| This
website is dedicated to the memories of the rugby league supporters who
were part of the era of the biff. Memories of famous clashes that were held
at the Sydney cricket Ground, Lang Park, Wembley Stadium, and all the other
famous pitches. Memories of Rugby League players, Harry Bath, Dud Beattie,
Steve Kneen, Dave Cooper, Arthur Beetson, Les Boyd, Les Davidson, Peter
Diamond, John Donnelly, Bumper Farrell, Clive Churchill, Nev Hornery, Norm
Provan, Ted Goodwin, Dick Thornett, Ken Thornett, Ray Higgs, Craig Young,
Keith Holman, Ken Irvine, Greg Dowling, Noel Kelly, Wally Lewis, Ray Price,
Steve Rogers, Dane Sorensen, Graham Eadie, Peter sterling, David Gillespie,
Kurt Sorensen, Ken Irvine, Norm Provan, Eric Simms, Roger Millward, Brian
McTigue, Steve Kneen, Ron Coote, Mark Graham, Kevin Tamati, Mick Cronin,
Geoff Robinson, john O'neill, George Piggins, Terry Randall, Tom Raudonikis,
Rod Reddy, Brian Poppa Clay, Terry Randall, Johnny Raper, Reg Gasnier, Graeme
Langlands, Steve Roach, Kevin Ryan, John Sattler, Billy Smith, or poms like
Vince Karalius, Tommy Bishop, Sid hynes, Cliff Watson, Mal Reilly, John
Atkinson, Derek Turner, Nev Hornery, Jim Mills, Roger Millward, Brian McTigue.
Referees like Col Pearce, Keith Page, Laurie Bruyers and Darcey Lawler,
and many more, all of whom etched their names in rugby league folklore.
The Players were members of clubs like balmain, also known as tigers, tiges,
brisbane, also known as brisbane broncos, canterbury bankstown, also known
as canterbury, berries, cronulla, also known as cronulla sutherland, cronulla
sharks, gold coast, newcastle knights, newcastle, north sydney, also known
as bears, manly warringah, also known as manly sea eagles, penrith, also
known as penrith panthers, parramatta, also known as parra, eels, western
suburbs, also known as wests, west, magpies, newtown, also known as bluebags,
jets, eastern suburbs, also known as roosters, easts, St George, also known
as Saint George, saints, dragons, south sydney, also known as souths, rabbitohs,
rabbits, illawarra, also known as steelers, canberra. The major English
Rugby League clubs were, St Helens, Warrington, Widnes, swinton, Wigan,
Hull, Hull Kingston Rovers, Bradford , Halifax, Hull, Leeds, Leigh, Oldham,
Rochdale Hornets. Can you remember such memorable matches as the Swinton
massacre, the battle of leeds, the battle of brisbane, the 1970 world cup
final, the 1973 Grand Final, 1977 grand final replay, and other great Rugby
League Grand Finals. In Favorite Moments No 10 Eddie Gordo mentions the
following, Brian Johnson, Des Drummond, Paul Cullen, Joe Ropati, David Lyon,
John Woods, Martin Crompton, Les Boyd, Kevin Tamati, Tony Humphries, Bob
Jackson, Ronnie Duane, Billy McGinty, new Years day punchup, wilderspool,
Kevin Allett, Tony Barrow, world war three, Adrian Shelford, Andy Goodway,
Paul Cullen, John Woods,Steve Hampson, syd Hynes, and stones bitter. In
Favorite Moments No 11 and 12 Gary Kitchen mentions Patrick Stewart, Rodney
Emmott, Headingley, Oliver Reed, Strand Palace Hotel, Wallace Arnold Coach,
Mary Millington, Kevin Dick, and the Queens Wood Club. In Favorite Moment
No 13 Paul Saint of Hull mentions, Hull kingston Rovers, Zetland Arms, Colin
Hutton, Gavin Miller, John Dorahay, Clayton Friend, and Mark Broadhurst.
