Recently some reminiscing on former players, teams and games started me recalling a few old playing days as well as covering many and varied games in Groups 4, 19 and 21.
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Tony La Chiusa and Freddy Lyon set me thinking so I thought I'd just down a few players I played with and against and then reported on in my 30 years at The Northern Daily Leader.
I missed many good players as the memory isn't as good as it once was when I had plenty of statistics on hand at the NDL.
I first lobbed in Tamworth at the end of 1980 after finishing a BA at The University of New England.
I had played rugby league at Coonamble, winning an Under 18 premiership and then heading to Armidale where I won another with Wright College in 1979. In Tamworth I played for West Tamworth Robins and went close a few times before ending my career with an abortive season at Tamworth City due to a knee reconstruction.
However starting at the NDL in 1986 gave me a new calling and for 30 years and three months I had the chance to watch many and outstanding players across the region.
So, initially, I compiled this list of 20 best players for the Group 4 Facebook.
It's been a lot of fun on the Group 4 Facebook page with a number of additions along the way. I hope the NDL's readers enjoy and suggest some of their own for us all to remember and rekindle.
TOP 20 players I've played with, against or reported on
1 Ewan McGrady (Moree, Northern Division, Canterbury)
2 Stewart Porter (Werris Creek)
3 Ron Starr (Guyra, Wright College)
4 Terry Donnelly (Gunnedah NSW and Queensland Country)
5 Joe Craigie (North Tamworth)
6 Jamie Lyon (Wee Waa, Parramatta, St Helens, Manly NSW Australia)
7 Cory Wilson (Werris Creek)
8 Tony Keevil (Wright College NSW Country)
9 Mark Cotter (West Tamworth, Northern Division)
10 Scott Blanch (Farrer, North Tamworth)
11 Ross Whittaker (Gunnedah)
12 Geoff Carr (West Tamworth)
13 John Lennan (Guyra, Wright College, Gunnedah)
14 Billy Knight (Tamworth City, Wee Waa)
15 Daniel Ritter (Scone)
16 Bernie Briggs (Moree)
17 John Williamson (West Tamworth)
18 Matt Nean (West Tamworth)
19 Graeme Newling (Coonamble, Biloela, Central Queensland)
20 Greg Donnelly/ Steve Howard (Gunnedah Northern Division).
1 Ewan McGrady - simply the most gifted, talented player who glided over the grass. His try in the Country Championship Final for Northern Division in its win over Western Division at Victoria Park, Dubbo in 1989 was breathtakingly brilliant, rolling the ball in behind the defence regathering and beating the fullback - a mesmerising moment in a magnificent career.
2 Stewart Porter - maybe the best all round player I've seen in Group 4 and Northern Division. Superb with ball in hand and could take a hit up like your best prop as well as drive in defence. A delight to watch, especially when he delivered those 30m bullet passes.
3 Ron Starr - was a match winner with ball in hand. Threw cut out passes to runners in holes at every distance as well as booting the ball 70m on the fly. Also had the stripping art down to a tee. A wonderfully modest person as well.
4 Terry Donnelly - the archetypal back rower. Ran the ball as good as any backrower but also could set runners into yawning gaps. Only player I know to have played for both NSW and Qld Country.
5 Joe Craigie - Wasn't labelled Mercurial Joe Craigie for nothing. Dazzling runner and represented NSW Country against City. Always a threat at any time. Had the dubious pleasure of being sent off with Joe in a final at Scully Park. Also a gentleman off the paddock.
6 Jamie Lyon - What a wonderful young player from Wee Waa. Won a Group 4 Under 16 premiership with the Panthers and then headed to Parramatta. Returned home for a season to help them to a premiership then went to England and won titles as well as the Man Of Steel. Returned to Manly won a few more premierships and played in State of Origins as well as Tests for Australia. Bought my mates house at Lennox Head and won a premiership coaching and playing for Ballina this season.
7 Cory Wilson - No better ball runner in a magical Werris Creek side that won a string of premierships in the 90s under Ron Dellar. Also had silky smooth ball skills to be able to pop a perfect pass after dissecting a forward pack's defences with a crashing run.
8 Tony Keevil - An 18yo backrower from the Central Coast who I had the fortune to play with in 1979 and 1980. Helped us (Wright College) to a famous 47-8 GF win over a very good and dangerous Narwan side in Barbato Shield (now Group 19) and then went on to play for Northern Division as well as Balmain Tigers and ended up coaching with distinction in Newcastle and the Central Coast.
