Magpie Memoir Magazine - Issues 6 -10 (October 2020 - May 2021)

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE Issues 6 - 10

October 2020 – May 2021

Online presentation © Andrew Stark 2021 No part of this magazine/fanzine/presentation, may be reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without the permission of the copyright owner

Magpie Memoir Magazine © Andrew Stark 2021

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE MAGAZINE

January 2020: July 2020: Volume Volume11Issue 1 Issue 4

Volume 1 Issue 6 One Fans Tribute to the Western Suburbs DRLFC

ISSN:2652--4406 ISSN:2652 $9.50

One Fans Tribute to the Western Suburbs DRLFC

October 2020

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

The photographer as a boy in the backyard at Strathfield, captured discussing team selections with his own shadow.

Below: Aiming his cap gun at imaginary Sea Eagles, Roosters, Rabbits and low hanging Berries Left :

Photos – Hugh Stark

Andrew Stark grew up in inner Sydney Strathfield during the heady day of the 1970s. He was quickly 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 did later became the chief photographer for Terry Williams’ Sydney League News publication, covering grassroots footy from the mid 1990s.

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 series of magazines aims to look back through the photographers vast collection and is one man’s humble celebration of the mighty Western Suburbs D.R.L.F.C

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE October 2020: Volume 1 Edition 6

Welcome to this special edition of MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE. The Matterson family’s distinguished involvement in rugby league has warranted a curious dig into the history books; the strong connection to our beloved Western Suburbs Magpies ramping that dig toward full excavation.

Back during the height of the COVID-19 menace, I began researching this amazing Lidcombe family and their feats on the footy fields from Pratten Park to London via Chester Hill.

Four generations of Matterson’s have had an involvement at Wests.

Neil, Frank, Charlie and Jack played for the club during the 1920s and into the 1930s. Their younger brother Alf trialed in 1935.

Charlie’s sons Johnny and Charlie both played lower grades at Wests in the early 1950s and Charlie’s son, Terry Matterson starred for the Magpies SG Ball and Jersey Flegg teams in the early to mid 1980s. The latest connection is via Ryan Matterson, the son of Terry’s brother Paul. Ryan was briefly in the Wests junior reps system, back during a time in which James Tedesco and Dave Nofoaluma were also coming through the ranks.

So it’s hats off to the Matterson clan; a truly grand Magpie dynasty.

- 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 2020 email: 10dollarjpegs@gmx.com ISSN: 2652-4406 front cover: The Matterson brothers of Lidcombe.

Left to right: Neil, Frank (Dutchy), Charles (Chat), Jack, Alfred (Chisser).

Photo courtesy of Melba Studios and Rugby League News.

MATTERSON Lidcombe Family’ Family’s ’s Dynasty of Rugby League Excellence

For almost a century now, the name Matterson has been intertwined intertwined with rugby league excellence. One families remarkable sporting dynasty which has at its very heart, the Western Suburbs DRLFC. The Matterson family of Cooba Street, Lidcombe hold pride of place in the annals of 1920s rugby league. Four brothers who all played grade footy for the Magpies, and a fifth who turned out for Lidcombe in the Wests junior league.

Frank ‘Dutchy’ Matterson (above right) played more than 100 first grade games for the black & whites across nine seasons. He represented NSW in 1929 and was lock forward in 1930 when Wests claimed their inaugural premiership, courtesy of a thumping 27-2 grand final win over St George. Dutchy began his league journey with the Auburn United 2nds in 1921, before playing Presidents Cup for Western Districts the following year. Switching to Lidcombe United in 1923, he was called up to grade at Wests during the same winter.

Neil Matterson (above left) played for Wests from 1922 to 1929 before acting as a club selector during the break-through 1930 season. The familiar face in the middle is that of Chester Hill junior Terry Matterson. The champion lock forward of the late 1980s/ early 1990s, is a great nephew of both Neil and Dutchy and having starred in the Wests SG Ball Cup team of 1983, he progressed to a stellar rugby league career with the all conquering Brisbane Broncos during the pre Super League era.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

The history of the Matterson family in Australia commences with the arrival of William Seber Matterson during the mid ninteenth century. William arrived from London aged 20 and settled in the Macleay River district of northern NSW. A few years later the young ship’s carpenter relocated to the Bellinger River region where he took up work as a pit-sawyer while also trying his hand at farming. WS Matterson (great initials) continued his river hopping ways and in 1868 set up home on the Clarence River.

He is credited with having constructed the first punt in Grafton shortly thereafter.

By the 1870s William was working as a carpenter at the Copmanhurst Meatworks at Ramornie; forging a connection to slaughterhouse work which would remain in the family through the proceeding generations.

William Matteson’s seven sons took full advantage of life on the Clarence River and many of them developed into fine scullers. Charlie Matterson, father of the Wests footballers of the 1920s, was a fine oarsman who raced in many a high profile race during the 1880s. He wasn’t a patch however on his brother, Neil Matterson (pictured below) who won the Australian Championship and headed overseas to race the world’s best on the Thames in London.

