Magpie Memoir Magazine (Issue 16) January 2022

MAGPIE MEMOIR January 2020: January July 2020: Volume 2022: Volume11Issue 1 Volume Issue 4 3 Issue 1

MAGAZINE One Fans Tribute to the Western Suburbs DRLFC

ISSN:2652-4406

JAKE MULLANEY “created havoc all afternoon from fullback”

Andrew Stark grew up just a hefty punt kick from Strathfield Park, in Sydney’s inner west during the heady days of the 1970s. He was quick to become a passionate supporter of the local rugby league team, the Western Suburbs Magpies. Stark began snapping photographs at the occasional game during the early 1980s and later became chief photographer for Terry Williams’ Sydney League News publication, covering grassroots footy from the mid 1990s on.

Stark has captured a myriad of Magpie-centric images over the past three and a half decades, concentrating on the junior representative level, with an occasional foray into the senior grades.

This quarterly fanzine series, aims to combine current events with a look back through the photographers vast collection. It is one man’s humble celebration of the mighty Western Suburbs D.R.L.F.C

The photographer as a boy in the backyard at Strathfield, captured discussing team selections with his shadow (Photo: Hugh Stark).

Above:

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

UPDATE – Martin Patton (October 2021 Edition) In the last edition of MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE an article appeared featuring former Wests Metro Cup player, Martin Patton (1970-2012). In it, I wrote that it wasn’t clear how Patton had gone from being a North American grid iron player, to arriving in Sydney for a stint of rugby league. Phil Gould in an episode of his Six Tackles podcast, which aired last September, revealed that as the Super League War was breaking out, the Roosters had decided to look far & wide for players.

Apparently the tricolours had a man with contacts in the U.S. and they brought three gridiron players out to Australia. Gould didn’t mention Patton by name, but a check of the Roosters new signings for 1997 reveal him as listed among their recruits. By 1998 Martin Patton was playing Metro Cup for the mighty Wests Magpies.

Martin Patton (1998) Photo: Andrew Stark Phil Gould acknowledged that all three players were great athletes, but conceded, If we could of got them at 14 or 15 they’d have been outstanding rugby league players, but we got them too late.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE January 2022: Volume 3 Edition 1

With the COVID lockdown now fresh in our rear vision mirrors, its time to take stock and count the cost of this psychologically caustic period in all of our lives. I must concede, my unhealthy obsession with the tigerization of Wests has intensified during the past two years. Sad to report that an entire mental health ward is now on high alert as ole Kodak’s dribbler status ratchets north. I’ve recently found myself beginning to channel Chief Inspector Dreyfus from the Pink Panther movies, twitching maniacally whenever my Clouseau, the marginalization of Wests within the joint venture, does rear its ugly head.

Apparently; paranoia, cold sweats and the aforementioned twitch, are the price one must pay, having for two decades been force fed a garish hue of orangey swill. More cranium instability is on full show in this edition as MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE dissects the two Wests Tigers dedicated podcasts. Using all manner of woke device and faux university learning, your favourite black & white fanzine manages to shine some light by playing make believe. For having trawled through both Balmain infused gab-fests it suddenly became apparent that these earnest contributors simply know-notwhat-they-do. It’s all down to orange male privilege. As hard as they might try and as much as they want to understand, they can never truly appreciate what the past 22 years has been like for an old Magpie.

- Andrew Stark

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE is Written, Photographed, Designed & Published by Andrew Stark.

All photographs were taken by Andrew Stark, unless otherwise credited.

© Andrew Stark 2022 email: 10dollarjpegs@gmx.com ISSN: 2652-4406 front cover: Jake Mullaney - Wests SG Ball Cup 2008 (Photo – Andrew Stark) quote: Mike Shean (Macarthur Advertiser 2019)

Jake Mullaney

Photo: Andrew Stark

The Forgotten Fullback Sometimes in life, fate can stand belligerently in your way. And so it was for Campbelltown born Jake Mullaney at the Wests Tigers.

