MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE

April 2023: Issue 22

It must be said, that this season is feeling a tad light-on without our usual Massey Cup team to root for !

The Wests divide it would seem, is ever growing –the gap between inner and outer incarnations of our club is reaching chasm proportions. The Ashfield backing has become all empowering and the Lidcombe vs. Campbelltown dichotomy is now quite stark. Of course this all occurs before you attempt to fold the Balmain element into the equation.

I grew up in the inner west and supported the club for 15 years before the move to Campbelltown took hold in 1987. Yet common sense tells me (and most objective onlookers) that the south-west is the region Wests’ teams need to continue/start to represent.

The great irony of the Western Suburbs Magpies circa 2023 is that the financial clout of Wests Ashfield and the Holman Barnes Group looks to be the single greatest factor elevating Tiger heritage at the expense of our own.

The exciting Wests junior rep teams represent the Macarthur region, while the Magpie’s NSW Cup side is very much an inner city concern.

As the civil war drags on, an interesting tit bit, recently occurred at Leichhardt during a Wests Tigers Jersey Flegggame. I was jolted awake when a call of “Magpie” bellowed from the bench. The home team had an attacking, centre field scrum and I was momentarily able to pushdown the queasiness evoked by that excessively orange kit, to focus on what this gloriously titled play was to provide. The scrum was fed, won, and the ball went right. A sweeping second man play unfolded where much –huff, puff and bodies were set in motion. Ultimately however, like a Catherine wheel nailed to a wonky peg, the whole thing fizzed out. It was easilyread by the opposition. The attacking thrust came to nothing.

Given my forty plus years supporting the Magpies, a moment of honest reflection concluded that the play was most aptly named indeed

-- Andrew Stark Andrew Stark

© Andrew Stark 2023 email: 10dollarjpegs@gmx.com

ISSN: 2652-4406

Bryce Crane Bryce Crane

FormerWestsHaroldMatts&SG BallCupthree-quarter,Bryce Cranecompletedabrilliant2022 withastarringroleintheRugbyLeagueWorldCup.AmemberofAustralia’s PhysicalDisabilityteam,BrycewascrownedasboththePlayerofthe Tournament(votedbytheBBC),andthePlayersPlayer(votedbythe players).AtrulyremarkableachievementgiventhatKangaroosfinishedthe tournamentwithoutawin.

AproductoftheElizabethMacarthurHighSchool,Cranecrossedforahefty bagoftentriesinjustfourgames,duringtheinauguralPDRLWorldCup heldinWarringtonduringOctober2022.

Magpie Memoir reportedbackinMay2021thatBryceCranehadbeenforced toretirefromable-bodiedrugbyleague,havinglosttheuseofhisrightarm. Theinjuryoccurredfollowinganattemptedtacklemadewhileplayingfor theNarellanJetsinAugustof2020.

Adevastatingrunnerofthefootball,Crane’srugbyleaguetalentwasn’ttobe denied.In2022helinkedwiththeSydneyRoostersintheNSWPDRL competition.Inlastseason’sgrandfinal,hecrossedfortwotriesandslotted acoupleofgoalsduringthetricolours14-4victoryoverSouths.Brycewas dulyawardedthePlayeroftheMatchandearnedselectionintheAustralian teamfortheWorldCup.