The 21 year old rower was beaten for the world title on the Parramatta River by the legendary oarsman William Beach in 1885. Four years later however, he boldly claimed the English Championship on the Thames, before returning to Australia where he was once again defeated on the Parramatta River in a race for the world crown. At around this time, his father William, and mother Jane, decided to move south to Sydney as they were keen to follow first hand the rowing exploits of their sons. Neil lived in the city at this time, while two of his brothers, Charlie and William jnr, had settled in the western suburb of Lidcombe. Upon arriving in Sydney, their industrious father acquired hotels in Surry Hills, George St and one at Tom Ugly’s Point. He relocated to Blakehurst in Sydney’s south and took up farming.

Neil Matterson

“Young Matterson from boyhood had a fancy for the water” Australian Town & Country, 26-7-1884

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE

© Andrew Stark

Charles Matterson married Martha Carroll in 1895 and their footballing progeny began arriving shortly after. Neil was born in 1897, Charles in 1901, Frank in 1905, and Alfred in 1913. At the time of young ‘Chissers’ birth, in the shadows of the Great War, the family was living in Park St, Rookwood, from where Charlie Snr was working as a carpenter.

The State Abattoir & Meatworks opened at Homebush in 1904 and many of the Matterson boys would be employed as slaughtermen or butchers during the decades that followed.

Wests, Wests, Wests …

Neil Matterson was the eldest and he became the first of the brothers to reach the top grade at Wests. He debuted in round 5 of 1922 at Birchgrove Oval against Balmain. Wests were defeated 12-3 on that afternoon as Matterson teamed up in the centres with skipper Dick Vest and marked up against legendary Tigers threequarter, Charles ‘Chook’ Fraser. He must have done well enough on that first assignment as he notched 13 top grade appearances in 1922 and became a regular starter for the remainder of the decade. Having retired from grade footy at the end of the 1929 season, a year in which he’d pushed from the backs up into the second row, while also coaching the Reserve Grade team, Neil Matterson found himself relacing the boots in 1932 as the club’s playing numbers dwindled during The Great Depression. He captain-coached the Magpies Reserve Grade side during a year in which the first grade side went within an ace of claiming the premiership. A soggy September saw Wests defeat Souths 23-8 in the final, only to be edged out 19-12 in the following week’s grand final. Neil Matterson notched 56 top grade games for the Magpies and was a member of the NSW team which toured Queensland in 1924.

Frank ‘Dutchy’ Matterson was undoubtedly the pick of the crop and he made his debut on the 24th July,1924 against Glebe at Pratten Park. While his brother Neil darted about on the wing, Frank packed into the second row as Wests powered to a 29-11 victory. A tough as teak forward, ‘Dutchy’ was a mainstay of the Magpies engine room into the early 1930s. He represented NSW against Queensland in 1929 and was considered desperately unlucky not to have toured with the Kangaroos.

“Generally there is a feeling that Matterson was not given an adequate opportunity of showing his wares. On present season’s form he is vastly superior to either Sellars or Kingston” The Labor Daily (1-7-1929) discussing the make-up of the 1929/30 Kangaroo squad

There is some conjecture as to how many first grade games Dutchy Matterson actually played. Reliable sources claim it to have been anywhere from 74 to 85, with the Rugby League Project counting 91. Gary Lester in Clouds of Dust, Buckets of Blood states that the 1933 first round game against University was Dutchy’s 100th in the top grade at Wests. Yet at the back of the book, he lists the same player as having played 74 games. Perhaps the 100 figure included trial games and the club’s tours to the country etc.

The Manilla Express 6-3-1934

A similar situation arises with Jack Matterson. The numbers men list John William ‘Jack’ Matterson as having played anywhere from 2 to 26 top grade games. Dutifully jumping into the time travel pod and heading back to the 1920s for a quick look, Stark is comfortable with the 2 game assessment.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Wests official list of First Graders allots Jack number #264 which coincides a 1928 debut, and this tally’s with 2 games spanning two seasons played against Souths. © Andrew Stark

The Great Depression and one or two brushes with the law …

During the height of the economic and social turmoil that swept through the early 1930s, many top class footballers were forced to head to the bush in search of greater employment opportunities. Sadly for Wests, the Matterson boys fell into this category. Jack captain/coached at Taralga in 1931 and Frank did the same, very successfully during the following season at Dubbo. In 1933 he rounded up his brothers Neil and Jack and the trio headed to Condobolin. The Matterson boys, along with Eastern Suburbs recruit John ‘Dinny’ Lane were classified as “paid” footballers and things got somewhat testy at season’s end when the local club learned that the brothers had accepted a better offer and were transferring to Dubbo.

A brawl broke out, spilling from the town’s Imperial Hotel onto the street as the Matterson’s were forced to take on all-comers. A Condobolin second grade player, Robert Horton was felled by a punch in the melee and hit his head on the kerb side gutter as he fell. Tragically, Horton suffered multiple fractures of the skull in the incident and died later in hospital. A number of witnesses claimed Jack Matterson had thrown the deadly punch and he was duly charged with the popular lower graders manslaughter. Given the feeling of ill will flowing amongst the Condobolin faithful, the brothers quickly scraped together Jack’s bail fee and headed straight for Dubbo.