9 Mark Cotter - West Tamworth prop who was the best defensive forward I've played with or seen. Shored up the middle like no one else could. Hit like five mules with TNT in each hoof. Trained harder than most and slogged his way back from a broken leg with great determination.
10 Scott Blanch - Outstanding schoolboy captaining Farrer to Uni Shield win and steering North Tamworth to six straight Grand Final wins in G4. Plays any position well and always a threat with ball in hand.
11 Ross Whittaker - Similar to Mark Cotter. Was the rock the great Gunnedah sides of the mid 80s was built on. Great team man. I had the stupidity of punching Ross one day at Kitchener and have been paying for it ever since. He is an even better human being off the field.
12 Geoff Carr - A wonderfully talented backrower. Play any game, tough in close, run the ball or even play five-eighth. A great team man also with innovative ideas off the field as well.
13 John Lennan - Had the distinction of playing with, against and reporting on John. Simply devastating runner who had the best piston palm of any player I've seen. Watched him tear a good Warialda side apart one day in a Group 19 match for Guyra at Warialda. Then led Gunnedah to Group 4 premierships in early to mid 80s.
14 Billy Knight - A brilliant pivot capable of twisting on a 10 cent piece and attacking at a different angle. Almost impossible to contain on his day and even had Sydney club Wests chasing all over Tamworth trying to find and sign him once upon a time.
15 Daniel Ritter - Outstanding lock and captain coach at Scone. Natural leader who led in tight in both attack and defence. Led Scone to Group 21 titles. Still is going strong. A quiet and respected person as well. A humble bloke who always credited his teammates with the glory.
16 Bernie Briggs - Another outstanding centre and schoolboy who became an even better senior player and wonderful person. Sadly lost him a few years ago. My left shoulder never the same after his tackle at Taylor Oval Moree in 1978.
17 John Williamson - A backrower with abundance of attacking skills at West Tamworth in the mid '80s as well as being a defender of outstanding timing and technical brilliance.
18 Matt Nean - Terrific attacking player with brilliant hands and fast feet. A joy to watch when he starred with the Tony La Chiusa-coached West Tamworth sides .
19 Graeme Newling - Cornerstone of Coonamble Bears. Playing lock in first grade at 17 before heading north and giving Wally Fullerton Smith a bit of a headache in Queensland Cup.
20 Steve Howard and Greg Donnelly - Two Gunnedah greats I can't split. Both brilliant attackers who carved our West side and others apart. Cannot ever remember being able to tackle Greg but I tackled Steve once and got 10 minutes in the bin for it after a skirmish with Muscles Donnelly and Lil Baker. Ahh fond memories indeed.
There are many more players who come to mind, Marty Moore, Matt Munro, Brad McManus, Brad Smith, Greg Madden, Brenton Cochrane, Jake and Dean Widders, Neville Baldock, Brian Walden, Jason Holland, Richie Porter, Neil Dawson, Mark and Matt Ryan, Laurie "Loppy" McGrady, Garry Lavender, Peter Malcolm, Rockie Laurie and Steve Little.
What about Mark Hogan, Lee Stanford, Greg and Robbie McCormack?
There were others such as Hudson Smith, a young Manilla kid who ended up playing for four Divisions (Northern Division, North Coast, Newcastle and Western Division) as well as joining Terry Donnelly as playing for both NSW and Queensland Country.
Then there was Peter Kennedy. I was a young ball boy at Coonamble and watched him tear sides apart in Group 14 when he arrived from Forbes. He then went on to play for NSW Country in that memorable win over City at the SCG in 1975. Mick Cronin always reckons Kennedy (his centre partner) got him into the Australian side.
You might also say how could you leave out players such as:
Kevin Butters: One of the best, hardest and intimidating backrowers of his era with Tamworth City and North Tamworth. Also one of the fittest.
Ron Binge: Another outstanding forward. Brutally strong prop who led the way for Narrabri, North Tamworth and West Tamworth over a long period.
Gary Hollis: Outstanding pivot who starred on the Australian Schoolboys tour made famous by Roy Masters and including Les Boyd. Had a step like Freddie Fittler and one of three brothers to play first grade at West (Wayne and Ralph).
Matthew Hogan: Outstanding Wee Waa centre who represented Group 4, Northern Division and NSW Residents.
Tony Gould and Adam Francis: Formed an outstanding halves combination at West Tamworth in the Under 18s and then took into first grade. Unfortunately Tony (christened Bubble be a few of us older Robins at West) passed away a few years ago. His older brother, Michael, also a brilliant half for West.