An exceptionally talented fullback, Mullaney was unlucky to emerge from the Wests juniors just moments prior to a lad named Tedesco.

Back during the 2009 Toyota Cup (U20s) season, Eagle Vale junior, Jake Mullaney attracted everyone’s attention when he blitzed the competition’s point scoring record. The skinny kid who played halfback for his junior club, raced over for 29 tries and slotted 103 goals from the fullback position as the Wests Tigers stormed into the grand final (only beaten by a very dubious Gareth Widdop try).

“I was always a Tigers fan, a Campbelltown boy” - Jake Mullaney (2012)

By 2011, and with two seasons of Holden Cup under his belt, the Wests junior was filtered into the Balmain - Ryde NSW Cup team. Alternating between fullback & fiveeighth, his NRL call up appeared to be only a matter of time. The tap on the shoulder however, never materialized.

Mullaney took the hint and signed a two year deal with Ricky Stuart’s Eels.

Right: Jake Mullaney - Wests SG Ball Cup 2008 (Photo:Andrew Stark)

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Photo: Andrew Stark

Above: Jake Mullaney playing hooker for Wests SG Ball Cup team during 2008. Watching on intently as team mate Kaino Iakopo hits it up against the Western Sydney Academy at Ringrose Park. The Magpies fell 19-18 in a thriller.

(Photo:Andrew Stark)

I first saw Jake Mullaney play back in 2008 when he turned out for the Magpies Ball Cup side coached by Greg McDonald. Wests finished 14th in a field of 17 teams that year, having notched just two wins from ten games. Victories against Norths and Balmain, coupled with narrow losses to Canberra and Western Sydney being the highlights. Mullaney began the year at hooker, was shifted to halfback by round two, but ended the season in his now more familiar number one jersey.

Following a ground breaking 2009 season when he won the Wests Tigers Holden Cup player of the year award, his coach Grant Jones was prompted to link Mullaney’s ability with another former Eagle Vale St Andrews junior.

“The best fullback to come out Western Suburbs since Brett Hodgson” - Grant Jones (2009)

After signing with the Eels, Mullaney began the 2012 season in the club’s NSW Cup team. He starred for Wentworthville in early March, scoring four tries in a 64-10 thumping of his former club, Wests at Ringrose Park. Four months later he was making his NRL debut for Parramatta. Wearing the number 18 jersey, Mullaney crossed for one of the Eels four second half tries during a 40-24 loss to Manly. He retained his position playing seven top grade games in 2012, including a brace of tries in the round 22 loss to the Wests Tigers.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE

Mullaney added a further eleven NRL games in 2013. The Eels finished the year with the wooden spoon and ironically the Eagle Vale juniors only victory was a 26-22 upset win over his former club. Lining up against James Tedseco, and having pushed Minto junior Jarryd Hayne into the five eighth role, Mullaney nabbed a try and kicked a goal as the blue & golds got the chocolates.

Brad Arthur took over as head coach at Parramatta for season 2014 and it would appear that Mullaney was not part of his plans. An offer from English club Salford Red Devils saw the dynamic Wests product head to the Super League. In 2015 he switched to the Bradford Bulls where he alternated between fullback and halfback.

“Jake is a real talent and we look forward to seeing what he will bring to the team.”

- James Lowes (Bradford Bulls coach 2014)

Mullaney signed a two year contract extension during August of 2015 however his fiancé (and soon to be bride) was horribly homesick for the Macarthur. Granted a release on compassionate grounds, the couple headed home.

Once back in the region, Jake Mullaney soon established himself as a key figure in the Group 6 competition. He captain coached the Thirlmere Tahmoor Roosters to back to back premierships in 2019 & 2020. Covid put paid to the 2021 season however hopes are high for a little more Mullaney magic during the upcoming winter.

“Mullaney was instrumental in the win and deserves praise for getting his side over the line.”

- Mike Shean (Macarthur Advertiser 2019) Below: Jake Mullaney celebrates a try

playing for the Bradford Bulls (Photo courtesy of the Yorkshire Post)

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

WESTS TIGERS PODCASTING AN UNCONCIOUS EXERCISE IN BLACK & WHITE OTHERING Back during the abject drudgery of last years lockdown, I inadvertently stumbled across a couple of Wests Tigers related podcasts. Being an old fibro, I naturally don’t have the inter-web on at home. I did find however that if I masked up, clutched onto an old wire coat hanger and sat at a funny angle at the bus stop near my local shopping mall, I could score the council’s free Wifi. So there I was, perched awkwardly, clutching an old crystal set, and all the while swatting away rogue COVID spores with my free hand. Toward the somewhat comical end to last season’s home & away rounds (come on, losing 38-0 to the wooden spooners was comedy gold), I began tuning into weekly episodes of both; the Wests Tigers Podcast & Wests Life.

By my reckoning, across the two pods, there are eight regular contributors; five on one, and three on the other. These blokes rabbit on earnestly for anywhere up to two hours per episode, discussing the ins and outs of their favourite footy club. Let me qualify what’s to come by saying, the chosen eight do come across as fairly decent fellas (although one is a tad potty mouthed for my refined Strathfield upbringing).

The biggest problem with both shows, just as its been throughout the history of the Wests Tigers, is that seven of the eight contributors come from the Balmain side of the tracks. The eighth, Scottish import Declan McCutcheon (WTP) is too young to remember either foundation club. Two podcasts, one joint venture, no Wests representation. I kid you not. So I’m listening along, trying hard to be zen with theboys, you know, we’re all Wests Tigers together here .. but alas, by the end of each episode, I’m triggered by the orange cast and feel totally othered by the experience.

Othering – the stratification of identities into in-group and out-group by the norm and the consequent marginalisation of the out-group Generally, the eight chaps try hard to present a post 2000 viewpoint. On the surface, they are all about Wests Tigers, yet invariably they slide back to old school Leichhardt tropes. This is totally understandable of course, it’s their upbringing.

What’s mind blowing is that neither of the podcasts has managed/bothered to include a Magpie in amongst their starting line-ups.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Surely a panellist wearing black & white socks would diversify the collective output and help balance, even on occasion correct, the bursts of Balmain nonsense that go largely unchecked. For example, when Joel Helmes (WTP) says, “The Western Suburbs Magpies had a long sustained period of being unsuccessful and now they’re running the Wests Tigers, and low and behold, what have we got but a long period of being unsuccessful.” Our imaginary Magpie on the panel (lets call him Mick), might interject with, Well Joel that is beings a tad unfair, given that during the final decade of both foundation clubs playing in the top grade competition, Balmain played finals footy once (1990), while those hopeless Magpies roared into the semi finals on two occasions (1991 & 1996).

Or when Declan (WTP) chimes in with, I think the pathways for the Magpies has been absolutely diabolical for a few years now.” Magpie Mick could add, well Declan, I think the pathways for the Wests Tigers has been poor. In fact the last half dozen or so Wests Tigers juniors to debut in the NRL are: Lachlan Ilias (Souths), Sean Keppie (Manly), Alex Seyfarth (Wests Tigers), Taniela Paseka (Manly), Adam Doueihi (Souths), Ray Stone (Parramatta) & Dean Britt (Melbourne) … three Balmain and four Wests juniors, with only one debuting in black, white & orange. So yeah, looking at that Declan, I think you’ll find, its not just Wests being diabolical.

Magpie Mick would definitely have got heated when long time Balmain Football Club member, Joel Helmes (WTP) decided to bag the Wests Ashfield Leagues Club, the organization who are actually keeping Balmain’s heritage afloat. Joel in episode 124, offered … If you drive past Wests Ashfield, or go in, they’ve got this strange mix up of Magpie jersey and the Wests Tigers logo. Im a branding kind of guy and that always does my head in. I mean you own the franchise, you own Wests Tigers, that’s what you should be pushing. At which point, the imaginary Magpie Mick slams his beer down on the console and shouts, Mate, Wests Ashfield has a long and proud heritage that pre-exists the Wests Tigers. And your saying they should hide all that because it somehow messes with your Balmain sensibilities? If the Tigers Leagues Club at Rozelle were still in existence, are you trying to tell me they wouldn’t have any Balmain crap on display? Please!

The largely erudite Rob Bechara (WLP) has stated Balmain juniors, Luke Brooks and Adam Doueihi are like sons to him, which leaves Magpie Mick to ponder privately about the other tiger cub in the squad, Alex Seyfarth. He reasons that the young forward must in fact be the pale, red haired sheep of the Balmain family.

Rob did draw a rise however when he was asked whether he’d attended any Wests vs Balmain games at Lidcombe Oval back in the day. His answer was cocky.

Unnecessarily so. I did actually, I went to quite a few games and generally Balmain were on the positive side of the ledger there. Upon hearing this orangey skite, Magpie Mick’s brow furrows as he recalls the good old days at Liddy Oval.

A quick troll through his encyclopaedic memory pre-empts a wholly accurate counter response, Steady on Rob, during the final decade of Wests v Balmain games played at Lidcombe Oval, both sides finished with five wins apiece … and the last ever game, 1986, was won 17-14 by the mighty Mags.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

The Last Ever Wests vs. Balmain Game Played @ Lidcombe

WESTS 17 d. BALMAIN 14 Saturday June 3rd, 1986

Televised live on ABC TV, Wests fought back from a 10—0 halftime deficit to score a gritty 17-14 win over near neighbours Balmain. The above photograph was taken on that afternoon by the Magpie Magazine and shows Wayne Pearce surrounded by a swarm of determined Wests men; Gary McFarlane, John Bilbija and Allen Geelan.

Rod Pethybridge, Trevor Cogger and Wilfred Williams all starred out wide for the Pies.

Its not all blinkered banter however. In discussing the Wests Tigers neglect of the south-west, Eddie Otto (WTP) was spot on when he offered, Why would Wests Campbelltown Leagues Club want to be heavily involved, if we only play three games out there and the Centre of Excellence is going to Concord. Magpie Mick would concur, then throw in a killer stat, Well said Eddie, and just to highlight how disillusioned the south-west has become with the Wests Tigers - of the first seventy five players to debut for the club, 12 did come through the Magpie juniors. Yet of the most recent seventy five players to debut for the club, none are from the south-west.

Josh Barnett (WLP) briefly let his orange slip show when he casually threw in, I've supported the team for 30 years … Magpie Mick would have calmly chipped in with, Well that’s a neat trick Josh, given we’ve only been in existence for 22.

Moments of casual othering that trigger us old Magpies. A recent Wests Life Podcast survey unsurprisingly revealed that only 17.7% of the listeners came from the Wests side of the joint venture. Mick might wonder out loud, Boys, does the magpie come before the egg here? I mean is this because Balmain have a bigger fan base, or is it because twenty years of joint venture bias and a podcast without a single black & white voice, has driven most of the Fibros away? MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Josh Helmes (WTP) was at it again during late September (ep126), when he attempted to lay the ills of the joint venture at the feet of the Western Suburbs Magpies. Joel let fly with - I don’t want to make this a Balmain v Wests thing, but I remember going each Wednesday to buy my Big League & Rugby League Week.