In Favorite Moments 14 Greg Milner pays tribute to James Lowes, mentions
brian carney, and Brian Smith. Quigs with his three stories in Favorite
Moments has call to mention and recall the Narooma Devils, the Dalmeny Deviates,
being a Dalmeny Deviate himself, Group 16 Rugby League, the Narooma Bowling
Club, Reg Nolte, Bega radio, the towns of bega, tathra, and eden. The watering
hole of Hylands Hotel, and now called the Hylands Tavern. Favorite Moments
No 4 has a great article on Jack Fairbanks, from Marshall Wornop, of Alicante,
Spain. In Favorite Moments No 5 Martin King, from Singapore, recalls an
incident when Alan Davies, replaced Billy Boston, in an Oldham Wigan clash
at Central Park. Davies laid out Cynedd Williams, Len Killen, Len Killeen
and others. Favorite Moments No6 has entries from Mick Carr, Select Paving,
Sandshouse Steve, all about Ronnie Gibbs, aka Rambo Ronnie Gibbs, and his
involvmente with Phil Edens, Gary Pearce and the BBC television. In Favorite
Moments No 7 Quigs recalls his visit to Odsal Stadium and the hospitality
of Mr Jack Bates, the chairman, and the Bradford Club Members. He also mentions
incidents involving, 1954 Challenge Cup Replay, Channel Nine, Australian
TV, sterlo, vautin, RLW, and the Rugby League Week cartoonist Scott Rigley
singing Rolf Harris two little boys. In Favorite Moments No8, Jim Stringer
a Rochdale Hornets fan recalls the time former Manly fullback aussie Mark
Harrigan decked a rampaging Blackpool Borough Prop in a game at Borough
Park earning Harrigan eternal history in the Hornetes folklore. In Favorite
Moments No 9, Martin King also recalls an incidet involving Craig Richard,
Kelvin Skirt, Robin Whittled and Hanley. They are all great reading. In
'Yours Stories' Quigs mentions his meeting with Roger Millward and Jack
Thurgood, in a Hotel Opposite where the Queen parks her stagecoaches in
the grounds of Buckingham Palace. The discussion inolved many subjects ranging
from Rugby League week supporters tour, the transfer ban, an experienced
front rower from the Emu Park Reserve Grade in Central Queensland who happens
to be a shark supporter. Quigs has included his memories of the Sharks first
ever appearance at the SCG. The game was remembered by Ray Corcoran scoring
two tries late in the game. W. G. Buckley spoke in glowing terms about this
game. Quigs also mentions a game he watched when St George, Fijian League
star, Apisia Toga broke his leg. In the Interviews No3 Legendary Australian
TV identity Ray Martin speaks about his involvement with the South Sydney
rugby League. The interview was by David Hundt of the Queenslanders for
South Sydney and is off the QforSS webiste. Ray speaks about his dad growing
up in Maroubra, old players such as Mario Fenech, Jack Rayner, Ian Moir,
Hazem El-Masri, benny Elias, Clive Churchill, Kevin Longbottom, Eric Simms,
jim Lisle. Ray Martin is quoted as saying Craig Coleman - he was a terrific,
tough little roustabout of a player. Spud Carroll was up there too - he
was the last really great player. Terry Fahey of course. But Mario was the
giant of the modern era. I can understand the reasons for him leaving. It's
sad when local boys have to do that. It makes you cry sometimes to see Brathan
Anasta and Craig Wing run around for the opposition. Ray remembers the time
a group of aboriginal Ladies gave it to Les Davidson at Redfern Oval when
he dropped a ball in a close Souths victory over Manly. Ray also mentions
Paul Langmack, Bryan Fletcher, Paul Stringer, North Queensland, Penrith,
Canberra, and Brett Kearney. South Sydney has a strong aboriginal following
from the redfern area of inner Sydney. Many indigenous players have made
the ranks of South Sydney and many other clubs through out the NRL and the
ARL.. The interview with Graeme Changa Langlands, from Saints Immortals,
he mentions great players such as Brad Fittler,Ken Irvine, Barry Beath,
Paul Mills, Frank Hyde, Frank Facer, bullfrog Moore, and ovals such as Scarborough
Park, Jubilee Oval. Changa also talks about the famous white boots from
adidas. In the interview with John Sattler he mentions some great players
and places such as, Gunnedah, Paul Saite, Bernie Purcell, Kurri Kurri, Newcastle,
Maitland, Charlie Gibson, George Hanson, Andrew Johns, Cessnock, George
Arubana, Luke Branighan, Ray Branighan, Arthur Branighan, Bill Sweeny, Ian
Walsh, Des Morris, Ron McAuliffe. Satts talks about his time in hotels at
Redcliffe and with Carlton United, Gladstone, the Young Australian Hotel,
the Queens Hotel, Bribie Island, the Helensvale Tavern, and living at Southport.
A great story was sent in by Mike Higgison about the 1990 Brisbane Grand
final between Valleys and Norths, players mentioned include Paul Dinte,
Troy Evans, Bill Holmes, Tony Catton, Neil Whartan, Peter Shields, Brad
Foster, Scott McKay, Peter Elmore, Frank Rolls, Peter Coyne. Also mentioned
in Higgisons article are Rod Tiley, Bruce Warwick, Alan Thomas and Referee
David Manson. The Era has received a great story from Jim Duffy of Rockhampton
about his trip to Sydney to watch Balmains last game at Liechardt oval.
Jim in company with Russell Carson and his dad Danny Duffy drove from Rockhampton
to Sydney and return, a distance of over 4,000km. Dan, Duffman and Carso,
must be the most dedicated Tigers supporters in League. The Era received
a great email from Lyle Beaton who suggested the inclusion of the great
French 2nd row pairing of Edouard Ponsinet and Elie Brousse. It was through
Lyle's suggestion the the Era unearthed information on Puig Aubert, the
french rugby league fullback, Bob Samatan, the french coach. Duncan Hall
and Edouard Ponsinet involvement in the battle of the boulevard. Others
whoose names as a result of Lyles email are Jean Dop, Comes, Merquey, Contrastin,
Crespo, Johnny Bliss, Paul Bartoletti, Jim Mathers, Cyril Connell, Vic Hey,
Wally O'Connell, Brian Davies, Tom McMahon, Dally Messenger, Rene Duffort,
Denis Donoghue, Holman, Flannery, Pidding, Contrastin, Calixte. In the picture
gallery the Ear has obtained a great pic of the 1951 French Rugby League
world champions and their spectacular return to Marseilles. This website
was created and designed by jeff Quigley, also known as quigs, of studioquigs
fame..The Era of the Biff has nothing to do with Channel Nine Footy Show
or the Reg reagan Character. |
