[Resurrected] What position did you / do you play ?

[Daveagle]

Started out as hooker with Botany Juniors under 12's. Lasted a few games till I was put on the left wing. Ended up at 5/8 by the time I retired in the under 16's

I was definetley a defensive orientated player, being a little fella it was around the legs always. I really enjoyed chopping down the big trees. Different game these days though.

 

[Ripper]

Played halfback/hooker for the mighty young cherrypickers, in the 18's one Mark Bryant left many stud marks on my forehead playing for Cootamundra Bulldogs.

 

[KOMORI]

Played rugby for 5 seasons, my last season was aged 18, and played for the school and also in the local comp on weekends. They tried me at 5/8 then wing, but I soon found myself at second row and then spent the bulk of my career in the front row. Which was stupid as I wasn't the right build for that spot. The coaching was almost non-existent. I was an untapped talent, if they'd taught me how to catch and pass or make a tackle or kick... or something... well, things might have been different.

As it was, my local team was once on a trip from Sydney to somewhere (can't recall the town) for a weekend footy carnival. At one stage there was a team from Moruya calling for volunteers as they didn't have enough players, so I thought I'd help them out.

Anyway someone kicks the ball over the try line and I dive on it for a try! It wasn't for my club or my school team but it was the only try I scored in a 5 year career playing 2 comps each year. Which as I say is no reflection on my natural ability …well maybe some reflection, but seriously the coaching was crap!!!

You got coached? My first coach was Terry Randall: we just knew him as "Matt's dad" lol!! In later years as a pig we were given instructions to "hurt anyone not wearing you colours, but only if they don't have a whistle or a flag". That was the extent of what most of my generation of forwards could understand about the finer points of football, so that's all we were told

 

[eagle66]

My coach was Warren Ryan, who told me to buy the Daily Telegraph and bring it to the game. He then made me wrap it around my shins ( I was a hooker) and told me to kick the sh$t out of the opposing hooker and to stomp on the props feet. He told me that he would hook me if I wasn't being penalised for feet across or loose arms if I wasn't winning the ball. Hardly lost a scrum that season. When the district rep trials came around, there were only three hookers going for it. The first one was carried off after he was trampled on when we pushed in the scrum, the second was carried off when he sprained his ankle because I was standing on it when we did the big push, leaving me. Needless to say, I didn't make it, as they chose the the number two halfback to play hooker. This was unheard of back in the mid 70's.

 

[Beer buzzard]

Played for manly cove when john hopoate came over from Campbeltown I think. Bugger had 4 tries by half time and rested the second half. Never passed it outside to me. Maybe he knew I had hands like watmough.

 

[Eagles2nv]

Only ever played at school. Was a winger cause I was quick, but scrawny.

In touch footy I was a centre.

 

[Jerry1]

Wing for Cromer Kingfishers. Played against Will, Jamil and some of the other Hopoate kids. My highlight was feigning injury in a semi final against Manly Cove after I tackled Will once, the kid was on another level and I would have died if I didn't do it.

My son played for the Kingfishers - I can remember the whole team hanging off one of the Manly cove islander kids but he still managed to limp his way for twenty meters & score. Our lot were like twelve - I recon he was like seventeen Big kids lol.

 

[Chip and Chase]

In my mind I'm a lightning quick fullback, able to step off both feet and have the best chip and chase since Phil Blake. Solid as a rock in defence and a boot bigger than Greg Brentnall.

In reality I played Rugby as a back (mainly outside centre and wing), so spent plenty of time with my hands in my pockets (back in the days when your shorts had pockets) and kicking the ball away in preference to being tackled - it was officially known as playing for territory. I think I probably only played 3 or 4 games of league in my life.

 

[Gib the Pom]

I was not blessed with speed, agility or grace, and so I have always been doomed to the front row.

Still play for my local side here in the UK - Pilkington's Recreational. Have had the honour of representing my county, Lancashire, and Great Britain at amateur level.

The story I most fondly remember was when I was around 16 years old and I was playing something like only my 3rd game at u18s level and it was against our most bitter rivals away from home. And my dad, who would always give me this pep talk on the way to a match, turned to me in the car and he said; "Son, there's a lad who plays for this team in the front row, and I work with his dad... don't let me have to go in to the office on Monday morning having had this guy outplay you". When we arrived at the ground I turned to him and said which one is he Dad; "that's him over there".

196cm 127kg. Absolute monster. He was warming up by tackling the post from 10yards out. I turned to my dad as if to say; "are you serious?". He shrugged.