Everyone knows I was a Balmain fan, and you’d read the stories about Wests in turmoil, and Wests in crisis. I think they had eight different coaches through a ten year period. There’s been a lot of dysfunction and the simple fact of the matter is that Western Suburbs Magpies, Wests Ashfield are running the club now … this is a continuation of a lot of things that have happened for a long time … we’ve ended up with a one merger and Im not real happy with how the club’s being run. The Western Suburbs Board who are running the club, what is there, one or two Balmain directors and maybe an independent … they’re basically all Western Suburbs people … I know of the dysfunction that has gone on with regard the junior league over a long time. There’s no means or mechanism to change any of this.

Magpie Mick gets very red in the face at this point. He splutters maniacally about fake news, and of totally misunderstanding what has come before. It came across mostly as indecipherable bluster, however once the sentences begin to flow, Mick offers up - To answer some of the blinkered Balmain nonsense coming from Joel.

Mate, you bag the board for being too Wests centric, yet in this very episode we’ve all acknowledged that the club has never been in a better financial position. Surely this is a huge tick for the board. You tried to draw a line from Wests in the 80s & 90s, through to the current on-field mess in which the Wests Tigers find themselves.

Firstly, the only person on the current board who had any involvement back in those days is Rick Wayde. The same Rick Wayde who saved Wests from extinction when the NSWRL did everything in its power to boot the Magpies out of the comp. You claim Joel, that Wests were a club in disarray and had eight coaches in ten years.

History reveals that between 1980 & 1999 (20 years), Wests had nine coaches (plus an interim-caretaker coach), while Balmain had seven. Wests were forced to endure; being kicked out of the comp twice in the early 80s, the expensive court battles to survive, and then total relocation to Campbelltown in 87. It was a period of massive upheaval that other clubs will never truly understand. They always struggled financially, but the Magpies were minor premiers in 78, made the semis in 79,80 & 82…and then quite disgracefully, were kicked out of the comp at the end of 83. The club, led by current Wests Tigers board member Rick Wayde fought their way back, but of course a generation of young players was lost and the pressures of this instability and poor on-field results saw a turnover of coaches. If Wests had had the wealth being generated today by Wests Ashfield, they’d have won premierships during the early to mid eighties. The Wests Tigers do have that wealth, yet haven't made the semis in a decade and somehow, that’s a Magpie issue. Please!!!

The turmoil at Wests, to which I think Joel is referring, was created by Warren Ryan in 90s. This of course wasn’t unusual across the clubs he coached. Newtown were kicked out of the comp (with Wests), Newcastle were left in a total mess and Balmain were so shell shocked by the end of Wok’s tenure that they quite bizarrely employed a right wing rah rah radio host as coach. Perhaps Joel could draw his Wests Tigers MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

line-of-woe back to the Alan Jones years, the move to Parramatta, the changing of the name from Balmain to Sydney, and the club’s inability to make semis post 1990 (Wests played finals twice during that period) …

You say Joel that, ‘we’ve ended up with a one sided merger’. Wests Ashfield have kept the club alive mate. Yet this is a club which is almost exclusively referred to as ‘the tigers’. You clearly have no idea how disenfranchised old Magpies feel when the club is viewed by the vast majority of league fans as little more than the Leichhardt Oval Tigers. I still hear talk back radio callers labelling them Balmain and no one bats an eyelid. I’ve never heard anyone on this podcast, call them ‘Wests’, without adding ‘Tigers’. Yet Ill regularly hear Manly, Souths, Penrith etc. And this ‘one sided merger’ is being bankrolled by Wests Ashfield. And you’re whinging about what, exactly?

A footy club board needs to be as diverse as possible in its individual strengths and weaknesses. You seem to want a round table of cauliflower-eared former players..

On the eight person Wests Tigers board – Balmain’s Danny Stapleton is the footy head, James Myatt is from the Balmain side of the equation, as is the chair, Lee Hagipantelis. Rick Wayde is a former Wests secretary with footy smarts. The remaining four are Wests Ashfield rep’s with impressive business interests. Another former player, Mick Liubinskas lost his spot during 2021 ... not sure why?

As an old Magpie, I hear Joel apportion blame at the feet of Wests, on a podcast that has no voice from the black & white side of the club’s history (remembering that I’m a fictitious panellist). I was pleased to hear one or two of the others on the panel disagree, however this ‘othering’ of Wests heritage, and the Wests perspective within the joint venture, remains at the very heart of the club’s dysfunction.

You open you’re castigation of the Magpies with, ‘I don't want to make this a Balmain v Wests thing, but…’ mate, this precursor is fast becoming the Wests Tigers equivalent of, ‘I’m not a racist, but …’

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE

Above: Rugby League Week covers the end of the Warren Ryan era, Rick Wayde, Mick Liubinskas (photos – internet)

Joel Helmes (WTP) falls into the old, Balmain Tigers is Wests Tigers narrative when discussing the possibility of Wayne Bennett coming on board as coach. I think he’s got a bit of a soft spot for the Tigers … it was 95 or 96 and he came down and spoke so glowingly about the Tigers and the Tigers history and how he’s always had an interest in the Tigers … Magpie Mick screws up his face, scratches his arse before proceeding to hose down Joel’s argument. Yeah, Bennett might have a love for the Tigers, but I can tell you he always hated Wests, so that ship has long sailed buddy.

Rob Bechara (WLP) is also prone to the odd burst of othering. Even when he’s bending over backwards to be inclusive, there’s invariably a Balmain barb attached somewhere. When revealing that he sees the future of the club being at Campbelltown and suggests home games should be played there, Rob adds, I’m going to be hated. Mick pipes in warmly, Not by me Rob. Wests had the balls to go to Campbelltown back in 1987, because it was the best move for the future of the Western Suburbs club. Diehard Balmain types have clung to Leichhardt for 22 years since the Wests Tigers came into existence. The joint venture has now haemorrhaged to the point of bleeding out, and you’ve just offered up the common sense route. Its the only course that will see this club survive long term. But you seem fearful that the old Balmain types, those in favour of cheering on an orange corpse from the rickety Keith Barnes Stand, that they might have their sensibilities ruffled somewhat by a shift to the golden west. Like I said, the Magpies did it back in the 80s. Now it’s the orange crews turn. Time to grow a pair Tiges!

Wests Tigers Podcast – debuted, November 2018 Contributors include; Eddie Otto, Joel Helmes, Declan McCutcheon, Garry Watson, Steve Stretton.

Wests Life Podcast – debuted, March 2019 Contributors include; Josh Barnett, Shayne Calder, Rob Bechara I decided to ventured back to March 2019: episode one of the Wests Life Podcast.

The eminently likeable Josh Barnett went solo in this inaugural broadcast and at one point made an impassioned plea for all the Balman-Wests bickering to cease. Josh, who was all of 12 years old when the joint venture was forced together, offered, I’m from the Balmain side and I’m totally fine with saying, I go for Wests, that I’m a Wests fan. This was a wonderful, Martin Luther King type of moment. Biggest problem however is that I haven't heard him (or anyone on either podcast) call the club, or the NRL team, “Wests” in any episode since. Amazingly, Barnett’s guest in that inaugural episode, Marina Go, hit the nail on the head without actually addressing this issue. The former Wests Tigers Chairperson was speaking about the involvement of women in the code, yet just as easily could have been talking of the lack of respect shown the magpie heritage. Marina Go said, This is a cultural issue ….

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

There’s a difference between feeling embraced or tolerated … it’s like being invited to the party, but unless someone asks you to dance, you’re not going to feel like you’re truly included.

Marina Go summed up the feelings of nearly every old Magpie. While Josh Barnett and all the podcasting boys can, with hollow nobility, say its all about the Wests Tigers and all that old stuff doesn’t count. They do exclusively come from the Balmain camp. They get to call and hear the world refer to their team as “the Tigers”.

They get to call, and hear the world, work themselves into a lather about Leichhardt Oval, the eighth wonder, the spiritual home etc. And by deduction, this becomes a way of saying, Campbelltown is not very special, a poor cousin if you like.

