-enter the match.

Sensing Moore’s incredible courage and will to hurt for his mates, Vautin beckoned his team into the medical room. Vautin looked at his players and told them Moore had had eight needles, could damage his lungs and heart but he wants to go back on, as Moore cried that he had let his mates down. “Look at him crying; that’s how desperate he is to get out there with you blokes to win’… you should have seen them run onto the field, it was gold!”

Gillmeister suffered a gash from a boot stud in the match and picked up an infection from fertilizer in the ground. His knee blew up badly in the days leading up to the third match at Lang Park and he was put in hospital for five days and was still on an intravenous drip in his hotel room three hours before kick-off with Gold Coast player Brett Horsnell put on standby.

Victorious captain Trevor Gillmeister chaired off by Gary Larson (left) and Billy Moore (right). Photo courtesy of NRL Photos.

“I have been waiting for you to say that for five *&%## minutes!” He was below his best but his presence under that circumstance lifted his teammates, he played 57 minutes and the Maroons won 24-16.

While many still refer to the Maroons of 1995 as a bunch of no-names who played above themselves – and that was certainly true at the time – the post-script says something different.

Vautin and Close joined Dr Saunders at Gilly’s bedside and conferred on whether he could play. Vautin asked the doctor what was the worst scenario if his mate of many years played. He said septicaemia could set in and he could die, but it was highly unlikely. Gillmeister was silent; Close spoke first and said: “Geez, that’s no good … but I couldn’t think of a better place to die than Lang Park with a Queensland jersey on!”

O’Davis (222 first grade games, 12 Origins, 7 Tests), Sing (275, 24, 14), Mark Coyne (222, 19, 9), Dallas (119, 10, 6 plus several seasons in England with Wigan), Jason Smith (210, 16, 16), Lamb (146, 14, PNG captain), Moore (211, 17, 3), Gary Larson (250, 24, 9), Bartrim (232, 9, 5), Gillmeister (233, 22, 3), Hohn (127, 9, 1) and Ikin (150, 17, 2) had stellar long term careers.

Vautin added: “Mate it’s up to you. But if it was me and I had a chance to lead Queensland onto Lang Park and win the series as captain 3-0, be cheered off the field, in the glory that you should be, and later that night be picked for Australia, and don’t worry you will be if you get out onto the field, I would just get out of bed and play.”

Yet the combined feats of the Class of ’95 is unparalleled in underdog feats in Origin football, just as the achievements of Queensland from 2006-15 will also never be repeated … but get far more credence.

Gillmeister looked up and spoke for the first time …

12

MEN OF LEAGUE JUNE 2016

Much of this story was taken from the book Greats of Origin, by Neil Cadigan, published in 2011.

Dual Internationals Men of League Foundation Annual Queensland Luncheon Friday 2nd September 2016

CELEBRATING PLAYERS WHO HAVE REPRESENTED THEIR COUNTRY IN BOTH RUGBY LEAGUE AND RUGBY UNION WHEN

Friday 2nd September 11:30am for 12:00pm

WHERE Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre

TABLES Legends tables $2,200 (Includes a dual international player at your table and premium seating) Table of ten $1800

TICKETS $180pp. Includes a three course meal with Lion Nathan beer and Angove wines

RSVP

Bookings and more information Men of League QLD Office 07 3367 6080 or email qld@menofleague.com

Special guests to be announced soon!

Bookings I Men of League Queensland Office

07 3367 6080 or email qld@menofleague.com www.menofleague.com HELPING MEN, WOMEN ANDICHILDREN IN THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

13

MEN OF LEAGUE EVENTS CALENDAR JUNE 2

Sunshine Coast - Kick Off Club

Mooloolaba Surf Club

10

Illawarra - Kick Off Club

Warilla Sports Club

11

Fraser Coast - Sportsman's Dinner

Monto (Central Burnett)

17

Tweed District - State of Origin Lunch

Kirra Beach Hotel

17

Tuggerah Lakes - Kick Off Club

Doyalson-Wyee RSL Club

18

Far North QLD - Men of League Rivalry Round Double Header

Jones Park, Mann St, Cairns

22

Queensland - State of Origin Dinner

Paddington Tavern

24

Bundaberg - Kick Off Club

Salter Oval Club House

26

Tweed District - State of Origin Bowls Day

South Tweed Sports Club

1

Northern Sydney - Kick Off Club

To be confirmed

6

Brisbane - Kick Off Club

Broncos Leagues Club

6

Southern Sydney - Trivia Night

Sharkies Leagues Club

9

Western Australia - Men of League Round

Various

10

North West NSW - Manilla Bowls Day

Manilla Bowling Club

10

Western Australia - Golf Day

Maylands Peninsula Golf Club

18

Queensland - Golf Day

Indooroopilly Golf Club

19

National - Men of League Gala Dinner

Four Points by Sheraton, Darling Harbour

21

Central Coast - Race Day

Gosford Racecourse

21

NRL - Men of League Round Commences

Various

22

Southern Division - Luncheon

Clive Berghoffer Stadium, Toowoomba

22

Illawarra - Bowls Day

Warilla Bowls Club

23

Canberra Monaro - Men of League Round Event

Raiders v Warriors at GIO Stadium

23

Melbourne - Men of League Round Event

AAMI Park

24

Fraser Coast - Bowls Day

Maryborough

24

Gympie - Kick Off Club

Albert Park

29

Bundaberg - Kick Off Club

Salter Oval Club House

JULY

Events are subject to change.

14

MEN OF LEAGUE JUNE 2016

MEN OF LEAGUE EVENTS CALENDAR AUGUST 4

Storm v Broncos - Raffle and Membership Drive

AAMI Park

5

Sydney Metro - Sporting Luncheon

The Juniors, South Sydney

11

Sunshine Coast - Kick Off Club

Mooloolaba Surf Club

12

Northern Sydney - Sportsman's Lunch

To be confirmed

12

Southern Sydney - Tribute Luncheon

Sharkies Leagues Club

14

Tweed District - Social Function

Kirra Beach Hotel

20

North West NSW - Narrabri Bowls Day

Narrabri Bowling Club

2

Queensland - Annual Luncheon

Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre

9

Central Coast - Golf Day

Shelly Beach Golf Club

23

Illawarra - Grand Final Luncheon

Dapto Leagues Club

30

Tuggerah Lakes - Kick Off Club

Norah Head Sports Club

2

Gympie - Golf Day

To be confirmed

8

Roma - Golf Day

Roma Golf Club

13

Sunshine Coast - Kick Off Club

Mooloolaba Surf Club

14

Bundaberg - Sportsman Dinner

Brothers Sports Club

14

Western Australia - Test Match Eve Sportsmen Lunch

Gloucester Park

15

Riverina - Caulfield Cup Day

Wagga Races

16

Northern Rivers - Golf Day

Ballina Golf Club

21

Western Region - Gala Golf Day

Dubbo Golf Club

28

Tuggerah Lakes - Golf Day

Wyong Golf Club

29

Canberra Monaro - Bowls Day

Canberra Bowling Club

30

Tweed District - Bowls Day

Coolangatta Bowls Club

11

Sunshine Coast - Golf Day

Twin Waters Golf Club

11

Illawarra - Kick Off Club

Corrimal Leagues

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

Events are subject to change.

HELPING MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

15

IN SEARCH OF… THE CAPTAINS’ CAPTAIN In the footsteps of last year’s Magnificent Seven announcement, the pinnacle of this year’s gala dinner will be the unveiling of the greatest captain of all time, aptly titled ‘The Captains’ Captain.’ BY IAN HEADS

Chris McKivat

Clive Churchill

Keith Barnes

Ian Walsh

Graeme Langlands

Arthur Beetson

Max Krilich

Wally Lewis

Mal Meninga

Brad Fittler

Darren Lockyer

Cameron Smith

I

t began, like most things worthwhile in sport and life, as just an idea. Through its 108-and-a-half seasons on the playing fields, rugby league’s consistent travelling companion has been a fascination with recognising and identifying individual greatness.

Over the years pundits, experts, panels and fans-alike have now and then wrestled with intriguing questions, such as: The greatest player? The greatest try? The greatest rugby league photograph?

The greatest moment? The greatest club team?

The post-war ‘Immortals’? And so many more – at club level and beyond.

The debates were sometimes marked ‘strictly private’, and closely guarded secrets, such as the long and famous four-man discussion in a downtown Sydney hotel which led to the announcement of first tranche of 16

MEN OF LEAGUE JUNE 2016

the Immortals back in 1981 – Clive Churchill, Reg Gasnier, Johnny Raper and Bob Fulton.

More often they were friendly informal discussions amongst fans in clubs or pubs – comparing forwards, backs, goalkickers, spring-heeled wingers, demon tacklers and all other manifestations of rugby league life.

In the game’s golden anniversary year of 2008 came one of the toughest of all challenges – thrown to a panel of 25 – to pick the game’s ‘Team of the Century’.

Inevitably, after each event – public or private – lively debate would rage about the rightness or wrongness of choices made – an entirely appropriate reaction for a game viewed through so many eyes and in which passions have always run deep.

The great quest for season 2016, announced here

by Men of League, is the infant of all that tradition

over all those years. Importantly it addresses a vital and significant ‘missing link’ in what has become the game’s grand ongoing pastime – being no less a conundrum than to select the greatest Australian skipper of the 109 seasons, 1908-2016: The Captains’ Captain.

Many great players and fine leaders missed the cut. But even via a quick glance at the original line-up of 68 who have alongside their names in international football the designation ‘captain’ there will be a swift realisation of just how tough the task was to find ‘the dozen’.

The initial qualifiers, identified via David ‘The Stats Guru’ Middleton’s archaeological dig through the years added up to a far bigger field than for any Melbourne Cup – comprising 68 names – from the pioneers way back in the mists of time – including the likes of the great Dally Messenger, Arthur Hennessy, Dinny Lutge and other stalwarts of the foundation years … all the way along the decades to today’s impressive incumbent Cameron Smith.

The twelve nominees are (in alphabetical order): Keith Barnes, Arthur Beetson, Clive Churchill, Brad Fittler, Max Krilich, Graeme Langlands, Wally Lewis, Darren Lockyer, Chris McKivat, Mal Meninga, Cameron Smith and Ian Walsh.

In step two, involving a great deal of swotting up and reflection, the 68 names were reduced to the final field of 12, as listed below.

For this step in the process the ball was thrown to members of a chosen independent selection panel, six men deeply entrenched in the story of the game, past and present, comprising: David Middleton (chairman), Greg Alexander, Noel Kelly, Phil Rothfield, Steve Ricketts and Ian Heads.

So, a dozen champions of the game; men of special leadership quality. The challenge is now thrown to you – fans and members of the rugby league family – to vote on your choice.

During June, the 12 panellists will cast their individual votes on a 3-2-1 basis. Then, in an association of both the panel vote and the collective vote of fans – the selected Captains’ Captain will be announced as a major event at the Men of League Foundation gala dinner on 19 July – just as The Magnificent Seven were last year – to stand forever as a great amongst greats.

THE LIST No.

Captain

Tests

Wins

Losses

Draws

Years

8

Chris McKivat

3

2

–

1

1911-12

28

Clive Churchill

27

11

16

–

1950-55

33

Keith Barnes

14

7

6

1

1959-62

38

Ian Walsh

10

6

4

–

1963-66

42

Graeme Langlands

15

10

3

2

1970-75

48

Arthur Beetson

8

6

2

–

1973-77

55

Max Krilich

10

9

1

–

1982-83

56

Wally Lewis

24

21

3

–

1984-89

57

Mal Meninga

24

20

4

–

1990-94

59

Brad Fittler

25

22

3

–

1995-2001

65

Darren Lockyer

38

31

5

2

2003-11

68

Cameron Smith

21*

18

3

–

2007-

Source: David Middleton, League Information Services.

HELPING MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

17

KEITH BARNES 194 games for Balmain, 12 games NSW, 17 Tests (14 as captain). Barnes was Tigers skipper for most of his 14 seasons at Leichhardt, including in the ’64 and ’66 grand finals, and captained Australia in the 1960 World Cup and 1962 Ashes campaigns.

ARTHUR BEETSON 221 games for Balmain, Easts and Parramatta, 18 games for NSW, 3 for Qld, 28 Tests (14 as captain).

Artie became the first Aboriginal captain of a national team when he led the Kangaroos in France in 1973, and was captain of the ’77 World Cup/series campaign, and skippered Easts to their premierships of 1974-75.

CLIVE CHURCHILL 157 games for South Sydney, 37 games NSW, 37 Tests (27 as captain). Captained Australia in the famous Ashes series win of 1950 and on the 1952 Kangaroo tour, although Jack Rayner was his skipper at Souths. He captained Australia in 24 Tests. An Immortal leader as well as a player.

BRAD FITTLER 336 games for Penrith and Sydney Roosters, 31 games for NSW, 40 Tests (25 as captain). Fittler took over the NSW and Australian captaincy at age 23 when Super League broke out in 1995 and had a long, successful reign as a leader, taking the Roosters to a premiership in 2002 and captaining his country in 25 Tests during a golden run of success.

WALLY LEWIS 80 games for Brisbane and Gold Coast, 211 BRL games for Valleys and Wynnum, 35 games Qld, 34 Tests (24 as captain). Lewis was Australian skipper from 1983 to 1991 (but missed the ’90 Kangaroo tour through injury), Queensland’s captain from 1981-91. Controlled the outcome of matches like no other in his era.

DARREN LOCKYER 355 games for Brisbane, 36 for Qld, 59 Tests (38 as captain). There is nothing Lockyer didn’t achieve as a captain – a premiership for Brisbane, six Origin series victories and 31 wins in his 38 Tests as leader. And he so often came up with the crucial plays at all levels CHRIS MCKIVAT 54 games for Glebe, 13 games NSW, 5 Tests (3 as captain). The crafty halfback, a Wallaby captain when he crossed codes, led Australia to their first Ashes series victory in 1910 and was regarded as the best captain of his time.

MAL MENINGA 166 games for Canberra (plus 109 BRL games for Souths), 38 games for Qld (32 Origin), 46 Tests (24 as captain). The only player to go on four Kangaroo tours, and the only to be captain twice, Meninga won 20 of his 24 games as skipper. Also led the Raiders to three premierships and led Queensland in four series.

Inspirational.

MAX KRILICH 215 games for Manly, 10 for NSW, 13 Tests (10 as captain). Hooker Krilich was seen as a natural leader and captained the first undefeated Kangaroos in 1982 and Manly to the 1978 premiership.

CAMERON SMITH 320 games for Melbourne, 37 for Qld, 44 Tests (21 as captain). What hasn’t he achieved? Premierships, played in 13 Origin series (three as winning captain) and 44 Test matches with 18 wins from his 21 as skipper. The ultimate leader in the modern game, there have been none better in the NRL era.

GRAEME LANGLANDS 227 games for St George, 36 for NSW, 45 Tests (15 as captain). ‘Chang’ was a man’s man as a tough competitor and leader. He was captain in the 1972 and ’75 World Cup campaigns, was the last Australian captain-coach on the 1973 Kangaroo tour, the last of his three tours.

IAN WALSH 94 games for St George, 24 for NSW, 25 Tests (10 as captain). The wily hooker was an exceptional captain, calm and methodical. Took over from the injured Arthur Summons as Test skipper in 1963 and kept the role to the 1966 Ashes victory, the same year he led the Dragons to the last of their record run of premierships.

VISIT WWW.MENOFLEAGUE.COM TO HAVE YOUR SAY AND VOTE ON HISTORY’S FOREMOST KANGAROOS CAPTAIN NOW. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE THERE FOR THE ANNOUNCEMENT, PLEASE SEE DETAILS ON PAGE 9.

18

MEN OF LEAGUE JUNE 2016

ROSS’ AMAZING LIFE STORY Ross Nixon is a real character, and lifetime achiever, with extraordinary stories of his life in and out of rugby league to tell.

W

hen Northern Sydney welfare officers Norm Pounder, Fred Jackson and Ken Vessey visited the 89-year-old recently, they were entertained, and astounded, at some of his tales.

Ross was born in Bathurst but moved to Bondi where he frequented Bondi Beach and became a member of the Bondi Surf Lifesaving Club and later Bronte. He told of many funny incidents including in the early 1940s with the start of Sunday night dances at the Bronte Surf Club. Contrary to the wishes of local church groups, these continued to be held providing relief for hundreds of active servicemen from Australia, England, the Netherlands and America, and gave a start to many promising Australian entertainers and bands.

As a 16-year-old he worked at the then landmark building of Australian Glass Manufacturers Glasswork Factory in Waterloo, where there was a large rugby league fraternity working including the late Eddie Burns, the famous Canterbury Bankstown captain (1935-1950), who was inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame in 2015.

Eddie and other workmates encouraged Ross to become involved in playing rugby league because of his size and strength.

Nixon attended trials at the Sydney Sports Ground in 1943 and was graded with the Eastern Suburbs’ third grade. He told of the chaos that occurred every training night at the Sydney Sports Ground when

three teams from Easts and Souths trained at the same time under restricted lighting due to wartime, the cold showers after training, of having to produce a number of the Nixon family wartime clothing ration tickets to acquire his Easts’ jumper number 49 plus the team’s trips to the games on an open truck, seating on church pews, rain, hail or shine.

In 1943 club secretary John Quinlan paid him 20 pounds, which was a huge amount of money given that he only earned two pounds a week. In 1944 he played in reserve grade and was selected in first grade with the likes of Wally O’Connor, Dick Dunn, Sid Hobson and Wally Rees, his pay rising to 25 pounds for the season.

He fondly remembered on a cold winter’s day in 1943 he went to Coogee Oval to watch a South Sydney junior match and finished up playing, under an assumed name, on the wing in the A Grade game for the South Sydney Fernleigh’s against the odds-on favourites La Perouse All Blacks. He scored two tries in a boil over and thought it was Christmas when he was paid five pounds but his joy was short lived because he was recognised by the bookmakers at the game and was subsequently suspended by the judiciary committee.

For many years he had his heart set on joining the Royal Australian Navy and at the end of the 1944 season, during which he sustained some serious injuries, his parents granted their permission for him to successfully join the Navy.

After leaving the Navy in 1947

(From left) Fred Jackson, Ross Nixon and Ken Vessey.

Ross joined the NSW Police Force as a probationary constable and remained there until retiring in 1988 (41 years’ service) as an assistant commissioner. He worked with renowned police officer and Newtown and Test prop Frank ‘Bumper’ Farrell who was a legend in his own life time, his involvement in ballistics evidence at murder trials, and in numerous high profile crimes. In 1988 he occupied the position of deputy director general of the NSW Corrective Services for a three-year period.

Sadly, his loving wife Betty Margaret of 65 years’ marriage passed away in December and he is still suffering the loss of his true love. Fortunately, Ross is well supported by his three children.

Incredibly one of them also rose to the top in the police force – none other than Christine Nixon who was NSW Police assistant commissioner, like her father, and later chief commissioner of Victoria Police.

HELPING MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

19

Mal Meninga, after his first Test as Australian coach (a win against the Kiwis), in conversation with Corey Parker (left) and Johnathan Thurston (right).

Photo courtesy of NRL Photos.

GREEN AND GOLD GLORY Mal Meninga drove not just the greatest era by a Queensland team but a renaissance in the tradition and historical significance of Origin football.

Now he wants to do the same with the Australian team. BY STEVE RICKETTS

M

al Meninga says winning a premiership is the biggest thrill of a player’s career but representing your country will always be the greatest honour.

Meninga, who made a record four Kangaroo tours of Britain and France, two as skipper, wore the green and gold with pride in 46 Test matches between 1982 and 1994.

Now, as Australian coach, he is passionate about the green and gold jumper regaining the status it enjoyed for so many years as the most prestigious jersey in the 13-man code.

The sight of Australian teams taking the field at grounds such as Old Trafford in England, Gilbert Brutus Stadium in France or Auckland’s Carlaw Park sent a collective shiver down the spines of spectators, who had come to expect nothing but the best from the proud Kangaroos.

20

MEN OF LEAGUE JUNE 2016

Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium will be the venue for this year’s Four Nations’ final, with Australia, England, Scotland and New Zealand to contest the series.

“Crowds in Britain are second to none, with State of Origin at Suncorp Stadium possibly the exception here in Australia,” Meninga said.

“Australian rugby league sides have an enormous reputation in the UK, and not just in the traditional league areas.

“Tests at Wembley in 1990 and ‘94 attracted national media interest and it was wonderful to have literally thousands of Australians there on supporters’ tours.

“I know player welfare is a such a big thing now and we can’t go back to the full scale tours of the past.

“But we can still develop an element of those great tours, whether it is in the northern hemisphere,

New Zealand or the Pacific. When was the last time an Australian team played a game in New Zealand, outside of a Test?

“We’re only limited by our imagination.”

Meninga, who will have his own office in the new QRL Central offices in Brisbane, said it was important the game’s stakeholders gathered around the table to decide the future of the international game.

“People need certainty in terms of a schedule, so they can plan ahead for supporters’ tours and the like,” Meninga said. “I understand there will be hundreds, if not thousands of supporters from the UK here for the World Cup next year.

“That will be great, because they add so much to the atmosphere.”

Meninga was first named for Australia in 1982, for the first Test against the touring Kiwis at Brisbane’s Lang Park.

He spent the entire 80 minutes on the bench, so did not get a ‘cap’, having to wait until the return clash at the Sydney Cricket Ground for that honour. However, he dislocated his elbow early in the contest.

“It wasn’t a great start to my Test career, but getting that jumper from (coach) Frank Stanton meant everything to me,” Meninga said.

“These days I keep hearing everyone say I’d love to play for Queensland or NSW, but there is no mention of Australia. It’s frustrating, because I care greatly about the state of international football.

“There’s a fair bit of work for me to do in that regard.

Origin has become a huge beast, but even when I coached Queensland, or played for Queensland, I never saw it as the be-all and end-all.

“I always thought the green and gold jersey was the ultimate in personal recognition, because it meant you were the best player in your position.”

In 2008 Meninga and Immortal and former St George star Reg Gasnier were named as centres in Australia’s Team of the Century, the ultimate green and gold combination.

That same year, the centenary of the code in Australia, New Zealand won the World Cup, and today they are ranked the number one side in the world.

Meninga said he was disappointed that critics and supporters discussed Origin selections almost from

Meninga in his playing days for Australia.

day one of the premiership, even though the TransTasman Test was to be played in Newcastle on May 6, this year more than three weeks before Origin I. “I didn’t see the first television ad promoting the Test until the week before. Origin was being pumped up from the start of the season,” he said. “You hear commentators say, ‘he’s an Origin player’, rather than ‘he’s a Test player’.

“They’ve got things the wrong way round.

“International football is the reason rugby league is the major football code on the eastern seaboard. Before Sydney and Brisbane club football was televised, it was the almost annual tours by quality British, Kiwi and French teams which kept our code to the forefront.

“My father [Norman] played for Wide Bay and Burnett against the strong 1960 French side, and he said that was a great experience.”

Meninga revealed his father was chosen for Queensland two years later, but had to withdraw because of an injury at the sawmill where he worked, his spot going to another bush footballer John Wittenberg, who went on to play for Australia.

Who knows what might have happened if Norman had got his chance for Queensland. Perhaps he might have also worn the green and gold like his famous son.

HELPING MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

21

STEVO APPLAUDS BENNETT ROLE Mike Stephenson has been the face of English league commentary for over 25 years, but he still calls Australia home – for our warmer months anyway.

The former Panthers import is coming back for good at the end of the year.

BY BARRY ROSS

M

ike Stephenson, the second voice of English rugby league’s TV commentary since before their summer Super League season began 20 years ago, is never short of opinion. That’s what he is paid for.

So the former Test hooker from the Yorkshire town of Dewsbury, who has lived between London and beautiful Bilgola Plateau in Sydney for a quarter of a century, doesn’t care who he upsets in his homeland by saying the controversial appointment of Wayne Bennett as England coach will be good for the English game by rattling a few cages.

“I have the greatest respect for Wayne,” said the man known to all as ‘Stevo’. “And I think the move to sign him as England coach is fantastic. But I hope he can find time to set up some sort of system to improve not only the players but pass on his knowledge to a few of the coaches as well.”

He added that in an interview with his co-commentator at Sky since 1990, Eddie Hemmings, Bennett had made it clear that he would sort out who was good and who was bad in terms of how the top English players had been coached, so they wouldn't bring too many bad habits to the table.

“A lot of the local coaches didn't take too kindly to that, but if nothing, Bennett is honest and won’t pull punches or settle for favourites,” Stephenson said.

The same could be said of Stephenson who has earned that right. He played 219 games for Dewsbury and captained them to a championship (premiership) final in 1973 against Leeds, winning the man of the match award and also represented Great Britain in six Tests, scoring four tries, and was a key figure in the Poms winning the 1972 World Cup with the final against Australia in France controversially drawn 10-all 22

MEN OF LEAGUE JUNE 2016

Mick Stephenson holds aloft the Challenge Cup after captaining Dewsbury to victory in 1973.

with Great Britain declared winners after beating the Aussies in an earlier clash.

In 1974, he moved to Australia to play for Penrith for five seasons (69 games and 21 tries), and is still regarded as one of the smartest and best Poms to ply his trade here. But will forever regret taking on the coaching duties.

“I have many good memories from my time at Penrith but one of the worst things I have ever done was to become the player-coach of the club in 1975,” he states. “What a disaster! After working hard to gain the respect from my fellow players in my first season, 1974, I soon found out that being a mate of the players makes it hard for you to coach and thankfully I realised halfway through the season that I should stand down and try to get some stability back into my life.

“I wanted to start playing well again so I resigned as playercoach after we beat Canterbury 23-8 at Penrith.”

Barry Harris became the new coach after Stevo had won six of his 16 matches.

To be fair to the Dewsbury man, he had several obstacles during 1975. He had injury worries, there was a fallout with some Panther officials and the ongoing feud with teammate and fellow Englishman Bill Ashurst. In ‘The Encyclopaedia of Rugby League Players’ he is described as being a total professional during his time at Penrith, “cunning, charismatic and a natural leader, who always tried to lead from the front”.

With his last word on this subject Stevo said, “I think I was the last player-coach in Sydney [it was actually Bob Fulton with Easts in 1979] and I would advise against trying to take my title. It nearly ruined my life, let alone my playing career.”

‘Stevo’ (left) with his commentary partner of a quarter of a century, Eddie Hemmings.

While he likes the World Club Challenge concept, Stephenson feels it should revert to the former concept of one match involving the two competition winners from both countries. He feels there is nothing to play for in the other two games and they are meaningless.

“Those extra games have indicated how far in front the Australians are,” he said. “Playing these extra games can affect your season and Leeds, Wigan and St Helens have hardly set the world alight in Super League this year.

“That is why Wayne Bennett will be so valuable, not just coaching the English squad, but offering advice to all and sundry. If you want to learn then go for the best.

“Regarding the Australian team I have a warning for Mal Meninga - don't forget to bring in young talent otherwise you could do what we did here, pick too many old players for too long and suffer the consequences. Reputation is one thing but you always need youth to come through.”

Since 1990, Stephenson has spent the Super League season living in London, then returning to his Australian home at Bilgola after the English season ends. As he will turn 70 next January, Stevo

will retire from Sky Sports after this year's grand final at Old Trafford on 8 October.

This will finish his 43-year media career, which began in December 1973 when he walked into the Fairfax offices of the old Sydney Sun newspaper and asked the sports editor John Benaud, Richie's younger brother, if could he write a column. After becoming a full-time journalist at the Sun in 1979, he worked at 2UE, 2GB and 2SM with Frank Hyde, followed by some work with ABC radio and TV. After Hemmings rang him from London in early 1990, Stevo flew to England to cover the 1990 Australian tour with Hemmings, with whom he had worked with for the BBC on a previous Lions tour to Australia. When he first arrived in his home country, Stevo signed with BSB but it was bought by Sky six months later and he has now been with the company and head caller Hemmings for 26 years.

“I look forward to going back to my family full-time and going to the odd match in Sydney and watching games on TV. The bunker is a great idea and maybe it can be even better with the addition of a Dewsbury accent.”

HELPING MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

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Des O’Reilly in his heyday as a Rooster.

DES LIVED HIS DREAM Des O’Reilly was one of three long-haired blond Roosters players in Jack Gibson’s premiers of 1975, rated by many as the best club team ever. He went on to play for NSW and another grand final. He tragically died in March. BY STEVE RICKETTS

A

s a teenager, Des O’Reilly would sit on the ‘Paddo Hill’ at the Sydney Cricket Ground and dream of one day playing first grade for the Eastern Suburbs Roosters.

His hero was Barry ‘Bunny’ Reilly, the tough-tackling second-rower, known as ‘The Axe’.

When O’Reilly was named in Easts’ squad for the 1975 grand final against St George, he had to pinch himself, especially as the Jack Gibson-coached outfit was regarded as one of the finest to grace a football field, and Reilly was in the side.

O’Reilly and Reilly were interchange players, coming off the bench for Arthur Beetson and Ron Coote, with the Roosters having decimated their rivals in what would finish a 35-0 thrashing.

“Bunny and I went on at the same time,” O’Reilly recalled before his death in March. “He couldn’t even walk. He had the biggest corked thigh I’ve ever seen.

Jack picked him on the bench because he had been such an integral part of the side. Any other game he would have been out.

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MEN OF LEAGUE JUNE 2016

“It was his reward, and my reward. I had been close to starting, but Jack moved Arthur from prop to second row to reduce his workload.

“My dad was filthy about it (Des being on the bench) because he thought I might have been a chance to make Australia’s World Series squad.

“But I had only made my first grade debut that year after starting in the under-23s and I was so proud to be part of the grand final.

“When I was a kid I would sit on the Paddo Hill and barrack for the Roosters, thinking ‘maybe one day’.

“I grew up at Bondi and it was a very working class suburb, and then, bang, it became yuppieville.

“The Roosters went from not winning a game in 1966, to making the semi-finals in ‘67, the first year Jack Gibson coached them.

“I was there at the SCG the day [Bruce] ‘Lapa’ Stewart scored an amazing try against Canterbury. He ran through the cricket ground mud, straight through

the middle of the defence. I reckon everyone in the Eastern Suburbs was there, because it was our first match of the day in years.

O’Reilly had a lymphoma and underwent a bone marrow transplant. But later he was found to have stomach and prostate cancer.

“At the end of the game, which we won convincingly, the players ran over to the Paddo Hill and saluted us.

People were going, ‘what are they doing?’ It had never been done before. Now they walk around the whole ground after every game.

A graduate of Sydney’s Waverley College, O’Reilly played for junior clubs Bondi United and Clovelly. A teammate was Rick Cronk, father of Melbourne Storm star Cooper Cronk. Rick lives in Brisbane and was a regular visitor while Des was in hospital.

“To play in a grand final side captained by Arthur Beetson was an absolute honour. He was the biggest guy in the side, and pretty close to the fastest off the mark, wingers and all, and he had the field vision of a halfback. He was a top bloke on top of that.”

When O’Reilly was called on to make his debut against Manly at Brookvale Oval in 1975 it was a surreal feeling.

On 7 March, Des O’Reilly lost his courageous fight with stomach and prostate cancer, his death devastating family, friends and former teammates who had grown to love a quiet, modest man who lived a productive life, largely in anonymity in terms of his football successes.

I visited Des in Greenslopes Hospital in Brisbane, a week before his passing, and despite his obvious distress from the effects of his ordeal, he spoke with passion, humour and candour about his days as a top grade rugby league player.

O’Reilly was first stricken by cancer 10 years ago, but battled through.

“I had probably five or six good years,” he said.

“One of the most difficult things when I was first diagnosed was the thought I wouldn’t get to see my grandkids. I’ve seen five now, so I’m pretty pleased about that. I’ve got five kids, so I would hope there might be 10 grand kids eventually.”

“It was overwhelming really, to be running out there against the likes of Bob Fulton and Mal Reilly,” O’Reilly said. “I remember (teammates) Ian McKay and Kel Sherry coming up to me and congratulating me for making my debut.

“Kel turned around, and said ‘you’re shaking’. I was actually shaking physically for 20 minutes after the game. I’d only played 10 minutes.”

O’Reilly was one of three blond long-haired young men who were, in many ways, the rock stars of the Sydney premiership in 1975, the others being former Wallaby fullback Russell Fairfax and Wauchope signing Ian Schubert. Neither were allowed past reception at Easts Leagues Club because of strict rules governing hair length.

“We weren’t banned, we never actually got in there,” O’Reilly said. “They had this area - like a basement for functions after games, and we were allowed there, so it wasn’t that big a deal.

“But we couldn’t get past the front door of the leagues club proper, unless Big Joe was on the door.

Third from right in the back row, O’Reilly takes his place in the photo of the 1975 Easts grand final winning side.

HELPING MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

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I don’t know what his background was, he was a weight lifter, I think, but he would say, ‘I don’t care what they say, you can come in’. Polo shirts were big in those days, so we would tuck the hair in.”

O’Reilly started in the 1980 grand final against Canterbury, a game best remembered for a freakish try

by Canterbury winger Steve Gearin. Easts, coached by Fulton, went down 18-4.

In 1981 he played for NSW at Lang Park in the first match of the series (played on residential grounds).

His second row partner in the NSW side was Queenslander Paul McCabe while Queensland’s captain-coach was Beetson.

NSW won 10-2, with winger, John Ribot - a Queenslander - scoring both Blues tries.

O’Reilly was replaced by Les Boyd for the return interstate match at Sydney’s Leichhardt Oval, which the Blues predictably won 22-9, meaning there would be a one off Origin match in August for the second time.

a successful electronics business in south-east Queensland when he relocated from Sydney in the 1990s.

“I moved to Queensland basically to have some space,” O’Reilly said. “We were having our fifth child, and it (Sydney’s east) is not a place where you have five kids.

“Up here we got a five-bedroom house (at Eight Mile Plains), double lock-up garage and pool for about 60 per cent of what we sold our three-bedroom home for in Sydney.”

Des is survived by Christine and their five children Joel, Brad, Todd, Sharne and Josh; grandchildren Lukas, Harry, Ella, Emily and Lachy.

The children all played sport – rugby league, union and basketball.

The 1975 Roosters’ premiership team was well represented at Des’ funeral at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Sunnybank on 14 March.

“My best seasons were ‘80, ‘81 and ‘82 and we (Easts) should have won a premiership in that time,” O’Reilly said.

In 1983 he switched to Cronulla following a few differences of opinion with the Easts’ management. At the Sharks he came across a teenager called Andrew Ettingshausen who he rates alongside Fairfax as the most naturally gifted players he played with.

O’Reilly played 127 first grade games for the Roosters and 13 for Cronulla. He attended university in his first three years in the top grade at Easts, studying design engineering and electronics, and established

26

MEN OF LEAGUE JUNE 2016

Des at Greenslopes Private Hospital earlier this year with his son Todd (right) and brother Ian at his side.

LEAGUE TRIVIA

1. Which state was the first to record a clean sweep in State of Origin and in what year?

2. Who has played the most Origin matches?

3. The Broncos provided the first two Queensland based players to play for NSW in Origin. Who were they?

4. The Dragons – St George or St George Illawarra – have produced just one Dally M Medal winner.

Who is he?

5. An Australian recently took on the head coaching post at Bradford Bulls in England, following in the footsteps of his father. Can you name them?

6. Who was the NRL’s top points-scorer in 2015?

7. Who has played in the most grand finals – Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk or Darren Lockyer?

8. What is the only grand final, before last year's Cowboys-Broncos classic, decided in extra-time?

9. What player in the 1980s played in three grand finals, for three different clubs – and lost each one?

10. Incredibly, the past three clashes between the Broncos and Cowboys have been decided by field goals. Who has kicked them?

ANSWERS: 1. NSW in 1986. 2. Cameron Smith with 37. 3. Chris Johns and Terry Matterson in 1989. 4. Michael Potter 1991. 5. Rowan Smith and Brian Smith. 6. Jarrod Croker (Canberra) 236 points. 7. Cronk 5, Lockyer 4, Smith 4. 8. 1989 – Canberra beat Balmain. 9. Phil Sigsworth – Newtown 1981, Manly 1983, Canterbury 1986. 10. 2015 grand final – Johnathan Thurston, 2016 round 4 – Anthony Milford, 2016 round 11 – Thurston.

CRONIN’S RECORD BROKEN

M

ichael Cronin's 40-year-old record for all-time points scored in Group 7 has been broken.

Now 64, Cronin set the previous record of 1,642 points in eight seasons of Group 7 football with the Gerringong club from 1969-76.

On 30 April at Michael Cronin Oval, Gerringong's 27-year-old fullback Joel Roberts scored two tries and three goals for 14 points in the 30-4 win over the Albion Park-Oak Flats Eagles, giving him 1,644 points during his 10-year first grade career with Gerringong,

“I haven't been thinking about the record,” Roberts said.

“It is nice to set the new mark but realistically I have been playing when tries are worth four points, while in Michael's time they were only worth three. I would still have a way to go if the try-scoring value was the same for both of us.”

With Cronin as coach and Roberts at fullback, Gerringong were Group 7 premiers in 2015, 2013 and 2010.

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MURRUMBIDGEE MORTIMER Chris Mortimer gave his teammates no peace as a rugged centre in his playing days. But he has found peace and serenity as a farmer on the banks of the Murrumbidgee. BY BARRY ROSS

(From left) Diane Mortimer, Sue and Barry Ross and Chris Mortimer catch up in Wagga Wagga.

H

ard work didn't bother Chris Mortimer during his successful playing career and nothing much has changed in the 26 years since he stopped playing.

Now approaching his 57th birthday, Chris is a Riverina farmer, with the southern boundary of his property being the Murrumbidgee River, which is Australia's second longest river at about 900km.

He breeds and sells cattle and also grows wheat.

Supported by his vivacious American wife of 36 years, Diane, being up early and late to bed is the norm for the Mortimers. There is always something to do on a farm and although on the opposite side of the spectrum, flood and drought have caused the Mortimers some worries.