The manslaughter trial took place four months later in the Parkes Court and the jury took just twenty five minutes to return a not guilty verdict.

The stress and strain of the economic malaise of the early 1930s contributed to the occasional instance of unlawful behaviour. Frank Matterson was charged with hindering police in 1932 when a Constable Parson’s claimed the Wests footballer had sworn at him in a local shop while aiding the escape of an apprehended man.

‘Dutchy’ was flabbergasted by the charge and stated that he was busy playing football at the Sports Ground that afternoon and that after the game he’d been nursing his brother who had suffered a broken arm during the match.

“Let him go; you have the wrong man. He was home at half-past-six!”

Dutchy’s dad, Charles offers some sage advice from the outer during the Parramatta Court proceedings.

When the shop keeper denied having seen Matterson on her premises, the police case quickly fell apart. Not so lucky was the eldest brother Neil however, he was charged with being in Church Street, Lidcombe for the sole purpose of placing a bet during late 1930. This dime-a-dozen punting conviction followed six months on from a more serious charge levelled at young Alfred Matterson. The youngest of the brothers was nabbed with a couple of his mates having broken into Ernie Manks’ Auburn Store before making off with chocolates and smokes. Seventeen year old ‘Chisser’ felt the full force of the law and was duly sent to a prison farm to serve 6

months hard labour. A year later, he was back in trouble.

Nabbed for street betting in Lidcombe, Alf resented the attention and punched the arresting officer. Curiously, the Parramatta Court fined ‘Chisser’ 20 pounds for betting and one pound for clocking an officer of the law.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Jack Matterson was tragically Alfred Matterson is long killed by a train aged just 35. thought to have been the brother who never played for Wests. This isn't strictly accurate however, as 22 year old ‘Chisser’ did trial for the Magpies during early 1935. In a lower grade game against Newtown, the Lidcombe half darted over for a smart try. He may have missed the cut because he simply wasn’t considered good enough. Yet it’s worth pointing out that during the same 1935 preseason, Dutchy was rather sensationally shown the door by the club. The former NSW lock attempted to head to Norths claiming his impending marriage to Ruby Gunther would result in the couple settling within the red & black club’s boundaries. Norths graded him and yet the move was blocked by the NSWRL. When he then attempted to return to Wests he was told quite bluntly that the club wasn’t interested. Given that by 1935; Neil, Jack & Chat were no longer at Wests, one wonders whether young Chisser’s chances of making the grade did suffer as a result of his older brother’s outspoken ways.

Unwanted by Wests, Dutchy was blocked from joining Norths by the NSWRL (Sydney Sportsman 18-5-35).

Left::

Sun newspaper report of Jack Matterson’s death in 1942.

Above: The

The Magpies Matterson era saw three of the brothers come together in the first grade team on only the single occasion. It occurred on July 7th, 1928 (see back page) as Wests struggled to a 34-16 loss against South Sydney at Pratten Park. Frank was captain and lock forward, Neil was in the centres, while Jack stepped up to play halfback.

Interestingly, Jack Matterson’s other top grade appearance also coincided a loss to the Rabbitohs when he lined up at fullback during the 22-10 semi final loss in 1929.

Neil Matterson’s final season in the top grade was 1929 and the 32 year old certainly had a busy time of it. Not only did he pack into the first grade second row, but he also coached the Wests Reserve Grade team. The Magpie Reggies managed to reach the final against a crack South Sydney outfit. The Rabbits won the competition courtesy of a handsome 26-3 victory on what was a bleak afternoon for Wests; their captain-coach threw an intercept pass for one Souths try before fumbling in his own in-goal for another.

Neil Matterson was a tremendous Wests club man. He played 56 top grade games spanning 8 seasons, coached lower grade teams in 1929, 1932 & 1933 and was a club selector during the Magpies breakthrough 1930 season.

Left:

Below:

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Wests vs Norths 1926.

The Magpies in 1930 included Frank Matterson at lock, Neil Matterson as a team selector and their father, Charlie Matterson was a club vice-president.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

WESTS INAUGURAL FIRST GRADE PREMIERSHIP

0 3 9 1

Frank Matterson

“There is great jubilation in the Western Suburbs, caused through the fact of three Wests players being included in the team to England. It was thought that Frank Matterson was also sure to be included and disappointment is rife throughout the west. He has not played better in his career or trained more carefully, and it seemed that he was sure of securing the life ambition of a footballer, representing Australia on the playing fields of England.”

England.”

Rugby League News, 6-7-1929 MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Most keen followers of the game felt that Dutchy Matterson’s omission from the 1929/30 Kangaroos was highly questionable. Gary Lester in his fine history of the Wests club, Clouds of Dust, Buckets of Blood, claims that Dutchy was overlooked by both Australian and NSW selectors throughout his career. The versatile forward played in NSW’s tough 11-8 victory over Queensland at the Brisbane Exhibition Ground in June of 1929. Locking the NSW scrum, Frank completed a formidable back row alongside South Sydney’s George Treweek and future Magpie, Jack Kingston.

Lester’s book includes fascinating insight into the Frank Matterson Kangaroos omission from his Wests team mate, