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MajorlyRagerly
Trevor Allan (34)
I took a piss in a urinal between Ian Jones and Aaron Hopa (NZers will know him) in a pub once. I stared straight ahead.
I worked with Fitzpatrick for a while at Coke in NZ.
I effectively lost my vision when I was 18, and in the process of fixing it, I was banned from contact sport rest of my life. Pre this, I was an unbelievably shit player who was fast, but had all the skills of a retarded gazelle.
The fact I haven't been able to play rugby for 17 years does of course, not stop me from being an absolute expert on the game.
I worked with Fitzpatrick for a while at Coke in NZ.
I effectively lost my vision when I was 18, and in the process of fixing it, I was banned from contact sport rest of my life. Pre this, I was an unbelievably shit player who was fast, but had all the skills of a retarded gazelle.
The fact I haven't been able to play rugby for 17 years does of course, not stop me from being an absolute expert on the game.
D
daz
Guest
Excellent post.
I was a similar type of player to you, MR. Except I wasn't even fast.
I still have recurring ankle problems thanks to a tackle from Hugh Pyle a few years ago. He was playing subbies colts for Barker Old Boys. Even then he was head and shoulders above everyone else on the field, physically and metaphorically.
So imagine my delight when the kick-off goes a thousand feet in the air and in my general direction. I take the ball (beautifully, I might add) and then am hit with a Warwick Waugh-esque force as Pyle hurls himself at me. Somehow my ankle got caught in the ground or something. Fucked.
Of course I played the full game on one leg (it's just what we did back in those days) but it ultimately ended my season.
I haven't talked to him since. Everytime I look at him now I think "that could have been me". That said I also think that when I see Kurtley, but more because my father forced me into the forward pack at a young age and stifled all my natural creativity.
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So imagine my delight when the kick-off goes a thousand feet in the air and in my general direction. I take the ball (beautifully, I might add) and then am hit with a Warwick Waugh-esque force as Pyle hurls himself at me. Somehow my ankle got caught in the ground or something. Fucked.
Of course I played the full game on one leg (it's just what we did back in those days) but it ultimately ended my season.
I haven't talked to him since. Everytime I look at him now I think "that could have been me". That said I also think that when I see Kurtley, but more because my father forced me into the forward pack at a young age and stifled all my natural creativity.
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The_Brown_Hornet
John Eales (66)
Barbs, cool story Bro 
In 1996 I was very excited to play a 1st grade trial game against GPS as part of the opening of their new club at Albany Creek in Brisbane. I was on the bench for the first half and at half time the coach told me I was on. Boy was I excited, this was my shot at the big time. If I could show them that I belonged here who knows what the future would hold. About 2 minutes into the second half there was a scrum and as we packed down I looked at the opposing blindside and it was this beast of a man with muscles on muscles. To this day I haven't ever come across another human as impressive as this guy. Well I decided that the way I was going to earn a starting spot next week was to tackle this guy all day and stop him having an impact for the opposition. About 3 minutes later he got the ball one off the ruck and I ran up and wrapped my arms around his chest, probably went a bit high but his legs were huge and I was looking for somewhere soft. Having me hanging off him didn't slow him down at all and one of our props decided that he'd shoulder charge him to stop his momentum. I'm not sure exactly what happened after that but I feel to the ground with both bones in my right forearm snapped in half. Apparently placing it between a shoulder charge and the hardest man in the world was a bad idea.
Well my career didn't take off as I had planned, drinking and parties seemed to become more important than rugby and when I did go back and play it was very social.
The massive guy was Brad Thorn. It was during the time of Super League and Wendell Sailor and him played 2 games for GPS as there was talk the Bronco's would be kicked out of the comp.
Well my career didn't take off as I had planned, drinking and parties seemed to become more important than rugby and when I did go back and play it was very social.
The massive guy was Brad Thorn. It was during the time of Super League and Wendell Sailor and him played 2 games for GPS as there was talk the Bronco's would be kicked out of the comp.
That's a great story. Arguably worth the badly broken arm.
If that happened more recently, Brad Thorn would probably come and visit you in hospital.