Geoff Simpson: Outstanding secondrower for Narrabri. Both runners and ball player who was always a threat to any side's defence.
Alan Tongue: Brilliant Australian Schoolboy and star with Farrer side when steering them to a Uni Shield. Made one of the most mesmerising plays I've seen in a schoolboy game at John Simpson Oval in a major Shield game. He covered the charging runs of one, then a second and then a third attacker underneath his posts before nailing the third short of the line.
Tom Learoyd-Lahrs: Another member of those famous Farrer sides, a young giant who tore defences apart before going on to an outstanding NRL career cut short by injury.
Peter Taylor: Maybe one of the best schoolboys I saw, another Farrer star with amazing touch.
Peter Watton: Young Coonabarabran schoolboy star. Brilliant five-eighth in a side coached by the great Mick McEntyre and which made Farrer earn every point in some jawdropping schoolboy games against Farrer.
Shaun Ferguson: Another Farrer schoolboy star. Might have been playing five-eighth when I first watched him before he turned into a match winning senior star with North Tamworth and now captain-coach of Dungowan. One of the best ankle driving tacklers I've seen.
Peter Benson: A rollicking, bullocking second rower with high work rate although he did earn the nickname Yana Wendt (probably not correct) after the 60 Minutes journalist for his hour-lasting efforts. Gave us one of our great humorous moments when asked to take a hit up one day and replied: "Sorry unavailable for selection".
Harry Cutmore: A brilliant centre for North Tamworth and Tamworth City. Able to cut sides apart with some scything runs but his defence was also immaculate as well. I remember one tackle on Fred Lyon in particular at Scully in a final. North led 24-nil and West had stormed back to trail 24-20 with a few minutes left. I had been tackled and looked up to see Freddy diving over for the tying try only for Harry to appear and strip the ball from Freddy's hands. It was a stroke of game winning brilliance.
Shane Wadwell: One of the best modern day props. Another intimidating defender and tackler who was also a leader in attack. Ran like a backrower and scored a memorable individual try against Gunnedah last season on his way to helping Norths to a sixth successive Group 4 title. Deserved Man of the Match in last years Grand Final and a fitting farewell after such a winning career.
Peter Ryman: Outstanding Gunnedah, Group 4 and Northern Division five-eighth and centre. Led the Bulldogs to a grand final win in a great career. A quiet achiever.
Roger Torrens: Outstanding centre with Gunnedah who represented Group 4 and Northern Division. Played the game tough in attack and defence and always played at 100 per cent. Would have been a great teammate.
Guy Nean: Only saw him play a few times for Werris Creek but the tall and lean fullback always stood out. Had a huge stride and always scared the life out of defenders.
Peter Rodden: Another outstanding Werris Creek Magpie. Brilliant lock with high work rate in defence and plenty of attacking threats. Seemed to have six arms and four feet.
Michael Spinks: Outstanding fullback for West Lions. Had a huge boot that could have matched Ron Starr's long range bombs.
Michael Cameron: Crazy legs. Another brilliant backrower with a high work rate for West. Memorable performance to play and win man of the match in 1986 grand final win (6-4) against The Rocky Laurie-coached Inverell Hawks at Scully Park.
Hudson Smith: Started as a gangly young centre from Manilla but progressed to the pack with Tamworth City and then Balmain before heading back to the country and stints out west at Cobar and on the North Coast with Bellingen. Joins Terry Donnelly as a player to have the unique distinction of representing NSW and Queensland Country. Also played for North Coast, Northern Division and Newcastle.
Mick Schmiedel: Fancy missing out on Michael. Still remember interviewing him at Ro Shelton's Indoor Cricket Centre all those years ago when he arrived from Bathurst (I think). Was one of the best attacking hookers to have played up here with West Lions, Tamworth City and Dungowan. Ironic he led City to a Grand Final win at Kitchener Park, Gunnedah and this year (hopefully) will coach Gunnedah.
Daryl Briggs: Another Tamworth City hooker who was as game as they come. Talented rake and determined defender.
Mal Peckham: Outstanding blockbusting centre for Moree. A pocket battleship who could steamroll opposing centres.
Matt Parsons: A massive individual who carved out a great career with the Knights and NSW before returning to Werris Creek and coaching North Tamworth to a premiership. A great player and coach too, helping the Magpies the past couple of years as co-coach with the iconic Ron Dellar.
I also had the remarkable luck of being able to watch most of the above from 1986 to 2016 as NDL sports editor.
Truly blessed and would also like to thank all the players, coaches and clubs who afforded me the time and respect to interview and report on them.
