Sea Eagles captain will always be a club great

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First Grader
Staff member
BACK in 2007, when Jamie Lyon returned to Parramatta Stadium in a Sea Eagles jersey, the fans pelted him with 50c pieces.

Such was the anger over his decision three years earlier to walk out on Parramatta and return to his hometown of Wee Waa on the western slopes of New England.

Being 571km away from the big smoke suited Lyon, who hated city life.

He returned to Wee Waa, pulled beers at a local club and helped the Wee Waa Panthers to a local bush premiership against arch rivals Moree.

After a few seasons in England with St Helens, where he was rated the Super League’s Man of Steel, Lyon returned to the NRL with the Manly Sea Eagles.

That was the start of a love affair with the Sea Eagles organisation and its fans for the quietly spoken man with the nickname of “Killer”.

So how did he get the nickname? Lyon used to love going shooting for wild pigs with his best mate, Gareth Cleal, son of the Manly recruitment manager at the time and second-row great, Noel “Crusher” Cleal.

Together, Lyon and Cleal Jr bagged a 127kg monster – and the nickname was born.


NOW, 10 seasons down the track, Jamie Lyon has done it all in the game at every level. His achievements have been well documented this week.

His delightful family – wife Ellie, boys Riley and Jed and daughter Ava – are the love of his life, along with his Sea Eagles teammates, his golfing partners at Wakehurst and Mona Vale golf clubs, and the northern beaches and its citizens.

“I never thought I would enjoy life in Sydney and I always planned to move when footy finished,’’ Lyon said.

“But I love the lifestyle and the people on the beaches. The kids and Ellie love it as well. It is where we have grown as a family.

“I want to cherish every moment with the fans that I have got left in maroon and white. We can make the finals and anything can happen from there.”

‘One of our greatest’

THE accolades have flooded in for Lyon this week – and deservedly so.

I asked a man who has seen every first grader to play for the club for more than half a century, Manly’s godfather Ken Arthurson, to comment on Lyon.

“Without a doubt, one of our greatest ever players, who is a credit to the game he has played so very well,” Arthurson said.

“A champion player and a champion bloke. He deserved his life membership he received while still playing. He will retire while still at the top of his game.”

Killer played his first game at Brookvale for Manly in round one in 2007, against Canberra. And he will play his last game, also against the Raiders, in round 25. Book your ticket early.

There will be some teary eyes when he does his final lap with his kids.

Peter Peters is a media and sales consultant with the Sea Eagles


http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...t/news-story/60812ec27e53f92baf344524dbd84ad6
 
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