While he employs some part-time workers at various times of the year, Chris is the main hand and he has to quickly solve any problems such as machinery breakdowns, injured, dead and missing animals, plus family and property book-keeping.

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MEN OF LEAGUE JUNE 2016

Still very much a league man, ‘Louie’ is alarmed at what he sees as a takeover by Aussie Rules in the Riverina.

“You only have to look at what has happened at the top level of both games,” he said. “Over the last five years there have been five players from the Wagga region signed by the top AFL clubs, while I don't believe there has been one from down here gone to a NRL club in the same period.

“In the past, the Riverina was a continual and major source of top class rugby league players but not now.”

Ironically over the past few years Chris has developed a close friendship with former Sydney Swans captain and 1995 Brownlow Medal winner Paul Kelly, a fellow Wagga Wagga product.

“He is a good, easy going bloke and we were both born in Wagga,” Mortimer explained. “He is 10 years younger than me but he is a farmer and we both have similar interests, except for football.”

With his grandsons playing rugby league in the Wagga junior league, Chris is concerned about the falling numbers for his game. He said that while Aussie Rules has always been a part of the Wagga scene, the playing numbers of the southern game, at senior and junior levels, have increased at major levels.

“There is no doubt that the Aussie Rules people are spending a lot more on their game right throughout the Riverina area than the rugby league is doing,” he said.

One of the talented four Mortimer brothers, Chris is the second youngest behind Steve and Peter and in front of Glenn. He was the third of the brothers to join the Bulldogs, behind Steve, who came in 1976 and Peter, who arrived in 1977, followed by Chris the following season. Glen played some minor grade football with Canterbury after representing the Australian Schoolboys but moved to Cronulla in 1983, where he played in the Sharks first grade side.

Like Chris, Peter has also turned to the land – with a successful winery near Orange – while Steve and Glen have remained in Sydney.

Chris made his first grade debut, at 18 years, in his first season at Belmore, scoring a try in the 16-14 win over Western Suburbs. In his 10 seasons with Canterbury, Chris played 192 first grade games, scoring 29 tries and played in five grand finals, winning premierships in 1980, 1984 and 1985.

In a frantic week leading up to the 1980 grand final, Chris married Diane and coach Ted Glossop gave him one day's leave from training to enjoy the occasion.

Under Warren Ryan, Canterbury beat Parramatta 6-4 in the 1984 grand final, with Chris converting Mark Bugden's try to give his side

The view of the Murrumbidgee from ‘Buckingham Palace’.

the win. The Bulldogs snatched a 7-6 win over St George in the 1985 grand final to give the three brothers a record of winning three premierships, although Chris and Steve lost the 1986 decider to Parramatta 6-4 in the only tryless grand final.

In 1988 Chris moved to Penrith where he played 58 first grade matches in three seasons and played in the Panthers’ first grand final, lost to Canberra 18-14 in 1990 in his 250th and last first grade game (he’d scored 35 tries and 41 goals), before ending his career with Wakefield in England.

Altogether, he played 250 first grade games, scoring 35 tries, 41 goals and a field goal for 209 points.

Renowned for his toughness, the rugged centre was made for State of Origin and played nine times for NSW, winning his first two series in 1985-86.

A 1986 Kangaroo, Chris played his

only Test at Port Moresby against Papua New Guinea, scoring a try in the 62-12 win.

A builder by trade, Chris has built a rustic cabin, which he has named ‘Buckingham Palace’, on his property about a kilometre from his home, overlooking the river. The Mortimers like nothing better than to share a drink with friends at this serene and beautiful place, while they reminisce about old football days.

Penrith Captain's Club ambassador, 1986 Kangaroo and 1990 grand final teammate Royce Simmons, is one of many of Chris' friends who have enjoyed this magic place over the past few years.

Banjo Paterson’s poems come to mind while enjoying an ale or two with Chris and Diane … The Man from Snowy River, Clancy of the Overflow, the Man from Ironbark. The life of ‘Louie’ Mortimer seems to fit hand and glove in such surroundings.

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FAR SOUTH COAST COMMITTEE PROFILE

BY AARON HENRY

M

en of League Foundation NSW state manager Stuart Raper speaks fondly of the Far South Coast and the rugby league family in the region. It might have something to do with Stu having been the captain-coach of the Eden Tigers in the early 1990s.

“It’s hard not to love the Far South Coast. It has so many beautiful places down there and is just a great member of the rugby league family,” Raper says.

“It’s got a wonderful history of good footballers to come out of places like Bega, Eden, Cooma and Merimbula but more importantly than that, it’s got a very passionate and hard-working rugby league community.

The Men of League Foundation Far South Coast committee are like many rural and regional committees from around the country. They run on the smell of an oily rag and cover a vast area.

The committee is largely based around the Group 16 competition and covers an area from Moruya in the north, south to Eden and inland to the Bombala area.

“It’s a massive, massive area for the Far South Coast to cover. They do a wonderful job in getting around to see and organise the people that they need, to help us keep up our profile and welfare work in the area,” Raper said.

“A few of our country committees use satellite and sub-committees to help them out in smaller areas within their region and Far South Coast is another example of how that works.

“Sharing the load between the members and across the towns helps us to be able to care for more people and reinforce what we do.

“They have a range of the usual social functions to help raise important funds and they’re always great fun.

“The committee has a regular golf day in Eden, and a bowls day in Bega. At the moment there are 30

MEN OF LEAGUE JUNE 2016

(From left) Joe Galavou, Damian Kennedy, Terry Dickson and George Rose.

plans in the works for more social and networking events for Bombala and Cobargo.

The committee is a large one to help work the whole far south coast area and there are so many hard-working members that help us get the job done.

Terry Dickson is the committee president and he helps steer the ship.

“Damian Kennedy is the committee secretary and he just constantly makes sure that we help where we are most needed,” Stuart said.

“Damian does a great job in balancing his Men of League Foundation charity and welfare work with his work for the NRL as the game development officer in Southern NSW. Damian is another great example of how many people wear multiple hats within our game and all for the benefit of our community.

“Terry and Damian are keen to see the Foundation and committee find more members locally. They’ll be working on the Moruya area especially this year, so if you’re down on the far south coast, please get in touch with us as we’d love to have you on board to help with our great work.”

So if you’re on the Sapphire Coast of NSW, come along to one of committee’s next functions. They’re always great on the Far South Coast – they call it Eden for a reason!

HOW WE HELP, WITH YOUR HELP

J

amieson, 13, is a very special member of our rugby league family. As well as being an avid Manly Warringah supporter, all her life she’s been a familiar face at her brother Codi’s league games, cheering him on.

Meanwhile their mum Amanda has ferried Codi and his teammates thousands of kilometres over the years so they could attend training and matches around central western NSW where they live. She has also helped out on the canteen and at barbecues.

Jamieson has spinal muscular atrophy. She is mobile in her electric wheelchair but has increasingly limited use of her arms and hands. Her muscles grow weaker with time, because her condition is degenerative and there is no cure.

But Jamieson is full of grit, ready with a smile and she looks out for her family. That was why when we asked how Men of League could help it was Jamieson herself who suggested a new wheelchair accessible van, knowing how much it would mean to her whole family.

In February, the Men of League community rallied around Jamieson, raising money to buy a new van.

A bowls day was held in Dubbo, where she also had the chance to meet former Sea Eagle and Australian prop Josh Perry. The van, which the family will receive soon, will change all their lives.

Her mum says she was so happy to hear they were getting a new van, she burst into tears.

“I still get teary thinking about it,” she says. “The expense of it is something we couldn’t afford.

It will just make everything so much easier.”

Your tax deductable donation can help us make sure more people in our rugby league family like Jamieson have help when they are going through a rough patch – whether it’s because of mental and physical illness, an accident or other struggles. Please give to the Men of League Foundation today, knowing how much your generous gesture will mean.

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A NON-SALARY CAP As Ray Warren identifies in his column, Parramatta’s alleged systematic circumventing of the salary cap has thrown into focus the current system.

Here’s food for thought: a cap that’s not monetary. BY NEIL CADIGAN

I

t is generally assumed that there has to be a talent cap in rugby league (and most elite competitions) unless we want the situation in European soccer of over-dominant clubs run rampantly out of control financially as play-things of rich barons and oil sheiks.

Yet how effective are ‘hard cap’ systems? That is, salary caps with fixed payment ceilings and highly restricted exemptions or extensions.

Do they, by nature, encourage under-the-table payments when under-pressure to compete?

The Parramatta saga of this year, followed by the Melbourne Storm and Canterbury Bulldogs sagas of recent years, have raised that question. All three were fundamentally exposed by whistle-blowers or (in the Bulldogs’ case) investigative journalists.

So what are the options? And what is the priority – talent equalisation or financial responsibility? Can both go hand in hand and be controlled?

Salary caps have been introduced into sporting competitions for primarily two reasons: to distribute talent evenly and to create a mechanism to ensure clubs do not spend beyond their means.

I’ve long been a supporter of a point-allocation system, not a financial cap which suppresses player income and, by nature, leads to the temptation to cheat.

Sure, like the current system, a points rating is not perfect. And it can lead to pressure on clubs to spend beyond their means to try to ‘buy a premiership’.

However, what it does – instantly – is bring transparency, and that is perhaps the key issue in a cap system considering our recent history. And it eliminates the need to cheat to secure talent.

It opens up, too, the option for those most likely to want to pay direct benefits to players or leverage their association with an NRL club – current sponsors.

Presently, they are basically blocked from extending their payments to clubs for suspicion of ‘in lieu of payment to players’ manoeuvres.

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MEN OF LEAGUE JUNE 2016

Greg Inglis … elite player or 100 points. Photo courtesy NRL Photos.

Ian Schubert, the man who spent more time than anyone policing the salary cap in league (which was introduced in its current form in 1990), has become an advocate of a points system. And that has to be seen as a considerable endorsement.

“As a personal project really, I have considered a points system for years and have run models over the NRL clubs and actual figures, just looking at how an alternative might measure up,” said Schubert, who didn’t want to go into detail of what is a complex formula.

“Effectively it would be almost a real Fantasy League with a lot of variables covering injury, talent differentiation between same level rep players, encouragement for clubs to be development rather than recruitment clubs etc.

“In principle, I see the value in it being considered. Its greatest benefit is transparency.”

In American sports, there has been a variety of cap systems that cater for hard cap, soft cap, luxury tax, long-serving exemptions, rookie and marquee player extensions and, for a while in the NBA, a pointssystem where players were given a Player Points Rating judged by a panel.

In rugby league, a cap-system dates back to 1972 when a $2000 per season and $200 per match (winning bonus) was scrapped 18 months later after

blatant abuse. Then came a 13-import rule which banned clubs fielding – in their three grade teams of the time – more than 13 players who were not local juniors.

It was 1990 when the NSWRL, which then ran the major competition, brought in a $1.5 million cap and premiers of that season, Canberra, were found to have overspent by $85,000 and were on the way to over-shooting again on the way to their second title in 1991.

THE POINTS CAP Club allocation: 1200 points (average 40 points per player) for squad of 30 players.

Points are allocated at the start of each player contract and is automatically reviewed (at June 30 to apply for the next season) after three years whether their contract has expired or not.

The cap has grown in complexity and monetary value (although marginally for two decades to $4.4 million in 2012 and is $6.1 million plus allowances now), since then.

Points 150

(Optional) Elite 10 – the game’s top 10 players

So, let’s cut to the chase. How could a points, rather than cash, system work, and what are the benefits?

120

20 Tests or more for Australia, the last within the past 18 months

Let me introduce (as a working title) The Caddo Cap. My proposal is based on experience and representative achievement, not a subjective talent gauge. Pay players what the market forces dictate, but this system still ensures that you can’t stock-pile all the best.

100

Criteria

Australian player 10 Tests or more; NZ/ England 21 Tests or more (once the player’s

most recent Test is five years previous, 10 points are reduced, and another 10 points reduced if last Test is 10 years previous)

90

Aust. player less than 10 Tests; NZ/Eng. Tests 11-20, Origin 20 games or more

80

Origin 6-19 games, NZ/England international 10 Tests or less (reduced by 10

70

Origin less than 6 games or NRL player of 200 or more first grade games

Sure, this system needs refining and people will point to some flaws. Like two players may play the same amount of NRL games and be on the same points allocation but be widely apart in talent, play different and perceptually less important positions (a winger compared to a hooker halfback). So that when a club had to decide between a winger or a halfback on the same points allocation, they’d have to go for a halfback?

60

150-199 first grade games

50

101-149 first grade games

40

51-100 first grade games or over 100 Super League games

30

16-49 first grade games, up to 99 Super League games

20

Up to 15 first grade games

I get that. But conversely, every team has to have players in all positions, have adequate depth across the park and, very importantly, need to reward loyal players. So it all evens out.

10

No NRL experience

To protect clubs from spending beyond their means, the NRL audits their books each year.

There can still be penalties for clubs who over-spend although the natural penalty is that they go broke and their sustainability is destroyed; so clubs become self-regulating.

The boundless Third Party Agreement situation now gives the likes of Brisbane a huge advantage anyway.

So no system is flawless.

(reduced by 10 points once five years since last Test or Origin game)

points once five years since last Test or Origin)

Discounts 20

200 or more games for current club

15

150-199 games for the club

5

100 or more games for the club

Injury

But its simplicity could be its beauty.

Anyway, the table to the right is self-explanatory. I have run it across a couple of clubs and they fit – just.

Clubs can apply for downgrading due to a player’s injury history.

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BOB’S NEVER BOARD WITH RUGBY LEAGUE

Bob Farrell demonstrating his board game.

Bob’s playing dice, board and game pieces.

ugby league devotee Bob Farrell has been a fan of the game all of his life. He’s been a player, coach and even an inventor! Bob has designed a rugby league board game with everything that you get on the real life field.

league. I’ve simplified the game down to just one player from each team, otherwise it would take hours for just one play.

R

Bob has been working on his board game since the 1990s and now has a working prototype that will give rugby league fans something to do off the field. His board game incorporates dice which are used for directional play and kicking (both long and tactical) along with categorised cards that include all aspects of play such as errors, scrums and ball movement.

“I’ve reproduced the game in its entirety, so you can even run your own tipping competition and replay old games and get a different score. Everything that happens on the rugby league field can happen in the board game all the way through to the final siren,” Bob said.

“I’m a school teacher by trade so I’ve always been keen to see kids learn. My game can be used as another learning tool to help kids who love rugby 34

MEN OF LEAGUE JUNE 2016

As much as Bob would like to see more kids outside playing or on his board game, he also thinks it could be computerised and turned into an online game.

Right now Bob is looking to mass produce his board game so he’s keen to hear from other passionate rugby league fans who might be interested in partnering with him and investing in his idea.

“I’ve got a few other ideas coming along based around rugby league too, but at this stage I’m now looking to produce the board game,” Bob said.

If you’d like to find out more information about Bob’s game or get in touch with him, email Bob on rfarrell7@bigpond.com.

Stay tuned for some more rugby league ideas and innovation coming from Bob soon!

DUD WAS A QLD TREASURE

BY STEVE RICKETTS

Beattie was also a selector for the inaugural Origin game in 1980 when veteran forward Arthur Beetson was an inspired choice as skipper.

When people recall Beattie’s career, it is likely the focus will be on an incident in the last of his 15 Tests for Australia - at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1962.

D

ud Beattie will be remembered for many wonderful achievements in rugby league, whether as a no-nonsense forward for Australia, Queensland and Ipswich, or as a long serving state and national selector.

As a Queensland State of Origin selector, he was the one who went into bat for Allan Langer in 1987 when many thought the little Ipswich Jets number seven was too small and inexperienced for the big stage.

Following Dud’s passing on April 19, Langer publicly reiterated his gratitude to Beattie for speaking up, even though Queensland coach Wayne Bennett was one of those leaning towards a more experienced player, such as Laurie Spina, to replace Mark Murray, who had been forced into retirement though injury.

“If it wasn’t for Dud, I probably wouldn’t have played in that series,” said Caloundra-based Langer, who went on to play 34 Origin games as well as 24 Tests for his country.

The touring Great Britain side had won the first two Tests to retain the Ashes, and Australia was looking to salvage pride. Beattie dislocated his shoulder, and, in what has become part of league folklore, decided to take an Englishman with him, given no replacements were allowed.

The story goes that Beattie goaded Derek ‘Rocky’ Turner into a fight, and when referee Darcy Lawler blew his whistle, Beattie collapsed in pain, clutching his shoulder. Turner was the first to be dismissed, but Beattie, assisted by an ambulanceman, followed soon after. Turner made threatening gestures towards Beattie as the ‘ambo’ helped the Australian from the field.

Beattie told me as far back as the 1980s that he had not set out to get Turner sent off, and that noted Sydney journalist Peter Muszcat had picked up on a half-time talk from Australian coach Harry Bath.

In Murray Barnett’s book ‘For the Love of the Game’, Beattie said he thought Bath was joking and his plan was to merely make a nuisance of himself, and to play as many minutes as possible. Beattie thought he had been sent off for his practice of rushing at the English dummy half before he had picked up the ball.

Australia went on to record an 18-17 victory, with winger Ken Irvine scoring a try in the closing

stages and then converting from the sideline.

Beattie was born at Marburg, just west of Ipswich, and raised on a dairy farm at nearby Glamorganvale. He played all his club football for Railways, representing Ipswich in the Bulimba Cup, before being selected for his Queensland debut in 1958, going on to play 19 matches for his state.

In 1959 he was involved in a massive brawl after he was decked

by New South Wales firebrand, Brian Hambly. “I went down after Brian hit me, and when I got up was involved in a stoush with a few more blokes,” Beattie recalled.

“When I got to my feet a second time, I wasn’t sure where I was. It was a tough initiation.”

Nevertheless, he played all three Tests against the touring Kiwis in 1959, and was chosen for the Kangaroo tour of Britain, France and Italy. For the first Test against France at the SCG in 1960, Beattie was part of an ‘all Ipswich’ front row with hooker, Noel Kelly (Goodna) and fellow prop Garry Parcell (Harrisville), although Kelly had moved to Ayr in North Queensland by then.

A coal miner, Beattie would work down the mine on a Saturday morning, and then head off to play footy, sometimes for his state.

“I couldn’t give up a day’s pay, because you didn’t get enough from football,” he said.

Dud was heavily involved with Men of League, on the Sunshine Coast, where he had made his home, and in Brisbane. In 2009 he was made a Foundation honouree, along with Parcell and Kelly.

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AROUND THE GROUNDS ... A PICTORIAL LOOK AT EVENTS IN RECENT MONTHS

Men of League Queensland staff members Tegan Jennings (left) and Kristy West (right) with Brent Tate at the Men of League and Bulls Masters ‘steak and shiraz lunch’ at the Story Bridge Hotel.

Robbie O’Davis autographs some jerseys at the NRL Masters Men of League Day on 4 March.

Participants from the recent Brisbane golf day at Keperra Country Golf Club.

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MEN OF LEAGUE JUNE 2016

Petero Civoniceva helps out by signing some footballs at the ‘steak and shiraz luncheon’ at Boardwalk Tavern in Hope Island on 21 April.

NRL All Stars and NRL Masters players come together for a photo following the Men of League All Stars game on 4 March.

(From left) Ben 'Dobbo' Dobbin, Petero Civoniceva, Ian Healy, Wally Fullerton Smith and Kevin Campion at the Hope Island ‘steak and shiraz luncheon’.

(From left) Ben Ross, Kevin Kingston and Luke Swain at the Penrith committee's season launch at St Marys Leagues Club.

The XXXX team walked away winners from the recent Brisbane golf day at Keperra Country Golf Club.

Standing (from left) John Greaves, Ray Beattie and Aaron Raper. Seated: John (left) and Stuart Raper, enjoying the NSW True Blues dinner at The Star.

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REMEMBERING T The Foundation wishes to recognise the recent passing of the following people who left a positive legacy within the rugby league community.

For more tributes or expanded versions, go to www.menofleague.com

DUDLEY BEATTIE

A rugby league legend of the 1950s and 60s, Dud was an Australian international and Queensland representative prop forward who played in Ipswich, Queensland for the Railways Club.

See story on page 35.

SEL BESHAM

Former New Zealand international halfback Sel Belsham passed away on the Gold Coast in March, aged 85. He had been in poor health suffering from dementia over the past few years.

Nicknamed ‘Selly’, he proudly wore the Kiwi stripe in 10 Tests between 1953 and 1957, represented New Zealand in the 1957 World Cup, as well as being selected in the Rest of the World side which played Australia. He toured Great Britain in 1955-56 and Australia in 1956. He was also a first class cricketer for Auckland and was considered to be a certainty for the Black Cap tour to South Africa before being struck down with hepatitis.

The Men of League and rugby league community would like to express their condolences to Selly’s wife Marge and family.

THOMAS BEST OAM

The Country Rugby League Referees Association has lost one of its much loved and respected life members in Thomas Arthur ‘Nick’ Best OAM, who was 79.

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Nick served as the president of the organisation for 31 years from 1981.

A life member of the South Coast/ Group 7 Rugby League Referees’ Association and former president of that association for 12 years, Best’s contribution to rugby league and refereeing includes life membership of the CRLRA, the CRL and the ARLRA as well as the ultimate honour to be bestowed on any sports volunteer, the Order of Australia Medal.

He has influenced so many people during his lifetime and they include some of the game’s leading officials of today by virtue of the times that he coordinated and coached the match officials for the ASSRL national championships.

Condolences go to Nick’s dear wife, Marion and his family who were Nick’s first love ahead of his refereeing, fishing and golf.

GRAHAME BOWEN

Former St George and Cronulla forward Grahame Bowen passed away in his sleep in March, aged 69. A Cronulla junior, Grahame began his grade career with the Dragons and played 75 top grade games with the club in six seasons from 1967. He was a member of Jack Gibson’s St George side who were beaten by Souths in the thrilling 1971 grand final.

In 1973, Bowen moved to Cronulla, where he played 29 matches in two seasons. Despite injured ribs,

he had a strong game in the 1973 grand final against Manly. The Sharks were narrowly beaten 10-7 in this torrid match, and one of the major reasons for their excellent effort was Grahame Bowen.

During his playing days, Bowen was a policeman, moving on to become a detective. He later joined the club industry and was a popular secretary/manager at the SUS (Sutherland United Services) club for many years.

He was one of the original members of Men of League and was at the first meeting at the NSWRL. His membership number is 15 and has been an active member of the organisation since it started. He has been heavily involved in welfare visits and was the welfare officer for the Southern Sydney committee.

Grahame is survived by his son, Scott, who is a three-Test Wallaby, daughter, Nicole, brother Roger, sisters Lyn and Sue, along with his 95-year-old mother Patricia.

Grahame Bowen.

THOSE NOW GONE GARRY DODD

Garry Dodd, who passed away in March following a long illness, gave great service to the game as a referee officiating in Group Seven for 25 years. He was part of 25 grand finals, nine as referee and 16 as touch judge across first grade, reserve grade and under18s from 1975-92. In 1975 he controlled the first grade grand final when Albion Park Oak Flats defeated Gerringong 19-8 at Kiama Showground and was later touch judge in 10 first grade grand finals.

Familiarly known as ‘Doddy’ he was controversial to say the least and when the sin bin was introduced no local referee used it more often than Dodd. It was often said that when the home official responsible for looking after the sin bin area knew Garry Dodd was officiating, the number of seats in the sin bin area was increased.

Dodd was also the first secretary of Gerringong junior club and served as president of the referees association for one season.

KEN ENGLISH

Former New Zealand International front-rower Ken English passed away in March, aged 89.

A police officer, English switched from rugby union to rugby league where he had a distinguished playing career, playing one Test for the Kiwis and touring England and France in 1951-52. He was a life member of the Wellington and New Zealand leagues.

JOSEPH JOHN GAUCCI

Joe was rated as one of the toughest halfbacks to play on the North Coast, winning premierships

with Coffs Harbour Diggers and Comets in the 1950s and 60s and was always known as a great competitor. He later became the top referee in Group 2, which resulted in him sending off the great Jim Cody after he’d flattened an opposition player. Joe was 78 when he passed away.

GLEN GLEESON

Glen ‘Knobby’ Gleeson was a fine hooker for the Bundarra and Tingha clubs in Groups 5 and 9.

Born in Armidale, Northern NSW, he grew up in the small town of Bundarra where he played his first A grade game at a young age.

He was a very good hooker when scrums were scrums and could also play anywhere in the pack.

In 1977, after Bundarra could not field teams for seven seasons and he played for Tingha, Gleeson returned to his home town and was captain-coach from 1977 to 1980. It was at this time that he had to make one of the hardest decisions of his life when he was offered a contract by Penrith Panthers. Being a country boy, he decided to stay in the bush and help his father with the family business.

Former top Group 5 referee Stan Smith, who is also a member of the Men of League, paid a special tribute to Gleeson when he said he was a great ambassador for rugby league on and off the field and could pick up players with raw talent and bring out the best in them.

Glen, 68, was a loving family man who is survived by his loving wife of 44 years, Jenny, a dedicated league supporter, and their children and grand-children.

JOHN HACKETT

Hackett, who was 62, played for Wagga Magpies and went to Sydney where he played for Newtown Jets. He was in the squad that was beaten by Parramatta in the 1981 grand final, with the legendary Tom Raudonikis as captain. John was a proud member of the Men of League Foundation.

DES HANCOCK

Des Hancock was a true friend of rugby league during his time as Queensland boss of Rothmans of Pall Mall.

Hancock, who passed away earlier this year aged 79, was heavily involved in the organisation of the annual Rothmans Medal awards for the best and fairest player in the Brisbane Rugby League.

The black tie awards dinner was one of the social highlights of the year in Queensland and many illustrious names won the medal, including Darryl Brohman, Graeme Atherton, Alan Currie and former Men of League Foundation Queensland state manager Steve Calder.

Originally from South Australia, Hancock was a close friend of former Test centre Gene Miles, a Rothman employee in the 1980s but now head of Former Origin Greats.

In addition to his successful business career, Des Hancock was heavily involved with charities, was Queensland chairman of the Eye Institute and member of the Suncorp Stadium Trust.

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BILL JAMES OAM

Bill James OAM, a loyal servant of the game, passed away in March, aged 80.

As a player he represented South Coast (NSW) in 1952 and in 1964 gained his referees ticket and officiated until 1969 during which time he was secretary-treasurer of the local referees association.

He was the Shellharbour club’s secretary from 1972-81 and president in 1983, was Group 7 president from 2002-05 and on the board of directors from 1991-99 and 2001-05, delegate to Southern Division and Country Rugby League, and a long term member of the selection committee, referees appointments board, judiciary committee, manager of numerous representative teams and was elected a Group 7 and Southern Division life member.

In 1980, James arranged the sponsorship of the referees’ association by Cleary Brothers that remains in place today and is one of the longest running continuous sponsorships in the history of Australian sport.

After retiring from employment at Cleary Brothers in 1996 he became involved in volunteer police work in the Lake Illawarra area command and over the next 20 years (including assisting detectives on murder cases) volunteered more the 23,000 hours of his time receiving numerous awards including the Police Commissioner’s Certificate of Merit.

Bill was also a life member of Shellharbour Workers Club, foundation secretary-treasurer of Shellharbour Bowling Club, treasurer of the golf club and at the time of his passing was treasurer of Blackbutt Flinders Probus Club and the Illawarra branch of the 40

MEN OF LEAGUE JUNE 2016

Order of Australia Association and has been a Justice of the Peace for a long period.

JOHN JOYCE

Former Brisbane Souths’ prop forward, John ‘Jungle’ Joyce, passed away in April after a brave battle with cancer.

Joyce played for the Magpies between 1971 and 1980 in the same era as Australian skipper Greg Veivers and current ARLC chairman John Grant.

He also played in the strong public service league with his great mate Barry Lynch, with the pair also playing at Souths together. A tall, imposing figure, John Joyce was a handful for any defence.

GEOFF KELLY

Former Brisbane Wests Panthers’ player, Geoff ‘Gutsy’ Kelly passed away in April, with his life celebrated at a funeral service at Lowood, near Ipswich.

Geoff played mainly reserve grade for Wests and was also manager at a number of the club’s junior sides in the 1970s. Family and friends remember him as a man with a heart of gold and a smile for everyone.

ALLAN MASON

Allan Mason, who was born and bred in Balmain, commenced his career in the junior ranks of his beloved Balmain area. He played 13 games for Canterbury between 1954-55 before returning to his hometown and playing more than 50 first grade games for Balmain between 1956 and 1962.

He could slot into halfback, fiveeighth, centre or fullback. It was however in the pivot role he revelled, winning the club’s best back award in 1959. A career highlight for Allan was playing in the 1956 grand final against

St George who were in the midst of their golden run of premierships.

After finishing his first grade career at Balmain he captain-coached Canberra. He also captain-coached representative Monaro against South Africa and France in 1963.

Allan returned to Balmain and coached their third grade under23s sides for a number of seasons, including the inaugural under-23s’ premiership title in 1973. In 1974 he coached the Balmain first grade side.

GEORGE MENZIES

Former New Zealand international five-eighth George Menzies passed away at Greymouth, New Zealand in March, aged 85.

He represented the Kiwis in 69 games between 1951-61, including 29 Tests. He toured Great Britain and France twice, in 1951 and 1955, represented the Rest of the World in 1960 and appeared in three World Cups.

After retiring from international football, he captain-coached Harden-Murrumburrah, who participated in Group 9 in New South Wales and the famous Maher Cup, for one season in 1963. In 1973 he was appointed as selector for the New Zealand national side, then in 1974-75 he coached the Kiwis in 11 Tests.

In 1989 he was named West Coast Rugby League’s best ever fiveeighth, and in 2007 named in New Zealand Team of the Century.

ROGER MILLWARD

English league legend Roger Millward MBE, has passed away at the age of 68 after a battle with cancer.

Millward, nicknamed ‘Roger the Dodger’ after his incredible form for Great Britain during his first visit to Australia in 1970, was a member of Britain’s Rugby

PETER MOTT

Roger Millward. Photo: www.sharks.com.au

League Hall of Fame and was Cronulla’s captain during his one season here in 1976.

Millward played 46 Tests for Great Britain and England and made 406 appearances for Hull KR, scoring a club record 207 tries and kicking 607 goals. He won five Challenge Cups as captain, his last appearance ended with him holding aloft the cup in 1980.

He went onto coach the Robins for another 11 seasons, winning six more trophies and becoming the most successful coach in the club’s history. He was fittingly awarded the MBE for his services to rugby league in 1983 and inducted into the Rugby League Hall of Fame in 2000.

ALLAN OLIVER

Oliver was the first Indigenous Australian to be awarded life membership of the Cairns and District Rugby League in 2007.

He had been a dedicated servant of rugby league for 59 years and continued to follow his beloved Southern Suburb (where he was a life member) until the time of his passing in August last year.

Oliver had been a mentor to many and ensured that a lot of indigenous players were given the opportunity to play representative football while selecting for Cairns and Innisfail/Eacham. Alan is survived by his wife May, six sons and four daughters.

A well-liked and regular attendee at Sunshine Coast events, Peter Mott has passed away at the age of 71.

Known to his mates as ‘Motty’, he played masters rugby league until he was 52, a decade after he had retired from the full-contact version of the game. He was a committee member of the Kawana Dolphins club on the Sunshine Coast, a club which made him a life member in 2012.

Motty was born in Moss Vale in 1945 but he and his wife Gwenny spent much of their married life in Auckland where the back-rower played firstly for the Ponsonby club, then the Ellerslie Eagles.

A hard worker for the game, Motty was a tower of strength at the Eagles and when he and Gwenny moved to the Sunshine Coast in 1997, the Dolphins became the recipient of his commitment, loyalty and an insatiable appetite for helping others.

RON SADDLER

Ron Saddler, the first Aboriginal player to captain NSW in 1967, passed away on the Tweed in May, aged 74.

He played for the Roosters between 1963-71 before returning to the Tweed where he played for Murwillumbah Old Boys in the Gold Coast-Group 18 competition.

A talented all-round sportsman, Saddler played 118 first grade games for Eastern Suburbs (now Sydney Roosters), six times for NSW and toured with the 1967-68 Kangaroos.

MICK SULLIVAN

Legendary former Great Britain winger Michael ‘Mick’ Sullivan passed away in England in April.

After making his debut as an 18 year old for Huddersfield in 1952, he went on to play for Wigan

(1957-61), St Helens (1961-63), York (1963-65) and Dewsbury (1965-66). In 1966 he moved to Australia where he played three seasons with the Rebels in Junee as captain-coach before returning to England.

Sullivan is the only player to win two World Cups for the Lions (1954 and 1960) and he set the record for most appearances for the Great Britain with 46 from 1954-63, which has been equalled

by Garry Schofield.

RON WILKINSON

The Central Division acknowledged the passing of Ronald Henry Gordon Wilkinson in March, aged 86.

Wilkinson was born in Winton on 23 July, 1929. During depression times life was hard and Ron took on the butchering trade at an early age. The family moved to Rockhampton and Ron eventually moved into his own butcher shop.

He played for Rockhampton clubs Norths and Brothers and was on Norths committee, being their delegate to the Rockhampton Rugby League, was on the Rockhampton Leagues Club board from 1977-1992 including as chairman from 1981. He was also president of the Rockhampton League from 1986 to 1990 and delegate to Central Division.

Wilkinson was president of the Central Division from 1991 to 2002 and delegate to the Queensland Rugby League. He served on the Australian Rugby League board and was co-manager of the Kangaroos tour to Great Britain in 1994.

He was a life member of the Rockhampton Leagues Club, Rockhampton Rugby League, Central Division Rugby League and Queensland Rugby League.

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LENDING A HELPING HAND TRACEY IN DESPERATE NEED

BY ALAN WEBB

A surprise welfare visit to Tracey Dakin at Campbelltown Hospital was organised by her friends Lisa Hammond and husband Darren, Kathy Stewart and Tracey’s daughter Rebekah.

fall at home and broke her hip and had to spend another four weeks in hospital. The doctors decided to scan her brain again, thinking the fall and her slow recovery may be related to her meningioma.

Much to Tracey’s surprise, South’s Care representatives Brock Schaeffer and former player Beau Champion, attended along with John Peard, Bob McMillan and Alan Webb, welfare officers from Sydney Metro.

A third operation was conducted in November 2015, with greater physical effects than the previous two operations. Tracey was now experiencing arm and leg tremors and increased physical weakness.

Tracey’s face lit up when Beau walked into the room. Beau presented Tracey with a signed South Sydney jumper and cap. She was also given a Men of League ladies pink polo shirt.

Tracey and her family were involved in a traumatic car accident that left her with terrible injuries in September 2005. This involved a lengthy hospital stay, rehabilitation and lasting physical disability and emotional scars for all of them.

In June 2014, after separating from her partner, Tracey moved into her own home and tried to get back on her feet for the sake of her three children. Not long after, she started to experience headaches and unusual dizzy spells that wouldn’t go away. A brain CT revealed a tumour, which required surgery.

Unfortunately, the tumour regrew and a second operation was performed to remove the extra growth and she had radiation to kill the remaining tumour.

Tracey felt she would finally be on the road to recovery but she had a 42

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After three brain operations and radiation therapy the doctors realised that the tumours would just keep growing back.

Tracey was hoping to begin an experimental chemotherapy treatment called Lutate.

Lutate therapy in NSW is used when there is progression of NETs (neuroendocrine tumours) disease and existing growth-inhibiting therapies are no longer effective.

In the majority of cases, Lutate stabilises or improves disease that has previously been progressive, and some patients achieve remission.

But, only one month after her third operation Tracey again experienced arm and leg tremors.

A CT scan revealed the remaining tumour had doubled in size in four weeks. Her meningioma was classified as an extremely rare and aggressive grade 3 malignant meningioma.

A fourth operation was performed in February but it left Tracey unable to walk, use her right arm or to care for herself or even sit up properly.

Tracey Dakin at Campbelltown Hospital.

Lutate therapy has finally begun.

The problem here is the doctor doesn’t know if her tumour will advance too quickly before Lutate has the chance to work or if Tracey’s tumour will respond to the Lutate at all.

Tracey has been given only months at most, perhaps weeks, to live. Each Lutate treatment will cost Tracey $4000 every eight weeks (the treatment appallingly not funded by the government for her rare type of tumour). Lutate is offered in other states as a course of treatment for tumours, but in NSW it is only used as a last resort.

Apparently NSW patients have to travel to other states or even countries like America if they want Lutate treatment straight away, even though Lutate has been successful in slowing the growth of some tumours. You can’t help but wonder if Tracey’s story could’ve been different if Lutate treatment had been offered to her sooner.

Tracey’s family needs all the financial support they can get.

A MY CAUSE account has been opened to help ease the financial burden for her family and provide some financial security for her kids.

The link for Tracey is: mycause.com.au/page/121608

We will obviously see Brendan, Ashley and hopefully Rory on our future visits.

We had a very busy schedule on this visit and had the pleasure to meet and chat with:

(From left) Fred Jackson, Ken Vessey, Brendan Jones and Norm Pounder.

ROYAL REHAB REPORT

BY KEN VESSEY Norm Pounder, Fred Jackson and I paid another rewarding and moving visit to the Royal Rehab Centre through the excellent co-operation of community relations manager Jim Towers, to catch up with previously visited patients and some new ones. As with other visits we were again amazed with the dedication of all of the centre’s staff and the determination and courage of all patients in the spinal and brain injury units.

We were delighted to catch up again with Rob Scott and his dad Steve from the northern beaches area in Sydney. Rob is receiving treatment for head injuries incurred in the USA when king hit. He has been at the centre for about 15 months. It is always good to meet new people and we were very pleased to be introduced to a young man and very proud new dad Brendan Jones who told us about his three-week-old son Rory.

Rory is very special because he is the first child to be born into the centre’s brain injury unit, where his mum Ashley is receiving treatment for serious brain injuries incurred when hit by a passing motor vehicle when she was in the early stages of her pregnancy.

Bill Murray was visiting his wife Jane and we took the opportunity to talk about rugby league and he proudly told us about his father Bill’s involvement with the South Sydney club on the administration side in the 1950s and 1960s; Robert Richardson was receiving further treatment for a neck injury suffered some years ago. Over the years he has had numerous operations in an effort to heal the injury. He is now retired and lives in the South Coast town of Dalmeny and is a very keen South Sydney Rabbitohs supporter; Shane Tane was receiving rehab treatment in the spinal injury unit and we had a good robust discussion with him about rugby league and wished him all the best in his recovery.

The Royal Rehab in conjunction with the Ryde Sports Foundation is presenting their Royal Rehab achievement awards at a joint awards night in May at the Ryde Eastwood Leagues Club and we have bought a table to be attended

by Northern Sydney members.

result several infections spread through his body. He was seriously ill spending considerable time in ICU, but is now on the road to recovery and is hopeful of a return to a hospital closer to his home.

At the time of the visit his son Craig, also from Forbes, arrived and thanked his visitors for taking the time to visit his dad. Barry and Craig knew John well from his visits to Forbes over the years.

BOB BOLAND

Our NSW North Coast committee have been to see former Tigers and Panthers Bob Boland. He has been in hospital on the North Coast due to a hip replacement and other complications.

Bob was one of the most durable and underrated forwards of the late 1950s and 1960s. The Balmain junior appeared in the club’s grand final losses to St George in 1964 and 1966.

In 1968 he was lured to Penrith by club secretary Merv Cartwright as captain-coach and brought immediate success with a win in the final of the preseason competition.

BARRY ANDERSON

Barry was visited at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown by Sydney Metro welfare officers John Peard, Bob McMillan and Alan Webb in March.

Barry, or as he is affectionately known ‘Pearly Shells’, from Forbes, has been a member of Men of League for many years, his member number is 1050.

He came to Sydney as a result of blood clots in his leg, and as a

Laurie Boekeman (left) and Peter Barrett visit Bob Boland.

BILL DAVIS

Bill, or ‘Mootoo’ as he is more commonly known, had a heart attack while in Royal Prince Alfred Hospital after being admitted

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after having a stroke. He was transferred to War Memorial Hospital Waverley for rehab, but again had a heart problem and was transferred to Prince of Wales.

He is now on the road to recovery and has now returned to War Memorial Hospital Waverley to continue his rehabilitation. Bill was a South Sydney junior who played and coached several premiership teams.

BOBBY DIMOND

Although unable to participate in contact sport, Steven has maintained a positive outlook and strong determination to succeed in coaching. Steven is an example of always giving life your best shot and that’s why he is admired by all that know him.

STEVE GEARIN Denis Ward, Bob Honan, Greg Sylvester and John Lang visiting Bobby Dimond.

Former Australian international winger Bobby Dimond, who is recovering from a stroke, was extremely appreciative when he received a surprise visit from Gold Coast Men of League welfare officers Greg Sylvester, Bobby Honan, Dennis Ward and John Lang at his Gold Coast residence.

STEVEN DONALDSON

Bobby was selected in the 1948 Kangaroo tour to Great Britain and France from Dapto. This tour lasted seven months as travel both ways was by ocean liner. At age 18 he was the second youngest player to be selected for a Kangaroo tour.

Upon his return Bobby signed with Western Suburbs Magpies, playing 25 first grade games in 1950-51, scoring twelve tries. His career prematurely ended when he broke a leg in a motor cycle accident.

In 2012, Steven completed year 12, celebrated his 18th birthday, went to Bali for schoolies and was accepted into the Sports Institute at Homebush for a course in physical education.

In his employment with the NSW Fire Brigade, Bobby was extremely lucky to survive several accidents, including cheating death from poisonous gas on numerous occasions.

The Dimond family has been prominent in Australian sport.

Bobby’s daughter Jenny was a top tennis player in the mid1970s, ranked 75 in the world. His younger brother Peter was also an international for Australia, playing on the wing and in the centres, and his nephew Craig (Peter’s son) played second row for Illawarra, Cronulla and Canberra.

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Men of League Central Coast committee welfare representatives Les Pearce and Dennis Culpan visited Steven Donaldson who has had a tough few years. Steven was a talented sportsman, playing rugby league for Umina Bunnies and soccer with Umina Eagles.

Then came the news that he had aggressive Lymphoblastic Lymphoma blood cancer. After many stays and treatments of chemotherapy and blood transfusions in Gosford Hospital, he has been in remission for two years and was looking forward to once more putting on his footy boots and beginning his studies.

Steven then received the news that, due to the extensive steroid use which was part of the cancer treatment, he had developed osteonecrosis – a reduction of blood flow to his hip ball joint which causes the ball to collapse. Steven now requires two hip replacements.

Not only are his footy playing days over but his career path via studies at the Sports Institute are as well. Steven had his right hip replaced in August 2015 and his left hip replaced in February 2016.

Canterbury’s 1980 grand final hero Steve Gearin was in The Mater Hospital Crows Nest recovering from surgery on his hips when he had a visit from welfare officers Norm Pounder and Ken Vessey who found Steve was recovering extremely well and was right into his rehab treatment.

The Bulldogs junior, who later played for St George and Manly, spoke about his illustrious rugby league career which began in his school days at Christian Brothers Lewisham where he was spotted

by Bulldogs/Berries secretary Peter ‘Bullfrog’ Moore and was graded in third grade in 1976 and made his first grade debut at 18.

Described as a baby-faced winger and a pointscoring machine, he stayed at the Bulldogs until 1982 returning briefly in 1985, in what he described as “wonderful years of rugby league experience.”

In 1979 he eclipsed George Taylforth’s club points by scoring 242 points (12 tries, 103 goals) which has since been beaten

by Hazem El Masri and Daryl Halligan. He agrees his career was blessed by a golden moment in the 1980 grand final against Eastern Suburbs when he scored one of the best tries seen at the Sydney Cricket Ground. In the dying minutes he caught a wellplaced kick from his fullback Greg Brentnall on his fingers tips. He scored 15 points in an 18-4 victory.

Gearin spoke modestly of his great rugby league career and his achievements. He said he had played for many good coaches but the best was Ted Glossop.

He nominated Steve Mortimer as his best teammate.

Steve has been a school teacher for 35 years. He lives with his wife Merette, two sons, Jake and Ryce and daughter Kerri on the northern beaches area and is president of the highly successful Sydney Shield team Peninsula Seagulls and his son Jake plays in the team.

(From left) Ken Vessey, Steve Gearin and Norm Pounder.

BRETT HORSNELL

Former Gold Coast Giants, Crushers and Eels player Brett Horsnell was overwhelmed by a visit from the Gold Coast Men of League welfare officers Greg Sylvester, Bob Honan, Greg Rousell and former Australian international and grand final coach David Waite.

two years. In 1997 he transferred to Parramatta where he took his tally to 154 first grade games.

BRIAN IRVINE

One of the famous family names in rugby league is Irvine so it was a pleasure for welfare officers Garry O’Donnell, Peter Moses, Norm Jackson, Ken Vessey, plus former North Sydney Bears players Jeff Simmons and Paul Hancock to meet up with 73-year-old Brian Irvine, brother of the late Ken Irvine who is a rugby league legend from the late 1950s to early 70s.

Peter Moses went to school with Brian whilst Jeff and Paul played junior rugby league with Brian before playing alongside Ken for the North Sydney Bears. Brian played his junior rugby league as a cheeky halfback with North Sydney United, Neutral Bay and Mosman clubs.

Brian is recovering from a tough year but is now playing bowls again and is well supported by his charming wife Mary, their four daughters, three sons and 13 grandchildren. Their son Daniel played first grade for Parramatta and Canterbury from 2000-2007, plus coached the South Sydney Toyota Club under 20 years old team in 2008-2009.

Since his retirement in 1998, Brett has had to endure several serious medical problems. In 2002, he had surgery on his back, and in 2004 he was diagnosed with a brain tumour. Recently he has been undergoing tests to determine if he has multiple sclerosis.

Horsnell captained the Australian Schoolboys tour to New Zealand in 1988. He made his first grade debut in the ARL with the Gold Coast Giants as a lock in 1989.

He remained with the Giants/ Seagulls until the end of the 1994 season when he was signed by the South Queensland Crushers for

(From left) Peter Moses, Garry O’Donnell, Brian Irvine, Paul Hancock, Norm Pounder and Ken Vessey.

LES KONNECKE

Welfare officers Noel Willick, Peter Moses and Garry O’Donnell went out to SummitCare Nursing Home at Liverpool to visit a remarkable man, Les Konnecke.

Les, 87, was a committee man for Parramatta Junior Rugby League for 25 years. He was also president of the Green Valley club for 10 years. In 2000, Les was presented with the Australian Sports Medal

by Prime Minister John Howard for sporting achievement and he was presented with the Heritage Award he was made a member of the order of Liverpool.

Peter Moses (standing) with (from left), Noel Willick, Les Konnecke and Garry O’Donnell.

DAVE MILES

Welfare officers Norm Pounder and Ken Vessey were taken aback by Dave Miles’ courage and determination as he spoke about his playing days and years since being seriously injured in 1990.

Dave was a fit 24-year-old who played hooker in the Valley United A grade team when, during a match against the Belrose Eagles, he broke his neck when a scrum collapsed upon him, leaving him a quadriplegic.

Dave spoke glowingly of the constant assistance and support he receives from his mother, family members and his many friends who have supported him since the accident. He is sometimes able to go with his friends to watch

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Valley United teams play and on a hot day visit the Harbord Hilton Hotel for a few cold beers.

Dave was accidentally dropped by his carers recently which saw him break both legs and pick up pneumonia.

mobility, was residing at Percy Miles Villa aged care facility at Kirrawee but after having a fall required further assistance and care and is now at Pacific Heights Nursing Home Sylvania.

She is in the safe hands of the doctors in the Princess Alexandra Hospital at the moment where she is making a steady recovery.

He finished his playing career with North Sydney in 1961.

JOHN ROSS OAM (From left) Alan Webb, Doug Passlow, John Peard and Warren Thompson.

DALE PUREN

Ron Coote, Bob McCarthy, Alan Webb and Warren Thompson visited Dale Puren and his lovely wife Dorothy at their Maroubra home.

Dale has had a tough time with his health and had been having chemotherapy three times a week.

(From left) Hugh and Diane O’Doherty with Vance Rennie and Tegan Jennings.

DOUG PASSLOW

John Peard, Warren Thompson and Alan Webb visited Doug Passlow at Pacific Heights Nursing Home, Princes Highway Sylvania.

Doug played his junior football with Camperdown Dragons before entering the grade ranks with Newtown where he played eight first grade games as a winger.

Doug also coached Sydney University reserve grade in the second division competition.

At 84, Doug, who suffers from short term memory loss and impaired 46

MEN OF LEAGUE JUNE 2016

There was not much grass between them which will give readers an idea of how quick these players were in football boots.

A Western Suburbs junior, Dale played for the Magpies from 19521954 before going to Souths where he scored 30 tries and kicked 27 goals.

DIANE O’DOHERTY

Brisbane welfare officer Vance Rennie and Queensland events and operations manager Tegan Jennings visited Diane O’Doherty, the wife of Brisbane Valleys Diehards legend Hugh O’Doherty, after Diane had had a tough couple of weeks after suffering a number of heart attacks.

from Ken Irvine and Puren was third.

With a great positive attitude, the former flying wingman was looking forward to getting the treatment over with and enjoying life with his wonderful family.

All of the visitors were former South Sydney juniors and have memories of the speedster scoring tries for South Sydney from 1955 to 1959.

He was a member of the incredible Jack Rayner-coached 1955 premiership team that beat Newtown 12-11 after having to win their final 11 games to qualify for the grand final. Another fast wingman, Ian Moir, was on the other wing that day.

In 1958 a footrace was held prior to the Test between Australia v England at the SCG. Ian Moir won

On a recent visit to Mona Vale Hospital rehab section, welfare officers Norm Pounder, Fred Jackson and Ken Vessey were advised by the nursing staff that an 85-year-old gentleman was a patient who had played over 100 games for the Parramatta called John Ross.

Needless to say no time was wasted in finding John and his wife Gillan and taking part in an interesting discussion about John’s rugby league playing career.

John was graded in 1951 as a classy five-eighth and played for the club from 1951-55, running out in 33 games in first grade.

He later coached in the Wollongong competition.

John had a highly distinguished and successful career in the NSW hotel industry which started in 1961 at the Macquarie Hotel, Windsor where he was licensee for 26 years.

He then managed the Century Hotel, George Street, Sydney from 1986-1991 prior to becoming the licensee of the Kings Head Hotel in Sydney until 1997.

John also served on the AHA NSW executive between 1968 and 1993 and was president of the AHA

NSW branch for 11 years.

He also served as both vice president and president of the National AHA. Prior to retiring in 1997 he was the founding chairman of HOSTPLUS, the industry superannuation fund for a range of industries.

In 2009 John was admitted to the NSW AHA’s Hall of Fame and has also been honoured with an Order of Australia Medal.

Boilers” touch football competition at Narrabeen, where he played up until recent years.

He is well supported and cared for by his two daughters Michele and Joanne and son Scott plus their families.

Bernie was proud to advise that his grandson Bryce Roche had just been signed as a member of the Sea Eagles under 20 years Holden Cup squad.

BERNIE SEYMOUR

He proudly boasts that he never misses a Sea Eagle’s home game at “Fortress” Brookvale Oval.

He was also instrumental in forming and running the “Bernie’s

Starting in the backline, he progressed to finish his career in the engine room.

In 1965 and 1966 he represented New South Wales in the centre alongside St George great Billy Smith.

Bernie was renowned for his tough and non-compromising brand of rugby league.

After retiring from playing he commenced an association with the Manly Warringah Club which saw him actively involved in various club roles including club selector, and committee and board member until recent years.

The 79-year-old from Narromine in western NSW, played until he was 40 years, from 1954-1975.

Bob was captain-coach of Narromine for 11 years and represented Western Division against Great Britain at Orange in 1954 – the game ending in a 24-all draw.

They were not surprised to see “hard as nails” Bernie walking around and talking to the nursing staff.

During his career Bernie played alongside the likes of Ron Willey, Roy Bull, Rex Mossop, George Hunter, Doug Daley and George Lenon to name a few.

Sydney Metro committee welfare officers Warren Thompson and Alan Webb had the pleasure of visiting Bob Weir at St Vincent’s Private Hospital.

He broke his leg in his second last season of rugby league but then came back and played the following year.

When word was received that Bernie Seymour, 83, had suffered a stroke, welfare officers Norm Pounder and Ken Vessey wasted no time in paying him a visit at Manly Hospital.

As a forward for Manly Warringah between 1954-63, he was the first player to pass the 200th grade game mark.

BOB WEIR

(From left) Bryce Roche, Michele Roche and Bernie Seymour.

JOHN TOUGHER

Men of League member John Tougher was visited at his home at Sans Souci by Warren Thompson, John Peard and Alan Webb, welfare Officers from the Sydney Metro and Southern Sydney committees.

Bob has recently had two stays in hospital. He had heart surgery and then had to return to St Vincent’s on two occasions owing to infection.

His wife Judy is also having health problems and is in need of a hip operation.

John has been doing it tough in recent times with prostate problems and has had treatment which is on-going.

He played his junior football in the Newtown and South Sydney juniors and also played for Northern Districts in the second division competition.

(From left) Warren Thompson, Bob Weir and Alan Webb.

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WHY WE PLAYED THE GAME THIS POEM WAS SUPPLIED BY MEMBER CHRIS WATERS. When the battle scars have faded And the truth becomes a lie And the weekend smell of liniment Could almost make you cry

Mate – you must recall the jersey That shredded into rags Then the soothing sting of Detol On a back engraved with tags!

With that last storming run behind you And the man that ran now walks It doesn’t matter who you are The mirror sometimes talks

It’s almost worth admitting Though with some degree of shame That your partner was right in asking Why the hell you played the game?

Have a good look old son!

The melon not that great The snoz that takes a sharp turn sideways Used to be dead straight

Why you’d always rock home legless Like a cow on roller skates After drinking at the clubhouse With your lowdown drunken mates

You’re an advert for arthritis You’re a thoroughbred gone lame Then you ask yourself the question Why the hell you played the game?

Then you’d wake up – check the wallet Not a solitary coin Drink Berocca by the bucket Throw an ice pack on the groin

Was there logic in the head knocks?

In those corks and in the cuts?

Did common sense get pushed aside?

By manliness and guts?

Copping sermons all next day About boozers being losers While you limed like Quasimodo With half a thousand bruisers

Do you sometimes sit and wonder Why your time would often pass In making that crunching tackle With your head up someone’s....?

Yes – you urge to hug the porcelain And curse Sambuca’s name Would always pose the question Why the hell you played the game?

With a thumb hooked up your nostril Scratching gently on your brain And an over-grown opponent The Bludger, rejoicing in your pain

And yet with every wound re-opened As grimly reminisce it Comes the most compelling feeling yet God, you bloody miss it!

From the first time that you laced a boot And tightened every stud That virus known as rugby league Has been living in your blood When you dreamt it – when you played it All the rest took second fiddle Now you’re standing on the sideline But your hearts still in the middle And no matter where you travel You can take it as expected There will always be a breed of people Hopelessly infected If there’s a teammate, then you’ll find him Like a gravitating force With a common understanding And a beer or three, of course!!

And as you stand there telling lies Like it was yesterday old friend You’ll know that if you had the chance You’d do it all again You see – That’s the thing with rugby league It will always be the same And that I guarantee Is why the hell you played the game!

MAHER CUP TALES RELIVED

BY TOMMY SPAIN

M

ore than 180 former players, officials and supporters packed the Cootamundra Country Club on 13 February for what was possibly the last Maher Cup reunion.

The Maher Cup was a ‘religion’ in Group 9 country rugby league from 1921 until the last game was played in 1971 between Young and Tumut, which Tumut won.

Former players from as far away 48

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as Toowoomba and Broken Hill talked about old times. The oldest in attendance was 94-year-old George Ballard (Gundagai) and the youngest was 63-year-old Lindsey Sheather from Young. Some of the players had not seen each other for more than 50 years.

Guest speakers were kept to a minimum and all excelled. Tumut’s Barry Madigan related Gundagai’s ‘Scoop’ Sullivan’s speech from the past concerning the Cup. Historian

Neil Pollock summarised the Maher Cup in a nutshell with facts and figures. Garry Burke, the grandson of country league legend Eric Weissel, gave a brief history of the former great player’s league career.

The reunion bought the Maher Cup back to life. If it is the last reunion... the Maher Cup legends will still live on. The cup is housed at the Rugby League Museum in Sydney.

CENTRAL HIGHLANDS COMMITTEE PROFILE

BY KRISTY WEST

W

ith such a strong rugby league community, it was no surprise in 2011 that the Men of League Foundation was gaining momentum in the Central Highlands area of Queensland and a committee was formed with Andrew Lawrence as the inaugural president.

Although one of the Foundation’s newer committees, there is quite a large area to cover. From Clermont in the north, Middlemount and Bluff in the east, Springsure in the south, Gemfields in the west as well as Emerald and all the areas in between.

Current president Mick Roach believes that the committee has brought together a group of people who are a great fit to the Men of League Foundation.

“All of our members share a passion for rugby league that spans across decades of playing, coaching and administration roles," said Mick.

Current members are vice president Troy Jenkins, secretary RJ Stewart, treasurer Tracy McIndoe, welfare officers Paul and Steven Bell and patron Alan McIndoe.

Fundraising has been important to the committee from the beginning.

Golf days and fight nights have been held in the past that have been greatly supported by the region.

Over the past two years, a lawn bowls day has been the major fundraising event in the area with the most recent one being held in

Frank Barrett, Mick Roach (President), Central Highlands Councillor Paul Bell and Ben Ross.

February this year. Each of these days have raised over $5,000 for the Foundation.

“These days have been a very relaxed affair with a great competitive spirit and plenty of fellowship," said Mick.

There have also been some high calibre attendees including former rugby league players Dallas Johnson, Wally Fullerton-Smith, Steven Bell, Alan McIndoe and Ben Ross.

The welfare journey for the Central Highlands committee is a fairly recent one according to Mick.

“We have supported a number of families who have fallen on hard times as a result of injuries sustained in local fixtures.

“We have also supported a family after losing their father and husband. He was a long serving member of our local rugby league community,” said Mick.

The committee also recognises that welfare is an area in which it can and must grow.

“The welfare of past and current members of the rugby league community has never been more important and as a committee we are continually identifying the need for Men of League intervention and assistance,” Mick concluded.

If you're in the Central Highlands area and would like to join our committee or have someone who might need help from our committee, please get in touch with Mick on 0439 079 686.

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HOW TOMMY ADOPTED AUSTRALIA

Forever cheeky Pom, Tom Bishop has long called Australia home and loves catching up with league mates around Brisbane and the Gold Coast. But if he hadn’t made the British touring team 50 years ago, life may have been different. BY STEVE RICKETTS

T

ommy Bishop had never flown before Great Britain’s 1966 tour of Australia and New Zealand.

Three months later he returned to St Helens in England, a seasoned traveller and a world class footballer, albeit one Australian crowds loved to hate given his feisty ways and cheeky demeanour.

That trip started Bishop’s love affair with Australia, the former gas fitter and coal miner making Sydney his home late in 1969, before moving to Queensland in 1974. He lived in Brisbane, and then on the Gold Coast, before his latest move to Redcliffe to be closer to family.

It is 50 years ago this year since that grand tour but Bishop still has nightmares about what might have been.

To this day he believes the Lions were “badly done by” on the refereeing front, after winning the first Test in Sydney 17-13 and being the better side for most of the return clash in Brisbane, which Australia ultimately won 6-4 in a try-less affair.

Australia went on to win the third and deciding Test 1914 at the SCG, with debutant forward Arthur Beetson setting up two crucial first-half tries for the Kangaroos.

“We had Jack Bradley as referee for the first Test, and I thought he gave us a fair go,” Bishop recalls. “Then we had Col Pearce for the next two and he made some puzzling calls. But that's life. I still dream about it but nothing's going to change things now.”

Tommy Bishop in action for Norths in Brisbane.

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The great Alex Murphy had been halfback on Britain's 1958 and '62 Australian tours but he refused to tour in '66 when he was overlooked as captain, with Harry Poole preferred. Bishop and Featherstone Rovers' star Carl Dooler were the two specialist halfbacks, both untried at Test level.

“I hit form early, right from the first match in Darwin,” Bishop said. “What a trip. I'd never been in an aeroplane before and here I was on the other side of the world. It was a big thing for many of us.

“In Sydney we stayed at the Olympic Hotel near Moore Park. It was clean, and the food was okay. But if we wanted something nice, we would ring Souths or Souths Juniors and they would put the welcome mat out for us at their leagues clubs.”

Australia led 8-7 at half-time in the first Test at the SCG but Bishop, in his Test debut, put the Lions in front with a neat field goal midway through the second half, before the tourists sealed things through tries to Alan Hardisty and Billy Burgess.

Then it was off to Queensland and the tourists gained further confidence from a 38-29 win at Lang Park with Welshman Berwyn Jones scoring four tries.

Australia had not beaten Britain in Brisbane since 1950 and what unfolded was one of the most violent Test matches in history, with British forward Bill Ramsay sent off by Pearce for kicking Mick Veivers.

Pearce constantly penalised the tourists for moving up too quickly with Keith Barnes landing two penalty goals from the offside infringements and one from an incorrect Bishop scrum feed. British fullback Arthur Keegan, who was attacked by a spectator as he waited in-goal for a Barnes’ kick, landed two goals for Britain.

“Some of the things that happened; we thought the referee was getting at us,” Bishop recalls. “When I look back, I don't believe he was cheating but he wasn't doing us any favours. I felt I should have been awarded a penalty try for obstruction. But we still could have won. A few bad passes cost us tries.”

Britain played with 12 men for 34 minutes in the third Test following the dismissal of prop Cliff Watson for kicking Peter Dimond. Australia scored five tries to three in a 19-14 win, with winger Ken Irvine crossing three times to become the leading try scorers in Tests between the two countries.

“Dimond was on the ground, milking it for a penalty,” Bishop said. “Cliffy only kicked him in the shins.

Dimond ironed out one of our lads with a blatant stiff arm, yet he stayed on the field.”

Britain suffered another contentious defeat four days later. Aided by a 14-2 penalty count, Balmain snatched a 9-8 win to become the first Sydney club to beat a touring British side. Bishop and Burgess were later cited for allegedly striking touch judge Rowley Morris, who had disallowed a try for Burgess.

Bishop (bottom right) in the 1966 Great Britain team photo.

“I was charged with giving the 'touchy' a back hander but I took the rap for Billy,” Bishop said. “The real story came out a few days later in 'The Daily Mirror' with the headline: ‘Bishop didn't do it.'

Britain went on to win all eight matches in New Zealand, including the two Tests.

Bishop was back in Australia with Britain’s World Cup side in 1968 but a loss to France was their undoing, and they failed to reach the final.

In 1969 Bishop was captain of his country when he played his last Test - against France - before emigrating to Australia as a 10-pound Pom. Legendary league writer, Ernie (E.E.) Christensen had organised the move for Bishop, who had been told he would be playing for Easts.

“I got to Sydney airport, there were cameras flashing and journalists wanting to talk to me, when Ernie got me aside to tell me Easts had dropped off, but another club was interested - Cronulla. I thought, no way.

They're hopeless. I'm the England captain.

“Anyway, it turned out the best move I ever made.”

Bishop was captain-coach when Cronulla played in their first grand final in 1973, with one of his teammates being1966 fellow tourist Watson.

In 1974 Bishop moved to Brisbane as captain-coach of Norths after Cronulla wanted him to take a pay cut. He retired at the end of the 1975 season.

It all started with that 1966 tour.

“We had three months away with free board, food and drink, and we got 100 pounds each when we got home,” Bishop said. “Working down a coal mine I was getting 10 pounds a week.”

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LOVE THE GAME BEYOND THE FINAL WHISTLE

F

or many who love rugby league, being a fan means more than just the kind of fandom seen in other walks of life. It’s about showing your colours and your pride well beyond what many people might consider normal, but that’s what makes a real league-lover tick.

Acts of tribute that might perplex someone with only a passing interest in the game include wearing your lucky footy socks on your wedding day or it might mean naming your first-born child after your favourite player. All perfectly reasonable acts as far as we’re concerned.

When you’re a true fan, going to lengths such as this makes so much sense; after all the players, the code, and the game itself give us so much more. Here’s an example of the kind of passion and dedication the great game of rugby league inspires.

THE LONGEST GAME The CRL group 21 grand final was played by 34 local players, farmers, construction workers, miners and country boys, that went for a marathon 128 minutes!

When the Denman Devils faced up against the Scone Thoroughbreds at the end of the 2015 season, no-one could have predicted the game would enter rugby league folklore but, thanks to the true grit of the players and the tireless support of the coaches and the local rugby league community, it did.

The Denman Devils went in as slight underdogs for, despite having had recent success in the local competition, they had been pipped by Scone several times during the season, yet the Devils weren’t done – not by a long way. Hard training and a refusal to let team mates down saw the game 20-10 in the Devils favour at half time but the Thoroughbreds weren’t going to go down without a fight either, and they came back in the second half, to make it 20-20. Then started the epic extra time that saw the game extend for a full extra half plus more!

More than 3,000 fans watched the encounter – not bad considering Denman is a town of about 1,600 people.

By the 88th minute the floodlights needed to be turned on and there were nine attempts to bring the game 52

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to a conclusion by field goal, yet it took a break away try from the fleet-of-foot Hamish Wolfgang to win the match for Denman, making the final score 24-20.

Can you imagine the scene? Local lads, amateurs all, doubled over with cramps yet, with the reserves bench all too shallow, their only option was to egg each other on for one more stint. That’s love of the game for you.

AFTER THE FINAL WHISTLE When the final whistle blows on a rugby league lover in your family – or if you are thinking about getting your affairs in order with a prepaid funeral plan so that you can relax in later life – it’s good to know there is a funeral provider who understands our love of the game and can help make your send-off one that shows your passion for your favourite NRL team.

Simplicity Funerals is a proud sponsor of the Men of League Foundation, and like us, they help our community, our members and their families whenever needed.

They are offering a very special discount to Men of League members and their families on both prepaid funeral plans and funerals needed now, and they can even provide you with the perfect coffin to commemorate a life of NRL fandom.

Simply show your Men of League membership keyring to your Simplicity Funeral Director to receive this special discount.

Visit Simplicity Funerals today on simplicityfunerals.com.au/menofleague or call 1300 556 222 to find out how they can assist Men of League members and their families with an NRL themed coffin and their prepaid funeral plans.

JOHN MCALLISTER VOLUNTEER PROFILE

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BY AARON HENRY

hen the late Steve Calder was the Men of League Foundation's Queensland state manager, he was hunting around the rugby league community for members to join and help in Far North Queensland. Steve bumped into John McAllister at a junior rugby league game and asked John if he’d join. John joined, became the secretary/treasurer and has never looked back.

John now serves as the Far North Queensland committee president. In his humble, low-key way John says that he joined the Men of League Foundation, “because he was asked to”. It was as simple as that.

John started in rugby league as so many do – playing in weight divisions (6 stone 7 pound and 7 stone 7 pound) whilst at school. John continued playing in the Cairns region through the 1970s before moving into coaching junior teams, helping referees and the FIGS (Former Ivanhoe Greats).

John now helps in any way needed within the rugby league community – from project management on junior field upgrades and arranging rivalry rounds for foundation clubs in the local competition to welfare visits and fundraisers.

“We have some big challenges for helping people in this area. We go from Tully to the Tablelands which means that there is a lot of travel to pick up and visit people. Welfare visits are difficult but we always figure out a way to help someone when we get the call for help”, John said.

“Our aim is to have a welfare officer in each area within our region, so that each community has their own contact. That’s something that we’re working towards. Ivanhoe has been through a rough period as a region recently and we know that this work in the rugby league community is needed.

“As a committee we run some regular events. Our most popular is our annual dinner with the Prime Minister’s XIII on their way to PNG at the end of each season. We’ve also organised golf and race days in past years as a way to help raise funds. We recently organised a ‘back to the game’ event in Innisfail which was a success. It’s all about trying to bring the rugby league community together and raise

Ben Ross (left) with John and Noelene McAllister.

awareness about what the Men of League Foundation does,” said John.

Men of League Foundation’s Queensland events and operations manager Tegan Jennings has only praise for John and his work in our rugby league community.

“John McAllister has been a driving force for Men of League in Far North Queensland right from their inception. When the committee formed in 2009 John had the position of secretary and played a crucial part in pulling together their first function as a curtain-raiser to the Cowboys v Warriors trial match in February 2010.

“Since then John has moved up into the role of president where he continues to work tirelessly with the support of his fantastic committee to keep Men of League alive in the Cairns region. Heavily involved in the local league as well, John’s life has been dedicated to rugby league.

“John’s compassion for people doing it a bit tough has made him one of Men of League’s greatest assets and we can’t thank John enough for his service to the Foundation,” said Tegan.

Thanks John for your continued commitment and dedication.

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NRL WELFARE & EDUCATION The goal of the welfare and education program is to turn talented boys into men of character and integrity; men who are better for being part of rugby league.

LeagueWise is being Careerwise, Characterwise and Healthwise. Every element of the program is designed to help our young players grown and develop their potential in every aspect of their lives. The Characterwise program has been designed to turn talented boys into men of integrity and character; men who are good teammates, respectful of themselves and others; and wise and ethical decision-makers.

Players practicing the Indigenous war cry around the campfire.

THE FOURTH NRL INDIGENOUS PLAYERS’ CAMP was held leading up to the All Stars game in February.

The camp helped to strengthen the identity amongst the playing group and create a better understanding of the issues Indigenous people deal with in their communities and in the NRL system to make them realise their potential to create positive change inside and outside the game.

The camp was held on North Stradbroke Island with 30 current and former players. A large group of kids were waiting when the bus carrying Greg Inglis and the other players attending the camp arrived at their tented site on Stradbroke Island. Some had boots to sign, others were wearing Indigenous All Stars jerseys 54

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or the jerseys of the local team they played for, and some wanted nothing more than an autograph on their bare skin. All wanted to meet Inglis and some of the team's other star players, such as St George Illawarra second-rower Joel Thompson, Canberra fullback Jack Wighton and Newcastle centre Dane Gagai, just to name a few.

After being formally welcomed to the country of the Qandamooka people, who manage the beachside "glamping" style accommodation on the island, the players were treated to cultural dances, full of meaning and history, from a local group.

The influence the players have on the kids in

Being welcomed by the Quandamooka people to Stradbroke Island.

Indigenous players leadership camp 2016 Stradbroke Island.

Indigenous communities like Stradbroke Island is just one example of why the All Stars concept is about far more than a game of football.

through language and song. Surviving on Stradbroke Island for thousands of years we were taught many of their dream time stories and the ways they worked with the land and the seasons to work out when the best times to hunt for fish.

The camp was aimed at developing leadership, continuing to strengthen players’ cultural identity and wellbeing and look at ways we can develop our players off the field. Indigenous players flourish in the rugby league environment and our culturally safe space but alarmingly when our players retire or go outside the comfort of their clubs and the game they can struggle.

This camp is all about changing that.

“Last year our camp was a great success as it has been every year but this was special as players developed the warcry that really is a game changer for our sport and country," NRL welfare and education manager Dean Widders said.

This year the camp focused on: CAREER CHOICES with Jane Lowder, NRL career transition coach. This session helped players to look at different career paths and develop plans aimed at gaining qualifications and experience for balance while playing and direction and security for when their playing days are finished.

The educational engagement attainment of Indigenous NRL players exceeds that of the Australian population by 6-11 per cent, which is a testament to the difference these camps and the game can make to people’s lives.

MENTAL WELLBEING with Clinton Schultz. This workshop was steeped in cultural relevance and outlined the components of mental wellbeing. We looked at traditional values of our ancestors and how we can use these values today to give us a solid foundation with our daily wellbeing.

INDIGENOUS CULTURE - it was great to see the local Qandamooka people preserve their culture

TRADITIONAL DANCE - The local dance group gave us a traditional welcome and smoking ceremony involving 40 locals from all ages. The highlight was when every player got up and took part in a few dances and practiced the war cry around the fire.

On the Monday morning a community football camp was run and the young people turned up in the hundreds before school. The players appreciated the opportunity to give back and could see the difference it would make to the local junior league.

Players took part in a spear throwing workshop and some traditional fire making. They were grateful they didn't have to hunt for their lunch as the spear throwing needs improvement.

Widders, who is the driving force behind the Indigenous leadership camp, said he felt an enormous sense of pride whenever the All Stars week came around.

"This is the sixth time that we have had an All Stars match and every year the spirit and support from everyone grows stronger," Widders said.

"This camp is an important start to the week and our Indigenous players who attend always leave with their heads high, ready to lead within their own communities and inspire others to reach their potential and beyond.

“Our players were proud to leave the island connected to many different things, they felt the sense of unity they had brought to the people of Stradbroke, and the young kids in the communities whose lives had changed so much from the visit.”

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A LEGEND ON THE BORDER Gary Dobrich lived just south of the NSW-Queensland border where his league career began but his best football came in Brisbane where he represented Queensland, meaning he wore maroon in both states against Sydney’s best players. BY STEVE RICKETTS Dobrich, a halfback or fullback in club football, marked dual international Mike Cleary and kept his much bigger opponent subdued as the bush boys, under the coaching of Don Furner, got home 19-18. There were two other Murwillumbah boys in the Country line-up – second-rower Jim Hayes and halfback Bernie Plater, both from the Souths club.

At the end of the season Country played City in a Kangaroo tour trial at the Sydney Sports Ground.

This time Dobrich marked an even bigger opponent, Balmain's George Ruebner, like Cleary a convert from rugby union. Country, coached by Brian Carlson and captained by Terry Pannowitz, won 16-12.

Gary Dobrich (right) in action for Brisbane Souths against Wynnum-Manly.

G

ary Dobrich – Tweed born and raised – may turn 70 in November but he has not slowed down, working part-time and enjoying life to the full, whether playing golf or fishing.

And his eyes light up when he recalls his playing days and the time he proudly wore the maroon of New South Wales Country and the maroon of Queensland in a career which saw him named in two club ‘legends’ teams.

It was from Murwillumbah Brothers that he represented NSW Country twice in 1967, against formidable City teams. He finished up on the winning side both times.

“The first match was Country Seconds v City Seconds at the SCG, with the firsts playing after us,” Dobrich recalls. “I travelled to Sydney by rail and when I arrived at the SCG for our first training run, it hit home to me I was in the big time now.

“I would have been nine stone seven pounds (61kg) wringing wet, and when I walked into the dressing rooms some of the other blokes thought I was a lost kid. When I told them I was one of the wingers, they looked at each other in disbelief. They put me down as 11 stone in the program because they didn’t think it would look right otherwise.”

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Dobrich had made his A grade debut for Murwillumbah Brothers in 1965. After playing under-18s for Cudgen, he was keen to move from Cudgen to Murwillumbah, to be near his sweetheart, Sue Walsh, whose brother, Kevin played for Brothers. Brothers' players ran a raffle to pay the 50 pounds ($100) transfer fee.

In 1967 Dobrich was Brothers’ captain-coach, and he took the club to the finals after a few lean years.

In 1969 he signed with Wynnum-Manly in Brisbane at the urging of rugged prop Morrie Morgan, a brother of Lionel Morgan who had played for Australia from Wynnum in 1960, after transferring from Tweed Seagulls.

“We were living at Mermaid Beach, and I was working in land development on the Gold Coast, so I would travel to Brisbane for training with another Tweed boy, Claude McDermott,” Dobrich said. “The following year we moved to Brisbane. I had three enjoyable years at Wynnum, but I think we only won 10 games.

