Zorba's column today

[Chip and Chase]

Zorba's last dance
As a player and official at Manly, Peter Peters never took a backward step during his 50 years on the peninsula. Not everyone loved him but, to his mates, there has been no better friend.

A hard-nosed journo and an excellent broadcaster, ‘‘Zorba’’ has signed off from the club.

‘‘Next to my own family and close friends, the Sea Eagles mean everything to me,’’ he said. ‘‘The club and the game of rugby league have given me 50 incredible years. It has given me the chance to forge special bonds, which can only come from high-level competitive sport. There have been battles won and lost, but I have no regrets.

‘‘In 1965, as a 20-year-old, I sat on top of the grandstand in a record crowd of 78,000 alongside my then Wollongong Wests teammate Bob Fulton to watch St George beat South Sydney in the grand final. ‘Bozo’ said, ‘we will do a lap of honour there one day,’ and Manly gave us that opportunity just eight years later as teammates.

"Manly to me is the spirit of my dear friend and mentor Ken Arthurson, who was responsible for getting me to Manly. I wish the club nothing but success in the future. Rebuilding needs to happen, but Manly have been down before and come back stronger than ever. With the right people it can happen again.’’

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Yeah that was a huge thing for him to say, it was like Zorba had actually thought about the club for once and put his ego to one side. usually he is white anting whoever moved him on, strange situation very strange.

I don’t trust him for one minute!!

It’s ZtC , SO, there’s an angle for sure.

 

[Spartan Eagle]

All the best to you Zorba. I don't want to be angry at you any more. Time for all to move on.

 

[jbb/james]

Hasler back, zorba out.

Interesting.

Nice. There was some quotes/ bad blood possibly from hasler regarding Zorba back in the day. I had forgotten about that

 

[Nice Beaver]

Bye bye.

 

[Harvies elbow]

You can’t knock Zorbas passion for the Eags,

I see Zorb as more of a grape dodger

No you certainly cannot knock his passion it's just unfortunate that there would be some people too young to remember what a champion Zorba was for Manlys cause back in the worst Manly hating days, the 70s and 80s.
Be it in his columns in the sun or league week, on controversy corner or 2gb, Zorba argued our cause fervently time and time again.
He was famously banned by Jack Gibson for his alleged bias against the slime.
He just got poisoned along the way and that is the sad part.

 

[BOZO]

Zorba's last dance
As a player and official at Manly, Peter Peters never took a backward step during his 50 years on the peninsula. Not everyone loved him but, to his mates, there has been no better friend.

A hard-nosed journo and an excellent broadcaster, ‘‘Zorba’’ has signed off from the club.

‘‘Next to my own family and close friends, the Sea Eagles mean everything to me,’’ he said. ‘‘The club and the game of rugby league have given me 50 incredible years. It has given me the chance to forge special bonds, which can only come from high-level competitive sport. There have been battles won and lost, but I have no regrets.

‘‘In 1965, as a 20-year-old, I sat on top of the grandstand in a record crowd of 78,000 alongside my then Wollongong Wests teammate Bob Fulton to watch St George beat South Sydney in the grand final. ‘Bozo’ said, ‘we will do a lap of honour there one day,’ and Manly gave us that opportunity just eight years later as teammates.

"Manly to me is the spirit of my dear friend and mentor Ken Arthurson, who was responsible for getting me to Manly. I wish the club nothing but success in the future. Rebuilding needs to happen, but Manly have been down before and come back stronger than ever. With the right people it can happen again.’’

Thank you for the post @Chip and Chase

Like every human being Zorba also has his good points
50 years serving our wonderful club is a great honour .

Dreams do come true and they have for Zorba ....
‘‘In 1965, as a 20-year-old, I sat on top of the grandstand in a record crowd of 78,000 alongside my then Wollongong Wests teammate Bob Fulton to watch St George beat South Sydney in the grand final. ‘Bozo’ said, ‘we will do a lap of honour there one day,’ and Manly gave us that opportunity just eight years later as teammates.

This is the belief and attitude that only comes from true Manly people . This is why our club will always prevail .

"Manly have been down before and come back stronger than ever. With the right people it can happen again"’

Thank you Zorba

 

[globaleagle]

I only met him once. He was nice to me. Anyway... I wish him all the best in his next chapter.

 

[conanu]

I don’t trust him for one minute!!

It’s ZtC , SO, there’s an angle for sure.

I had to laugh though when he said "It has given me the chance to forge special bonds, which can only come from high-level competitive sport". Sorry to burst your bubble Zorb but you can forge special bonds in many ways. I love how he is basically saying unless you played at a high level you sausage roll eaters wouldn't understand. The reality of it is that blokes like him with his superiority complex are probably a good reason why we are hated so much in the hearts of other NRL supporters and the media.

That being said, he has been a staunch supporter of our club and won a premiership for us, so he is one of our brothers and regardless he at least deserves respect for that. It would be nice if he is just a former legend that is around the club after matches to have a chat and he is not involved in the running of the club anymore, It would be great if he just went back to supporting the club in the media again. I wish him all the best in the future.

 

[The Who]

I had to laugh though when he said "It has given me the chance to forge special bonds, which can only come from high-level competitive sport".

S&M is really the best place to forge special bonds.
Not that I'd know anything about this dark 'art'.

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

S&M is really the best place to forge special bonds.
Not that I'd know anything about this dark 'art'.

Madam Lash says ‘hi!’

So I have heard.

 

[ricardo]

Madam Lash says ‘hi!’

So I have heard.

Anyone who has a hearse called Stiffy is pretty cool in my books.

 

[ricardo]

RIP Zorba. He's been good fun over years. Perhaps not everyone's cup of tea but the guy has done more for Manly than most.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

RIP Zorba. He's been good fun over years. Perhaps not everyone's cup of tea but the guy has done more for Manly than most.

He's not dead!!

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Nice. There was some quotes/ bad blood possibly from hasler regarding Zorba back in the day. I had forgotten about that

Not sure about that, I recall an article he wrote soon after Des left in which he predicted the Dogs would definitely win the comp within a couple of years.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

I never saw him play but I do recall Frank Hyde (whose opinion meant everything back in radio days) saying that he had some ball-playing ability and I think also could kick a goal.
Not quite an Adonis but he was Manly's Zorba the Greek!

 

[nightster]

so long Zorba kalí týchi

 

[Woodsie]

I never saw him play but I do recall Frank Hyde (whose opinion meant everything back in radio days) saying that he had some ball-playing ability and I think also could kick a goal.
Not quite an Adonis but he was Manly's Zorba the Greek!

Zorba went ok ..... not a lot of frills to his game .... his biggest asset was the opposition could punch the tripe out of him but he kept taking it up for more ..... didn't mind giving a bit either .....

 

[Woodsie]

I think Zorba is the only person who has been at the club in some capacity for every one of our 8 Premierships ..... that's not a bad legacy right there .....

 

[Briza]

I remember Zorba from the pre and after NE days I used to help cook the BBQ whilest the players trained.
Little robbo was always there, an absolute funny bastard.
Zorba used to give us beer tickets for the league's club for helping out, and came across as a passionate manly bloke .