We are now 22 years into this club’s existence. They’ve played finals footy three times. The rift that has guaranteed a lack of on-field success goes back to the Wests side of the joint venture being marginalized from day one. Until well meaning fans like Josh Barnett are prepared to embrace their footy team as, ‘Wests” instead of, as Marina Go described, simply tolerating the term (or just ignoring it all together), then the gaping wound will continue to fester.

Inclusion requires more than just decade upon decade of lip service. When it comes to where the club is based, and how the club is presented, the black & white crew needs greater consideration. That’s greater consideration from old Balmain fans, from the geographically snookered Wests Ashfield and also, from well meaning podcasters.

Opposite Page Top:.

WLP offers up a Balmain hue.

Have the Wests Tigers colours ever been mistakenly described as black & white?

Photo Right: The Wests Life Podcast crew; Rob Bechara, Shayne Calder and Josh Barnett grab a selfy with Madge Maguire.

Photo courtesy of WLP (Facebook)

Sadly, at time of writing, Magpie Mick remains a wholly fictitious podcaster. The chosen eight continue on unfettered, their orange-male-privilege going to air unchecked. And all the while, old Fibro rocks gently atop exposed floor boards.

Clutching a Tommy Raudonikis signed copy of Buckets of Blood to my heart, I listen on from the foetal position, wearily mouthing the-other-side-of-the-story - to a heavily traumatized audience of one.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Photos: Andrew Stark

Wests Fete - Burwood Park - June 1984 Garry Webster, John Donnelly, Alan Fallah & Bruce Clark are captured sporting their Wests-Ipec cowboy hats during the club’s annual fund raising fete. The event raised a healthy $13000 and it was noted in the Annual Report that, “Many players were totally involved, with Dallas starring on the Chocolate Wheel”.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE

2020-yearyear-old Michael Neil gallops into the wide open spaces of Lidcombe Oval during the 1984 Reserve Grade clash with Cronulla. The team’ team’s leading try scorer, Paul Gearin looms in support while hooker Grant Fyvie watches on from the backfield. Wests won the game 2020-10 with both Gearin & Fyvie nabbing tries.

A classy playmaker, the wiry Mick Neil would play 48 first grade games at Wests between 1983 & 1986 before heading elsewhere. Gearin captained Norths Reserve Grade in 1985, having played four top grade game at Wests during 1983/1984.

Holman junior, Grant Fyvie played 13 first grade games Photo - Andrew Stark at the Magpies spanning four seasons. He later had stints at both Wenty & Woy Woy

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Leo Clarke Pictured right as a 17-year-old in action for the Wests SG Ball Cup team during their 12-4 win over the Sydney Roosters, played at Henson Park during April of 1995.

Leo Clarke grew up in Minto and was a product of the local Sarah Redfern High.

He progressed through the Magpie grades, making his first grade debut for the club three years after this photo was taken. Tommy Raudonikis called him into the top grade during round six of 1998 on an afternoon in which Wests were comprehensively defeated by Souths. A second cap was achieved toward the end of the same season, Clarke coming off the bench during a 22-0 loss to Canberra.

The following year, Wests last in the NRL, began well for Clarke as he played three of the first five games. Injury soon put paid to his year however, and with the Balmain merger cutting a swathe through the Magpie ranks, the bullocking winger suddenly found himself without a club.

He played lower grades at St George-Illawarra in 2000 & 2001, winning the Reserve Grade title with the Dragons in the latter season. The following year he played four NRL games for the Saints including two semi final appearances. Leo Clarke scored a try and kicked two goals in the 40-24 elimination semi final loss to Cronulla.

Injury forced his retirement from playing grade football soon after. Leo Clarke was just 24 and seemingly at the top of his game when the curtain was drawn. Of Maori heritage, many keen judges suggest Clarke would have represented New Zealand had it not been for injury.