“Graeme Atherton, who was from Lismore and played with me for Country, was going great guns at Souths and kept at me to have a run with them. So in 1972 I moved to Souths and it was the best thing I ever did, because I played for Queensland.”

Dobrich toured New Zealand with the Bob Baxcoached Maroons, alongside current or future internationals Col Weiss (captain), John Grant,

Jim Murphy, John Lang, Steve Crear, Warren Orr, Wayne Stewart and Wayne Bennett.

He played in the first of the four tour matches – against Wellington – and hurt his shoulder, returning in time for Queensland’s last match, back in Australia against Monaro at Queanbeyan.

Queensland then entered camp at Lang Park to prepare for the first of two interstate matches to be played at the stadium that year, the first under lights.

“They picked me at fullback, and it was a tough night,” Dobrich recalls. “They had big Mark Harris, and he could drop kick a ball 70 metres.

We would put them under pressure, and then Mark would do one of his high drop kicks, and by the time it came down I would have Bobby Fulton knocking me over.

“Playing under the great Bob Bax was enjoyable.

I liked him. He didn't beat around the bush.”

NSW won 29-5 in front of a crowd of 29,431, and Dobrich was dropped for the return match, with Stewart the new fullback and Bennett named at centre for Mick Peut.

Despite that setback, Dobrich continued to play marvellous football at Souths, first under the coaching of Ray White, and then with former English Test prop Brian Briggs at the helm.

Souths made the finals in 1974, a season in which Dobrich made a return to representative football when chosen to play for Brisbane against Great Britain.

Three weeks before the finals Dobrich broke his hand, and the Magpies went down to Souths in the minor semi-final.

Gary Dobrich and wife, Sue at their Birkdale home in Brisbane. They are displaying Gary's team photos from his Queensland (left) and NSW Country days.

the likes of John Grant, Greg Veivers, Mitch Brennan, Bruce Astill and Darryl Van de Velde, but we didn’t make the finals. I broke my leg that year and only played 12 games.”

Dobrich returned to Murwillumbah in 1976 to play under renowned local coach Peter Smith at Brothers and the following year resumed captain-coach duties.

He hung up the boots in 1978 to concentrate on his sports store business with another former Brisbane star Stan Damro.

While coaching Brothers, Dobrich helped nourish the abundant natural talent of utility back, Brian Walsh and recommended him to Wynnum. Walsh went on to play in Wynnum's 1982, '84 and '86 premiership sides.

In one match on a Lang Park mud-heap in 1974, Dobrich scored two tries in as many minutes in the first half of a 21-5 win over Norths, who had former Great Britain captain Tommy Bishop at halfback.

Walsh, who coached Wynnum's first grade after retiring as a player, and Dobrich were named in Wynnum's Team of 50 Years in 2000, and the following year Dobrich also made Souths team of 50 years.

“Dobrich was in brilliant form,” wrote The Courier-Mail's Jack Reardon. “He was always elusive and used his great speed in cover defence. He used that speed for a wonderful try from the scrum base, planting the ball as the Norths' forwards lifted their heads from the scrum.”

Gary and Sue have four adult children, Tony, Sharon, Anne and Kellie, as well as nine grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

In 1975, legendary former St George forward Harry Bath returned to his home town Brisbane to coach his first club, Souths.

“Harry was a great coach, thinking all the time, and always devising new tactics,” Dobrich said. “We had

Tony played league for the Mustangs in Murwillumbah, and grandson, Sam Clayton played for Wynnum, before accepting an offer to play in France.

And who do the Dobrichs cheer for come Origin time?

“It has to be Queensland,” says Gary. “Although a lot of my mates at Murwillumbah give me stick.”

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BRYDENS LAWYERS JOIN AS OFFICIAL LAW PARTNER T

he Men of League Foundation recently announced leading law firm Brydens Lawyers as the official law partner of the iconic charity, Men of League Foundation that supports the men, women and children of the rugby league community.

Brydens Lawyers have been warmly welcomed to the Men of League Foundation family and we thank the firm for providing invaluable support to the Foundation and our important welfare work.

“We are thrilled to have Brydens Lawyers on board as our official law partner and would like to thank them for their commitment to the Men of League Foundation and indeed the greater rugby league community,” said Men of League Foundation chairman Ron Coote AM. “Much like the Men of League Foundation, Brydens has a solid reputation for helping those who have fallen on hard times and we believe the firm shares some great synergies with our core values.

“As major sponsors of the Wests Tigers and sponsors of the Knights, Bulldogs, Roosters and Panthers, Brydens Lawyers already enjoys great ties with the rugby league community.

"We are thrilled that the firm’s genuine passion for the code can be further showcased through this new partnership with the Men of League Foundation," Ron concluded Lee Hagipantelis, principal of Brydens Lawyers, said: “Brydens Lawyers has invested significantly in the rugby league community and our engagement now with Men of League Foundation was a natural and obvious extension of that investment.

For over 40 years Brydens Lawyers has been providing expert legal advice and representation for those who ordinarily would be unable to engage legal representation and require help.

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Lee Hagipantelis – principal of Brydens Lawyers.

“Brydens Lawyers is honoured to partner with Men of League Foundation and share their commitment to provide care and support for members of the rugby league community who would otherwise be unable to avail themselves of legal assistance.

"It is this commitment to helping persons in need shared by both Brydens Lawyers and Men of League Foundation that augurs well for the success of our partnership,” Lee concluded.

To find out more about the full range of legal services offered by Brydens Lawyers, visit their website at brydens.com.au or call 1800 848 848.

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MEN OF LEAGUE JUNE 2016

COMMITTEE NEWS The Bradman award for the highest score went to the team from Hutchinson Builders.

BRISBANE

BY STEVE RICKETTS, PUBLICITY OFFICER Ron Atkins has stepped down as president of the Men of League Brisbane, after many years of dedicated service to the work of the organisation, and the game at large. Ron, who turned 80 last year, has been replaced by Schweppes executive Ian Gatenby, a former committee vice-president.

Following the election of office bearers, comments were invited from the floor and there was spirited discussion about the future, in particular the format, location and cost structure of future Kick Off Club lunches.

The date for the next Kick Off Club lunch to be held at Broncos Leagues Club is July 6.

Ian Gatenby and secretary, Vance Rennie travelled to Pine Rivers Memorial Bowls Club at Bray Park recently to meet with CEO Wayne Moffatt and general manager Steve Ratcliffe, with a view to holding a function there this year. The feedback was very positive, and we hope to set a date and time in the near future.

Former Australian, Queensland and Valleys halfback Ross Strudwick was guest speaker at the 16 March Kick-Off Club Lunch which preceded the AGM. 'Struddy' entertained the audience, which included QRL chairman Peter Betros, with yarns about his playing days, and later his coaching career with Brothers, Halifax and London Crusaders, as well as giving an insight into his successful business enterprise Struddys Sports.

The annual Ron Atkins charity golf day was held on 29 April at Keperra Country Golf Club and intermittent showers did not dampen the spirits of the 100 players.

Winners on the day were Phil Wuersching, Jamie O'Connor, Adam Smith and Trevor Spice, while Jeff Hanna, Andrew Ross, Jeff Coutts and Andrew Zillman shared second spot. Leon Buirski, Clinton Bell, Jason McKiernon and Shayne Hayman were third.

The committee extends its sincere appreciation to gold sponsor, Hutchinson Builders, for their valued support and look forward to working with them in the future.

A thank you also to the Hole Sponsors Schweppes, Sci-Fleet Toyota, MJ Logistics, Heathwood Concreting, ME Property Sales, Qld T Shirt Company and Lion Nathan XXXX. To all of our prize donors, a special thank you. Your continued support is what makes the day successful.

The committee extends its sympathies to Wests stalwart, Mick Milliner on the recent passing of his wife, Pam. The committee would also like to acknowledge former Test skipper Wally Lewis for his uplifting visit with former Easts strength and conditioning coach Paul Bowes who is receiving on-going treatment in Royal Brisbane Hospital's burns unit following an accident on his property at Beaudesert.

BUNDABERG

BY TERRY DODD, PRESIDENT With our AGM now over, many thanks go to Queensland state manager Frank Barrett for attending and staying on to participate in our annual golf day the next day.

The Bundaberg committee are very thankful to all the golfers who turn up year after year to this great day of fun and old footy yarns. A special mention to those people who sponsor the day, your contribution to this event is especially appreciated.

I am trying hard to attract a guest speaker for our big night in October at the Brothers Sport Club. The sportsman's night is down for Friday 14 October. Over the last six years this is by far our most successful fundraising event so please mark the date on your calendar and join us. Bookings of tables of 10 will be taken soon.

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Our other fundraiser is the race day at Thabeban Park in December. The Bundaberg Race Club have again invited us to hold the meeting which was an outstanding success in 2015. When final plans are put together we advise you to book early. Last year lots of guests used the day for their Christmas parties and we sold out very quickly. Booking for this event is limited to the size of the marquee.

I am still pushing ahead trying to increase our membership into Men of League, so to all our current members I urge you to encourage just one person to join as we are here to help anyone in rugby league who may fall on hard times in the future. This is what Men of League Foundation is here for.

CANBERRA

BY NOEL BISSETT OAM, PRESIDENT On Saturday 15 April we held a barbeque and bowls day at the Queanbeyan Bowling Club. The weather was fine and a large crowd turned up for the event.

The day was very successful with all participants enjoying the day. Our guest speaker was well known Canberra and Queanbeyan identity Gary Marmont.

preparing a very tasteful lunch. Certificates of appreciation from the Men of League were presented to Wayne and the club.

Recently our committee received a donation from Belconnen Rebel Sports manager Robert Gardiner consisting of a NSW and Queensland State of Origin jumper. These jumpers were cut in half and sewn together by Angela Coleman. It is intended to have both sets autographed by the State of Origin coaches and then framed. We then propose to raffle or auction them at our future functions. We thank Robert for his contribution to our cause and also to Angela in taking the time and effort in the tedious task of cutting and sewing. Both were presented with certificates of appreciation from the Men of League.

Many thanks to the Raiders who have donated 20 game tickets to our committee. These tickets have been distributed to our welfare officers who will organise recipients who are experiencing difficulty and would otherwise not be able to attend. The Raiders are great supporters of the Men of League and once again we thank them for their assistance.

Gary spoke about the early days of playing rugby league in the local area and certainly kept all in a jovial mood with his comments on many on and off field occurrences.

Congratulations to our committee member Graham Willard and those who assisted him, in organising this very productive day. Many thanks also to the Queanbeyan Club and Wayne Brownlie, and not forgetting the chef Sam Tomlin and his staff for

(From left) Noel Bissett, Angela Coleman, Rebel Sports manager Robert Gardiner and Mark Lynch presenting certificates of appreciation for their contribution to Men of League.

PROUDLY SUPPORTING MEN OF LEAGUE

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Attendees at the Central Coast bowls day shout their appreciation.

CENTRAL COAST

BY DENNIS TOMSETT, PUBLICITY OFFICER A bowls day was held at the Ettalong Bowling Club on 29 February with a maximum 126 bowlers participating. As in previous years the theme of the day was to wear rugby league club colours and this was again well supported by the bowlers with a good mix of local and NRL clubs being featured. The fund raising activities were very successful, and from the feedback from bowlers it was a most enjoyable day.

We appreciate the continued support of the Ettalong Bowling Club directors and staff. Also, special thanks to the businesses, clubs and individuals for their generous support in donating the prizes. It was great to see Laurie Fagan attend the day, where he enjoyed catching up with old mates.

NSW state manager Stuart Raper represented the Foundation and addressed the bowlers during the presentation proceedings. Stuart gave an overview of some of the matters discussed at the recent national conference.

Former Kangaroo Peter Diversi has been battling illness for some years. Peter was recently visited by Les Pearce and he has since undergone surgery inserting a stent into a vein in his neck to improve circulation. The operation was a success, however he is suffering from dementia and has some good and bad days. He is in the good care of his wife Dawn and family at their home.

A recent visit to Norma White found her to be extremely happy with her renovated bathroom. Norma and her family expressed their sincere thanks for the assistance given by the Men of League. Norma is 82 and suffering with hip and knee ailments and Men of League arranged for a suitable shower recess

to be installed. Norma’s late husband Laurence played with St George and Canterbury in the 1950s and after retiring from playing refereed during the time that Keith Holman officiated.

Members please note our race day is Thursday 21 July and golf day Friday 9 September.

CENTRAL HIGHLANDS

BY RJ STEWART, SECRETARY Saturday 20 February saw the second Men of League Central Highlands’ charity lawn bowls day kick off at the Emerald Bowls Club.

Special guests, Men of League welfare and education manager Ben Ross and Queensland state manager Frank Barrett, were accompanied by 16 teams of four bowlers for a day of laughs over a number of wayward bowls and amber fluid.

Raffles and auctions along with the past players Q&A provided a welcome break from the heat of the bowls and were well received by both bowls day participants and our Men of League guests. The raffles and auction were well supported with funds of over $5000 raised on the day.

The Q&A provided a great opportunity for the Men of League Foundation to gain more exposure and inform the public of the role the Foundation plays in the community. Both the boys spoke very well and everyone was left impressed with new members joining on the day.

On the back of great community support and fundraising efforts, plans for next year’s event are already underway.

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The Central Highlands Men of League committee is greatly appreciative of the following local businesses and acknowledge that without their support and donations the day would not have occurred;

was re-elected to his second term as Cairns Regional Council mayor. Bob played in the Cairns 1966 Foley Shield win under Alan Gil. Kick some goals now Bob! Men of League welfare officer Peter Narducci recently visited Kel Zeith at Carinya Home for the Aged in Atherton. Kel is a life member of the CDRLRA and the QRL Northern Division and received an award in 2001 for 25 years’ service to Queensland referees. Kel served as CDRLRA president from 1979-81 and 1993 to 2007. Keep well Kel.

CMF Rural (major sponsor), Emerald Bowls Clubs, Emerald’s Local IGA, Emerald Western Gateway Motel, Coles, Coca-Cola, Fair Dinkum Meats and Emerald Meteor Motel.

Thanks must also go to all of our committee and volunteers, as without their contribution of time and effort this event would not be possible.

Bruce Slade paid a visit to Cairns Base Hospital to check on Keith Daly and former Northern Pride president Bob Fowler, both of whom had had recent knee replacements.

FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND

BY KEV MAHER OAM, PUBLICITY OFFICER

GOLD COAST

The 'back to the game' function at Innisfail Brothers Leagues Club is expected to be well attended by past players from the Innisfail and Tully District.

BY GREG SYLVESTER, WELFARE OFFICER

Local Legend and former Kangaroo Lionel Williamson will be in attendance to reflect on the past history of Innisfail rugby league and how he views the modern game.

Gold Coast Men of League internationals gala dinner, our major event of the year, was held on Friday 26 February at the Burleigh Bears Leagues Club. Once again it was extremely successful. Compere Scott Sattler is a true professional and did a magnificent job.

Australian Jillaroo Steph Hancock is coming up from Brisbane to give us an insight into the progress being made by ladies in rugby league.

His interviews with our special guests John King, Royce Simmons, Greg Ritchie and Tom Raudonikis were enlightening and hilarious.

Men of League expresses its sympathy to Wally Watterson on the passing of his wife Wendy. The Wattersons were ground announcers at Kangaroos’ ground Vico Oval for many years as well as the CDRL voice on grand final and representative game days.

Rest in peace Wendy.

Many thanks to the 32 former internationals for attending the evening, our special guests and Ian Amos, Kim Lee, Nicky Speeding, the staff at Burleigh Bears, Men of League Gold Coast members Bob Honan, Greg Rousell, Denis Ward, Wayne Thompson and Graeme Farrar and to Brian Hodge for his assistance in arranging for his cousin Royce Simmons to attend the evening.

Former Kangaroos and Cairns fullback Bob Manning

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Their efforts and commitment ensured the evening would be a success. Well done everyone.

It is pleasing to report that Men of League member Laurie Sylvester has made a full recovery from a major heart attack and Graham Claire from a hip replacement (look out Loretta). Laurie’s heart attack should serve as a warning to anyone, irrespective of age or sex to immediately seek medical assistance if they are in severe pain. His doctor has since advised him that if he hadn’t, he would have passed away in his sleep.

Our committee members have been busy over the past months with several welfare visits. They also had the privilege of joining the Dimond brothers, Bobby and Peter, for coffee at the Burleigh Bears. Also in attendance were Frank Stanton, Barry Muir and Neil Cadigan. Peter was on the coast to visit Bobby who has relocated here.

In league news the Gold Coast Titans have been unlucky losing several games by less than five points, whilst the Burleigh Bears are performing well in the Intrust Super Cup. Our annual golf day this year will be held on Friday 16 September at Emerald Lakes. Bookings can be made at the Burleigh Bears League Club.

Queanbeyan, playing a four-quarter knockout style competition. Helensburgh and Dapto made their way to the final and fought out a great game on Saturday 19 February with Dapto snatching a late win 28-22, after Helensburgh lead 16-0 at quarter-time, in front of a healthy crowd.

Berkeley is making a return to the Illawarra Coal Cup first grade competition in 2016 taking the total number of teams to seven and rewarding the hard work of many people in the club, including president Richard Ford, who was recently awarded life membership of the Easts group, which now runs the Berkeley Sports and Social Club.

The club has been the base of the Berkeley Eagles over many years. Ford joins Roosters supremo Nick Politis and a small number of fellow life members in this elite company.

The Illawarra Coal League will see even more familiar faces to league followers in 2016 with new players to the competition including Michael Henderson (captaincoach), Joel Reddy, Keith Lulia and Beau Henry at Dapto, Bryce Gibbs, Junior Vaivai and Jye Mullane at Wests, Russell Aitken at Corrimal, Stewart Mills returns to Helensburgh, Heath L'Estrange and Bronx Goodwin at Collegians, and Taniela Lasalo at Berkeley. All have played NRL in recent years.

Grand final day will be at WIN Stadium on Sunday 11 September 2016.

ILLAWARRA

BY BARRY HARLE, PUBLICITY OFFICER Our annual golf day was held at Kiama Golf Club on Friday 15 April and once again it was a huge success.

A sensational day was had by all 122 players, the weather was perfect, and some very good - and some very ordinary - golf was played. Hope to see you all there again next year.

MELBOURNE

Our next Kick Off Club will be at Warilla Sports Club on Friday 10 June from 4pm to 7pm. All members and guests are welcome, a good time for members to bring their friends along to see what the organisation is all about.

We successfully completed our annual golf day in February and also conducted our AGM on Friday 1 April at the AAMI Park coffee shop. Our committee is a great mix of former players, coaches and corporate people who are all passionate about the mission and values of the Men of League Foundation.

Members will be reminded by email of future events including our Kick Off Club at Corrimal Leagues on 11 November and Collies Wollongong on 6 December.

Also remember the annual bowls day at Warilla Bowls Club 22 July, and the grand final luncheon at Dapto Leagues Club 23 September.

In local football news the Steelers Challenge Cup featured all seven Illawarra Coal League clubs plus

BY PETER FOREMAN, PRESIDENT The Victorian committee has been active in the early part of the year as we move towards our peak period for fund raising activities for 2016.

Our representation at the Men of League Foundation’s committee conference in Sydney was via Peter Foreman (president) and Greg Brentnall (secretary) plus Stephen Martin in his national board capacity.

It was an extremely valuable get together and it was great to mix with like-minded members from other committees around Australia.

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Our next big activation is the Men of League round where we will be prominent in a number of initiatives on the game day between the Melbourne Storm and Roosters at AAMI Park on Saturday 23 July. We will be conducting a tin shake outside the ground assisted by some of the VRL Clubs as well as half-time on ground interviews and raffles in the Storm corporate areas. We are also hoping to use our marquee outside the ground to obtain new members from the Storm supporters in attendance on the day.

We were fortunate to have a number of visitors to Melbourne recently including Tom Cassin, Tweed District treasurer, and Ross French (former Wests Panther) as well as former Queensland, Australian and Wests (Brisbane) five-eighth Geoff Richardson and his wife Sue. Geoff caught up with our secretary Greg Brentnall and discussed playing against each other at Lang Park in the mid 1970s (South East Queensland v NSW Country). The game was won by the NSW country team.

MID NORTH COAST

travelled over by train. Ex-footballers from Kempsey, Wauchope, Taree and Wingham joined together for a mini-reunion with the Gloucester players and community members with another similar function pencilled in for Wauchope, probably early next year.

Johnny Sullivan was our auctioneer, with former top referee Mick Stone interviewing Harry Wells, John Elford and premiership winning hooker Mark Bugden.

On the subject of ‘Snoozer’ (Elford) – he was booked in for heart surgery at St Vincent’s Hospital in April and we trust he is making good progress with his recovery by the time this edition of the magazine is printed.

Wauchope RLFC also held an Old Boys luncheon at Wauchope RSL, and as with all Wauchope footie functions, it attracted a capacity crowd.

We were granted the privilege of conducting the major raffle at the function which raised a healthy amount for the Men of League cause.

Again, we thank the Wauchope club and the Old Boys in particular for their continuing support.

BY MARSHALL LOADSMAN, PUBLICITY AND MEDIA OFFICER The early part of the year has been relatively busy here on the Mid North Coast with our annual Men of League Foundation golf day at Forster Golf Club.

Once again it was a raging success with over 30 teams participating in golf and even more attending the following luncheon.

John ‘Bomber’ Peard was well received as always, as were our regular auctioneers Johnny Sullivan, Mick Stone and our special guest from Tamworth ‘Nugget’ Cooper, who gave an amazing rendition of who knows what on the didgeridoo.

Nugget’s full on performance probably precipitated his heart attack a few weeks later – we have since been informed that follow up surgery has him back in good health. We wish Nugget well as we do our quartet of Tamworth visitors who travel over every year.

We thank all who supported the day and our major sponsors, Mick Perry Concreting, Tooheys (Darren Towler), Forster Holiday Village, Wingham Beef Exports and Forster Golf Club.

Our Kick Off luncheon at the Avon Valley Inn at Gloucester was also a huge success.

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MEN OF LEAGUE JUNE 2016

NORTH COAST

BY PETER BARRETT, PRESIDENT Men of League North Coast have been busy with welfare visits and sadly attending funerals, losing a foundation member in Phil Jefferies who will be a big loss with his willingness to support us.

We had a Kick Off Club at Sawtell Hotel on Friday 22 April and many thanks to ever reliable Paul ‘Nobby’ Clarke who is very popular and gives up a lot of his time to attend our North Coast functions. Sawtell Panthers players attended and now realise they can become members at any age as it is not just for retired players.

We were proud to host our first ever motoring event on 2 May which started at Kawana in Queensland and travelled out west of NSW stopping in Coffs Harbour with all money raised going to Men of League. Hosted

by Donna and Marty Phillips of the Coffs Harbour Hotel with local players and Steve Carter, former Penrith all-time great whose son Paul is playing for the Rabbitohs. Also in attendance was Joe Janiak, trainer of the legend Takeover Target.

The Coffs Hotel was the venue for breakfast the next morning before heading off to Ballina, Mermaid Beach and finishing in Pelican Waters and being met by

Alfie Langer. A big thank you to Dennis McGuire and his team for supporting Men of League and we hope it will continue.

Our biggest event is quickly coming at Coffs Harbour Race Club on 9 December again being a luncheon starting at 10am and followed by special guests, raffles and a great day of TAB horse racing. Make a couple of days of it and play golf like Paul Clarke who is happy for anyone to join him. Accommodation is available at The Observatory and Ocean Parade Motel.

NORTHERN RIVERS

BY GARRY ENSBEY, ASSISTANT PUBLICITY OFFICER During March we held a greyhound night at Lismore.

Although there was a small gathering of rugby league supporters, the night was a success with all nine races sponsored by local businesses being hotly contested.

The Men of League motoring event came to Ballina recently. The convoy of 10 distinctive cars made their way from the Sunshine Coast, across the border, inland to Inverell, across to Coffs Harbour and up the Pacific Highway to Ballina.

Cherry Street Sports Club celebrated with a sportsman's dinner on the Wednesday evening to help raise funds for Men of League. One hundred and twenty people attended the function which was hosted by Northern Rivers president Phil Chesham and included Bob Abbott AM and his wife Norma, and Queensland state manager Frank Barrett.

The appreciative crowd were entertained with a background of different league stories from Neil Pringle, John Mayes and Kevin Junee. Memorabilia was auctioned which raised $1550.

Our next planned function will be the annual golf day at Ballina Golf Club on Sunday 16 October with a 12:30pm start. The event will be a four person Ambrose. For further enquiries contact Phil Chesham on 0402 305 498.

NORTHERN SYDNEY

BY JIM PHELAN, SECRETARY Our annual golf day on Friday 27 May at Warringah Golf Club is shaping up to be an event not to be missed. It will be four-ball Ambrose format with 7am registration and light breakfast followed by 8am

shotgun start. There will be competitions for the longest drive and nearest the pin plus a sit down buffet lunch with plenty of humour expected from the guest speakers.

We are pleased to announce a sponsorship deal with Brookvale Mazda. This will include naming rights to the golf day and sportsman’s lunch plus agreement for a Mazda 2 for the first to post a “hole in one” at the golf day.

The Men of League sportsman's lunch is scheduled for Friday 12 August at the Collaroy Beach Services Club.

It’s always a great day – include it in your diary!

Treasurer’s duties at Men of League Northern Sydney have moved from Garry Toole to Norm Pounder – thanks Gary for your efforts over many years.

WELFARE ACTIVITIES

BY KEN VESSEY, WELFARE CO-ORDINATOR We have been very busy on welfare making 18 welfare visits and follow up contacts to private homes, hospitals, rehabilitation centres with members of the rugby league community. I am delighted to report that our visits have been beneficial to them and we have been able to provide some grant assistance.

One welfare venture worth highlighting was an outing to Bondi Beach by us with the Royal Rehab team and some of their spinal injured patients, where we took along Lee Ferrier, who was involved in a motor cycle accident in April 2015 which rendered him a paraplegic. He was treated at Royal Rehab and is now at home. It was a delight to see Lee on a board after one year.

RIVERINA

BY IAN LLOYD, SECRETARY Our annual Wagga Gold Cup breakfast was held on 5 May at the William Farrer Hotel with over 100 people attending. Special guest Jim ‘Pumper’ Cassidy had the crowd enthralled with his vast array of racing stories and his knowledge of horse flesh. We also had the bonus of Wagga born jockey Tye Angland attending adding to the morning’s festivities. Around $4000 was raised on the morning. We thank all our sponsors for their kind donations and our members for their help and attendance.

Local nurse Maree Comerford recently took part in Its Takes Two, a major fundraiser where local people hook up with local singing identities to do a song and

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dance duet. Maree’s chosen charity was the Men of League Foundation. At the time of writing Maree had raised $21,000 through various fundraisers. This is a phenomenal effort and the Riverina committee would like to extend our gratitude for her wonderful efforts.

Our next fundraiser will be the annual Caulfield Cup race day in conjunction with Group 9 and their Weissel Medal best and fairest presentation. More details to come later in the year.

We have been assisting a number of members and we thank Ben Ross for his continued assistance and coordination especially for those members who are currently in Sydney receiving medical treatment.

At the time of writing we have the tragic news that one of our hard working committee members passed away suddenly at the age of 51. Geoff Honey was a past player and secretary with the Wagga Kangaroos. As this news has only just come to hand a memoriam will be sent for the next issue. RIP Geoff.

Some of our Rivernina members with Jim Cassidy and Arthur Summons.

ROMA

BY LYLE CHERRY, VICE PRESIDENT February this year saw Tara host the annual Terry Charles Memorial Day. John Sainty and I, from Men of League Roma, along with 110 other folk, enjoyed a well presented memorial dinner. This was a very successful night with guest speakers Scott Hill, Chris Close and Wally Fullerton Smith captivating the audience, after which a Roosters jersey was auctioned to round off the night.

The next day the annual Bendemere Cup race day was held in Roma with the focus on a more social day this year. Wally Fullerton Smith concluded his weekend 68

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in the West, attending as a speaker along with local identity Warwick Butler who gave a moving talk on the Kokoda Trail during the war, and which he himself has walked three times.

To round out the month, Peter Flynn and I travelled to Sydney for the national conference.

SOUTHERN SYDNEY

BY BRUCE THOMPSON, SECRETARY Brian Johnson continued the tradition at St George of producing some great fullbacks. Following in the footsteps of the great Graeme Langlands and Teddy Goodwin, Brian provided many thrills to the fans who flocked to see the blond haired dasher play the game.

So it was only fitting that a tribute luncheon to Brian was held following his passing at an all too young age.

Gathering at St George Leagues, 156 people came to remember Brian and to pay tribute to his talent and to hear stories from another time. MC Alan Wilson did a wonderful job in extracting some stories from Michael O'Connor, Les Boyd and John Jansen, including how the 1983 side, on an end of season trip to South America, dropped in on infamous resident Ronald Biggs. Guests are still talking about how much they enjoyed their insights.

In the room were such St George greats and teammates of ‘Johnno’ as Steve Edge, Mark Coyne, Teddy Goodwin, Graeme Wynn, Craig Young, Robert Finch and Brian Johnston and too many others to mention here. Going even further back, it was wonderful to have Merv Lees, Tommy Ryan and Kevin Considine in the audience. All greats from the past are in good shape. Brian's wife, Karen spoke of her love for and life with Brian in a moving tribute witnessed by other members of Brian’s family.

On a sad note however, we didn't know it at the time, but this was to be Grahame Bowen's last function with the committee that he was so instrumental in establishing many years ago. Sadly, not long after this event, ‘Bow’ passed away suddenly but peacefully.

Special thanks to Peter Lanham for his work in pulling this great function together. It has certainly set the benchmark for those we have planned coming up.

About 40 of the Men of League Southern Sydney committee gathered at JD's in Cronulla for our second Kick Off Club meeting of the year. There to entertain us was Inosi Toga, younger brother of the great Apasai Toga. Both players represented St George from 1968 to 1975. Sadly Apasai died of blood poisoning

that action by the NSW players was the catalyst for the changing of the guard, and the success that followed,” said Petero, who played 33 games for the Maroons.

For Hill though, who played five Origin matches for four wins, it was simply a group of young men enjoying a special occasion. “That game was one of the highlights of my career,” he said.

Inosi Toga at the Kick Off Club.

following contact with coral. Inosi spoke very fondly of his brother and the effect he had on his life.

Now a pastor, he spoke of the need for us all to support each other and praised the work of the Men of League. A giant of a man with a wonderful voice and a great sense of humour, he had the crowd in the palm of his very large hands. Teammate Maurie Pinfold came in for plenty of good natured jibes.

Among the VIPs at the lunch were Origin players Wally Fullerton Smith and Chris Flannery, Kangaroos centre Bob Hagan, former Queensland players Reg Cannon, Jay Hoffman and Ian Dauth, Queensland Men of League chairman Darryl Van de Velde and Sunshine Coast patron,Harry Reed.

The calendar of remaining Sunshine Coast events for 2016 is: Kick Off Club (5pm to 7pm, Mooloolaba Surf Club): Thursday 2 June; Thursday 11 August; Thursday 13 October; Christmas luncheon (noon4pm, Mooloolaba Surf Club): Thursday 8 December; Annual golf day: Twin Waters, Friday 11 November.

SYDNEY METRO

BY BRAD RYDER, PUBLICITY OFFICER

SUNSHINE COAST

BY TONY DURKIN, PUBLICITY OFFICER State of Origin heroes Petero Civoniceva and Scott Hill swapped some good-natured barbs at the Sunshine Coast’s recent eighth annual Origin luncheon. Yet again a capacity house of 200 attended the luncheon, held at Mooloolaba Surf Club and generously sponsored by Lion (XXXX) and Vintage House Wine and Spirits (Angove). And regular auctioneer Steve Turner (Platinum Properties) worked his magic to help swell the profit coffers to just short of $15,000.

The two former Origin players were the entertainment highlight, particularly when the subject of the final match of the 2000 series was raised. The 56-16 win by the Blues is their biggest in the 36-year history of the contest, but it is significant in Queensland for much more than that.

Following one of their nine tries in that match, the Blues wrote themselves into Origin folklore with a post-try celebration which – according to Civoniceva – resulted in the dawn of a new era in rugby league north of the border. Second rower Bryan Fletcher was the catalyst, throwing the football as a mock hand grenade as his teammates – including Hill – fell like ten pins.

“I was one of a number of young and new players brought into the team the next year, and I have no doubt

The Sydney Metropolitan committee celebrated our sixth year of existence with yet another successful fundraising luncheon at Souths Juniors on Friday 18 March. Being the day before the Golden Slipper horse race, the theme for this one was ‘The Silks Shockers and Stoppers’, with guest speakers being crown prosecutor Margaret Cunneen, racing media legend Ken Callander and rugby league personalities Bryan Fletcher and Nathan Hindmarsh (aka Fletch and Hindy).

Committee president Henry Morris welcomed the 500 strong audience, noting the presence of Men of League president Ron Coote, and committee patrons Bob McCarthy, Kevin Maloney and Keith McCraw, as well as MP Matt Thistlethwaite. Superbly compered

by Steve Gillis, the afternoon flowed nicely with many interesting and funny stories, with Ken Callander spinning out his usual array of jokes. The auction was well run by Alby Tarico and the items were keenly bid.

TOWNSVILLE

BY BARRY BUCHANAN, PUBLICITY OFFICER On 19 February a Kick Off Club, aka Knockon Club, as first named by past president Graham Murray, was held at the Avenues Tavern. Over 50 attendees listened to Matty Bowen tell of his two year England experience

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with Wigan Warriors. Matthew is no longer a shy, oneword answer interviewee, entertaining the gathering with some informative and funny stories. Thank you, Mango. Thanks also to our host Greg Pellegrini for his hospitality and to our major sponsor Lion.

Our first fundraiser this year was the raffle of a Cowboys NRL premiership banner, appropriately branded and signed by the 2015 premiership team.

The unique piece of memorabilia was put together by Grant Wilson and Nick Page. Thank you Struddys.

Well done to everyone who supported our promoters Barry Peters, Mark Williams and Natalie Turner, with ticket sales, and a big thank you to the North Queensland Cowboys and the Cowboys Leagues Club for allowing us to sell tickets at their venues. The lucky winner was Frank Gedling at K. G. Engineering.

Machines, Mick Hardy – De Bortoli Wines, Ann Marie Clarke Casella Wines, Andrew Dincsoy – Coopers, Russ Davis – Pro Shop Coolangatta, Ben Cronk – Chinderah Golf, Tugun Leagues Club, Currumbin RSL, Trad McLean – Broncos RLFC, Shaun Macrea – Seagulls RLFC, Jim Walsh – Roundhouse Botteloh, Coolangatta & Tweed Golf Club.

Thanks also to all the staff and Coolangatta & Tweed Heads Golf Course and to our own volunteers for their great efforts throughout the day. Pencil in the diary Friday 5 May 2017.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

BY JAMES SULLIVAN, PRESIDENT

It was a sad day when word was received we had lost one of our great rugby league identities, Wally Tallis.

There are many stories told about Wally just as he had many to tell. He used to talk about two of his mates, Muyoo Kelly and Jafra Ahwanger, but nobody was ever sure who they were. Men of League Townsville send their condolences to Judith and the family.

Well it's been a busy few months over here in the west and that is about to continue when the NRL hit town on June 5, July 16 and finishing with an ANZAC Test match on October 15. In between all that our golf day will coincide with the NRL WA "Smarter than Smoking" Premiership Men of League Round and will be held on Sunday July 10 at Maylands Peninsula Golf Course.

TWEED DISTRICT

Our lunch this year will be held on Friday 14 October to coincide with the ANZAC Test match, so lock that in your diaries if you are making the trip over. This will be followed by our increasingly popular NRL WA past players and supporters’ reunion on Saturday 5 November, at the South Perth RLC Clubrooms.

BY TOM CASSIN, TREASURER Friday 6 May dawned a beautiful day for our 12th annual golf day. With a record 148 players and three more groups in reserve, workers were out at 6am starting the barbeque and setting up for registrations.

Winners on the day were Peter Hedegus and team (gross score 57, nett 51¾) who came down from Mackay to play. Second was the Danny Nicholson team (gross 61, nett 53 ¼) with the Seagulls team coming third (gross 65, nett 54). Longest drive went to J. Thompson while Glenn Burgess was the most accurate for the straightest drive. Nearest the pins were hit by B. Alchin, J. Thompson, J. Duncan and J. Thompson again. A special thank you to BLK’s involvement which enables us to provide shirts to players at a minimal cost and to Ken Caldow for his most generous effort in doing the embroidery as a donation. Tallebudgera Supporters Club have been a sponsor since our first in 2005 and Seagulls have been with us for 11, Greenview Developments/SeeCivil 10, Cudgen Leagues Club eight and Mark Dawson seven and the Kirra Beach Hotel for the past three golf days.

Steve Newie, Mark Roberts and Noel Everingham all sponsored nearest the pins while our many prize donors included Cudgen Leagues, Seabreeze Bistro, Coolangatta Sands, Fred Teasdell – Aristocrat Poker 70

MEN OF LEAGUE JUNE 2016

WESTERN SYDNEY

BY LES CLARK, MEDIA OFFICER Responding to our members’ requests, who cannot make our weekday functions, we held a Saturday race day on 3 April. With the help of our patron Gary Cameron of the Coolibah Hotel, the event went ahead to the backdrop of Royal Randwick races. The entertainment was thanks to our wonderful friend John Peard whose jokes were well received.

We went into this without our hard working MCs Rick Wayde, Bruce Clark and president Steve Winbank, however thanks to Stuart Raper our state manager and our own prince of centres Steve Payne, the action kept moving forward all day.

The usual suspects were there to help out throughout the day and some new helpers emerged from the new attendees. The consensus at the end of the day was let’s do this again. Many thanks to the staff of The Coolibah who are also great ambassadors for the Men of League Foundation.

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