Berkeley_Eagle
Current Status: 24/7 Manly Fan
Rest in Peace big fella
Rex Peers Mossop (born 18 February 1928 in Five Dock, New South Wales) is an Australian former rugby league and rugby union footballer - a dual-code international, and an Australian Television personality of the 1970s and 80s.
Rugby union career
Mossop played rugby union for the Manly club and played eight tests for the Wallabies from 1948 to 1951. His international rugby union career was played at lock
[edit]Rugby league career
Switching to rugby league in the UK in 1951, he played with Rugby Football League Championship side Leigh. He returned to Australia in 1956, joining the Manly Sea Eagles and becoming the cornerstone of their forward pack in the late 1950s.
Ever an aggressive front-row forward, Mossop played in the Manly sides that lost to the St George Dragons in grand finals in 1957 and 1959. Notwithstanding his uncompromising playing style, Mossop won a newspaper's "best and fairest" award for the 1958 season.
He first represented Australia in rugby league at age 30 in 1958 in the first Test against Great Britain in Sydney, an appearance im which he became Australia's 25th dual code rugby international, following Ken Kearney and preceding Arthur Summons. He then toured with the Kangaroos to Great Britain in 1959-60 as vice-captain. He played a total of nine Tests for Australia.
He played 136 games for Manly, retiring in 1963 at age 35.[1]
[edit]Commentator
From 1963 he became a successful rugby league commentator. He spent 20 years as host of a rugby league preview show including the "Controversy Corner" discussion segment. From the early 1970s till 1990 on Sydney channels Seven and then Ten he was the voice of rugby league and the pre-eminent TV match broadcast caller. His criticism of players and referees was blunt and uncompromising and his calling style was seen by opposing fans as parochially favouring Manly. His match commentaries and indeed his other forays into the public domain were often filled with tautological descriptors that in eastern state Australian vernacular became known as "Mossopisms" [1]:
"if I keep getting Boyd and O'Grady mixed up, it's because they look alike, especially around the head"
"tiny, diminutive, little Mark Shulman"
"he seems to be favouring a groin injury at the top of his leg"
"now the referee's giving him a verbal tongue lashing"
"I don't think the male genitals or the female genitals should be rammed down people's throats … to use a colloquialism."
"He's made a great yardage of 25 metres."
He also recorded such classics as:
son of a very famous father
a little bit marginal
very mobile running
The perceived parochialism towards Manly - and a gruff style that bordered on arrogance - often alienated him with league supporters, so much so that he was once famously hit in the side of the head with a piece of fruit thrown at him while giving a live post-match summary.
[edit]Honours
He became a life member of the NSWRL in 1999 in recognition of services to the game.
In 2006, Mossop was named in both the Manly Rugby League and Manly Rugby Union "best ever" sides, highlighting his enormous contribution to both codes.
Mossop was awarded an Australian Sports Medal in 2000.[2]
[edit]Personal
Mossop was the younger son of Norman and Nellie Mossop (née Kirkpatrick). His elder brother, Kirk, later became a noted artist. The family lived in Five Dock but moved to Balgowlah by the time he was five. He attended Manly Boys High School leaving in 1943 to become, initially, an apprentice fitter and turner and later a sales representative for a variety of businesses.
Mossop married in 1951 and had two sons, Kirk (1952) and Gregory (1956).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_Mossop
Rex Peers Mossop (born 18 February 1928 in Five Dock, New South Wales) is an Australian former rugby league and rugby union footballer - a dual-code international, and an Australian Television personality of the 1970s and 80s.
Rugby union career
Mossop played rugby union for the Manly club and played eight tests for the Wallabies from 1948 to 1951. His international rugby union career was played at lock
[edit]Rugby league career
Switching to rugby league in the UK in 1951, he played with Rugby Football League Championship side Leigh. He returned to Australia in 1956, joining the Manly Sea Eagles and becoming the cornerstone of their forward pack in the late 1950s.
Ever an aggressive front-row forward, Mossop played in the Manly sides that lost to the St George Dragons in grand finals in 1957 and 1959. Notwithstanding his uncompromising playing style, Mossop won a newspaper's "best and fairest" award for the 1958 season.
He first represented Australia in rugby league at age 30 in 1958 in the first Test against Great Britain in Sydney, an appearance im which he became Australia's 25th dual code rugby international, following Ken Kearney and preceding Arthur Summons. He then toured with the Kangaroos to Great Britain in 1959-60 as vice-captain. He played a total of nine Tests for Australia.
He played 136 games for Manly, retiring in 1963 at age 35.[1]
[edit]Commentator
From 1963 he became a successful rugby league commentator. He spent 20 years as host of a rugby league preview show including the "Controversy Corner" discussion segment. From the early 1970s till 1990 on Sydney channels Seven and then Ten he was the voice of rugby league and the pre-eminent TV match broadcast caller. His criticism of players and referees was blunt and uncompromising and his calling style was seen by opposing fans as parochially favouring Manly. His match commentaries and indeed his other forays into the public domain were often filled with tautological descriptors that in eastern state Australian vernacular became known as "Mossopisms" [1]:
"if I keep getting Boyd and O'Grady mixed up, it's because they look alike, especially around the head"
"tiny, diminutive, little Mark Shulman"
"he seems to be favouring a groin injury at the top of his leg"
"now the referee's giving him a verbal tongue lashing"
"I don't think the male genitals or the female genitals should be rammed down people's throats … to use a colloquialism."
"He's made a great yardage of 25 metres."
He also recorded such classics as:
son of a very famous father
a little bit marginal
very mobile running
The perceived parochialism towards Manly - and a gruff style that bordered on arrogance - often alienated him with league supporters, so much so that he was once famously hit in the side of the head with a piece of fruit thrown at him while giving a live post-match summary.
[edit]Honours
He became a life member of the NSWRL in 1999 in recognition of services to the game.
In 2006, Mossop was named in both the Manly Rugby League and Manly Rugby Union "best ever" sides, highlighting his enormous contribution to both codes.
Mossop was awarded an Australian Sports Medal in 2000.[2]
[edit]Personal
Mossop was the younger son of Norman and Nellie Mossop (née Kirkpatrick). His elder brother, Kirk, later became a noted artist. The family lived in Five Dock but moved to Balgowlah by the time he was five. He attended Manly Boys High School leaving in 1943 to become, initially, an apprentice fitter and turner and later a sales representative for a variety of businesses.
Mossop married in 1951 and had two sons, Kirk (1952) and Gregory (1956).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_Mossop