A career in the police force blossomed and Clarke has spent a large chunk of his time in the blue uniform as a dog handler/trainer within the NSW Police Dog Command. He represented both NSW and Australia at the Police Rugby League level and was a member of the World Cup winning Australian Police side in England during 2013.

Leo Clarke with Clyde the Police Dog

In recent years, Leo Clarke has coached at both Wests and Canterbury. In 2021 he was an assistant to Tom Morrison with the Magpies SG Ball Cup side (his son Zak was a member of the Matthews Cup squad). Fittingly it was Leo Clarke who held the number seven jersey during the minutes silence in honour of the great Tommy Raudonikis, prior to last year’s SG Ball Cup game against the Roosters at Bateau Bay. Raudonikis had been Clarke’s first grade coach at Wests.

(photographer unknown) MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Photo: Andrew Stark

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

One Random Photo From The Files …

Jersey Flegg Cup – April 1991 – Tunks Park MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE Photo - Andrew Stark

Brendon O’Loughlin A graduate of The Henry Lawson High School at Grenfell in the states north west, Brendan O’Loughlin was a talented five eighth who played Flegg Cup for Wests during 1991. Coached by former Wests top grade and NSW rugby union fullback, Chris Stephandellis, the Magpies won their first four games of the season. The last of these being a 24-14 victory over Norths from which the above photo did materialize.

Clayton Bennetts scored a hat-trick for Wests on this particular afternoon, in a game that was transferred from North Sydney Oval to Tunks Park at the eleventh hour.

Sadly for the Magpies, they closed out the season with losses to Illawarra, Canterbury and Souths to narrowly miss the top four (they finished fifth). The competition was ultimately won by Newcastle who defeated Canberra 28-12 in the decider.

While Brendan O’Loughlin never kicked on into grade at Wests, a number of his 1991 team mates did carry on to play top flight football. Most notably, team captain Jason Small, Shane Barrett, Scott Davey, Jason Eade & Brad Hughes.

Brendon O’Loughlin is also pictured right, as a member of the all conquering 2012 Grenfell Dinosaurs. (photo: courtesy of the internet).

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Robert Vai The Well Travelled Magpie Wests 2013 SG Ball Cup captain, Robert Vai has traversed a long and winding road in his dogged quest for an NRL debut.

Robert Vai was educated at Green Valley Public and Ashcroft High, playing alongside State of Origin prop, Junior Paulo in the latter school’s rugby league team.

He played Matthews Cup for Wests finals bound 2011 side, before captaining the Magpies two season’s later at the SG Ball Cup level.

By 2016, Vai had earned a spot in the Canberra Raiders under 20s side after starring for the Mounties Massey Cup team. He also played first grade for Belconnen in the Canberra Cup competition. The following season he played in the St Mary’s Massey Cup backline alongside an unheralded Fijian named Maika Sivo. The Saints reached the grand final the following year with Robbie Vai at fullback. They were beaten 38-4 by a powerful Wentworthville team in the decider, with 2021 Wests winger Allan Fitzgibbon scoring the sole try for St Mary’s.

In 2017, Vai was a key member of the Pacific Islands team which played in the Universities World Cup competition. The Wests junior scored a number of tries and kicked plenty of goals as the Islands roared through to face Australia in the final.

After leading 6-4 at the break, the fairytale dissolved during the second half and the Aussies ultimately rolled to a 30-12 victory.

Stints at Wests, Mounties, Canberra, Belconnen, St Mary’s, & Penrith Brothers preceded his latest dash at the big time. Robert Vai has been a constant in the backline of Manly Warringah’s feeder team, the Blacktown Workers during recent season’s as the 26 year old outside back strives to reach that next level.

Playing for St Marys 2018 (left) & Wests 2013 Photos – Naparazzi & Jeff de Pasquale

Robert Vai SG Ball Cup 2013

Photo: Andrew Stark

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

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