We had turned up with a team essentially full of kids who had just been promoted from the 16's, whereas they had a team full of 18 year olds who were in the last year at this level. Before the game in the changing rooms they were banging on the walls and the doors a they went past shouting what they were gonna do to us, and that didn't stop as we went out on to the field with the crowd. Lot of lads showed some real balls that day to turn up and play well against an older team in pretty intimidating circumstances.

So we got in to the game, and we were up by 10 in the second half. I was at second marker and I saw this guy lining up for a hit-up and I thought I'm gonna fly out and hit him as hard as I can, so I shot straight out, but he hit an under's line towards my inside shoulder, so I cocked my shoulder (back when the shoulder charge was allowed) and through myself back towards him with everything I had, caught him really sweet under the ball and I absolutely flattened him, he landed flat on his back. And the place just went silent, all the shouting from the crowd stopped. I lost my cool a bit and told him to go f*** himself. But I forgot that because he had knocked on we would have to scrum down moments later, he did not take his eyes off me when we packed down, it was the longest 25 minutes of my life after that. He ran it back at me time and time again. We managed to hang on for the win though so it was all worth it in the end, and my old man was more than happy to go in to work on Monday. No better feeling than making the old man proud.

 

[manlyfan76]

Way to go @Gib the Pom!

 

[Ripper]

I played front row for Cootamundra up to the under 16's in the late seventies early 80's. I busted my ankle and that was the end for me

Remember any of the names from Young you played against?

 

[Ripper]

Played wing for CBC Young, mid 70's. I remember being Spear-tackled like a Javalin in a game against Redbend College, Forbes.

Remember any names you played with? My old man would have been playing around then. Played for Young as well,

 

[ssar]

Never played much Rugby League here, though wish I had have @ school more etc.
Actually played Aussie Rules for my school, but didn't really get into it.
Played Rugby Union later in life, though not quite 1st grade, just 2nds & 3rds - wing & centre, quite enjoyed it.

 

[simon64]

I played one game of University Shield at school where I promptly found out tackles hurt a lot more than they appeared to on Seven's Big League.

Played inside centre. It was 82 so both centres were on the same side of the field. My afternoon consisted of drawing and passing to the outside centre who was built like Meninga and ran like Corowa. I copped a couple of good ones but we won well.

I promptly returned to soccer (or wogball as it was known back then). I was a semi handy striker or centre forward. Sometimes I think I can play again. But my birth certificate disagrees.

 

[anthonyb1965]

Remember any of the names from Young you played against?

Sorry mate, killed those brain cells years ago, lol.

 

[ManlyMit]

Played soccer pretty much my whole life, stopped couple of years ago though. Only footy I played was touch footy, wasn't bad either lol

 

[eaglerabaul]

Started playing rugby league age 21 in 1988 in port Moresby,PNG
Played in offseason public servants comp for PTC(employer) our local telecommunication company.
Only played wing because l never played a game of rugby league before even though l
loved rugby league and had been a mad sea eagles fan since 1978.
The other reason for playing wing was speed and l lots, loved it when the opposition showed me the side lines.
Sway infield abit then outsprint them outside and do the same to the fullback to score lots of tries

I started playing rugby union in 1992 when the company entered a team in the city's comp.where l scored lots n lots more tries.
June 1992 l toured the Solomon islands with provincial side.
By august l was on the plane to Sri Lanka for two test match tour with our national team-The Pukpuks
Most memorable time was,being picked as shadow for our team to the famous Hong Kong 7s ,coached by former wallaby, Moon.
Never made it to HK but will always treasure that
1993 l was in national team again to Darwin for the arafura games where we made it to the G/F but were beaten for gold by Aussie Defence team.
Played on till 1995 for another tour to the Solomon islands and then retired

 

[Loobs]

Played fullback at McCarthy back in the early 90's. I was in the year above Craig Gower so we were the crap squad compared to all the younger hot shots. Used to play in the MCS which back then was loaded - when St Gregs, JP2, Parra Marist etc used to be powerhouses.

Highlight was a training session where they brought in John Cartwright and Matt Adamsom. We gave it to them for about 30 minutes before Adamson called us a "pack of c.nts" and stormed off.

 

[MightyEagles]

Going good, we just need another centre and a Hooker for a team.

I like your thinking there.... One Hooker couldn't possibly satisy the whole team

 

[Ralphie]

I played Hooker for Narrabeen Sharks from about 1968 to 1981. In 1978 I played in a selection trial for NSW schoolboys and my opposite number was Ben Elias. He got the NSW jumper and I got some memories.