He'd also probably cry himself to sleep that night for inadvertently causing you such a bad injury.
If that happened more recently, Brad Thorn would probably come and visit you in hospital.
He'd also probably cry himself to sleep that night for inadvertently causing you such a bad injury.
If it wasn't for Brad Thorn, you might never have had the opportunity to enjoy beer and partying as much as you have.
Use your good arm.I really owe him. Maybe I should write him a letter to thank him.
Or write in almost illegible writing claiming that he crippled you for life.
Who knows, he might send you free tickets to a Highlanders match in Invercargill or something.
Who knows, he might send you free tickets to a Highlanders match in Invercargill or something.
Antony
Alex Ross (28)
I was recently told one that I enjoyed (this is getting pretty distant, but still).
My neighbour had been a pretty reasonable flanker and captain of the 1sts at Hurlstone Agricultural, after which he'd headed to uni, played for a while, then shipped off to London for his OE.
By the time he got back he was a bit out of shape and a bit out of touch with how Hurlstone was going, but he was still expected to organise and captain the Old Boys in their annual game against the school. When he showed up on game day he gave himself the plum position of outside centre, because he saw a kind of chubby unimpressive kid wearing 13 for the school, and he felt like an easy day.
First time the chubby kid got the ball he steam-rolled old mate and put him out cold.
Turns out it was David Lyons, fresh from aussie schools. My neighbour had never heard of him, but has since painfully learned to respect the presence of muscle under fat.
My neighbour had been a pretty reasonable flanker and captain of the 1sts at Hurlstone Agricultural, after which he'd headed to uni, played for a while, then shipped off to London for his OE.
By the time he got back he was a bit out of shape and a bit out of touch with how Hurlstone was going, but he was still expected to organise and captain the Old Boys in their annual game against the school. When he showed up on game day he gave himself the plum position of outside centre, because he saw a kind of chubby unimpressive kid wearing 13 for the school, and he felt like an easy day.
First time the chubby kid got the ball he steam-rolled old mate and put him out cold.
Turns out it was David Lyons, fresh from aussie schools. My neighbour had never heard of him, but has since painfully learned to respect the presence of muscle under fat.
I take responsibility for the fact we haven't won the thing in 10 years. I let you all down and I beg your forgiveness.
Roundawhile
Billy Sheehan (19)
I knew Andrew Slack before he was famous.
We went to the same school (he was a grade above me, yes that shows my age) and caught the same train. He was quite a reservered type at school and was never boastful or arrogant. Actually pretty boring
Does this qualify?
We went to the same school (he was a grade above me, yes that shows my age) and caught the same train. He was quite a reservered type at school and was never boastful or arrogant. Actually pretty boring
Does this qualify?
Ruggo
Mark Ella (57)
Joe Roff was our billet for a juniors state tournament. Top bloke even when he was young and shit could he pack away the wheatbix.
My brother wrote a letter to John Eales when he came with Brothers. One night the phone rang and it was him. We got to meet him when he got up here which was awsome but the fact he rang will always be something special to a couple of rugby loving kids (now blokes obviously).
Met the Ella Brothers when I was a kid.
I remember going to a Reds training with the QLD Luikemia Foundation. We met Chris Latham, Elton Flatley and John Roe. That was special but there was one kid in the group who had been put through some terrible things from the disease and the treatment and he was in awful shape and his prognosis was not good. The way the blokes treated this kid was something special. I will never forget that.
They might be hero's and villans on the field but Rugby players are damn fine blokes off it.
My brother wrote a letter to John Eales when he came with Brothers. One night the phone rang and it was him. We got to meet him when he got up here which was awsome but the fact he rang will always be something special to a couple of rugby loving kids (now blokes obviously).
Met the Ella Brothers when I was a kid.
I remember going to a Reds training with the QLD Luikemia Foundation. We met Chris Latham, Elton Flatley and John Roe. That was special but there was one kid in the group who had been put through some terrible things from the disease and the treatment and he was in awful shape and his prognosis was not good. The way the blokes treated this kid was something special. I will never forget that.
They might be hero's and villans on the field but Rugby players are damn fine blokes off it.
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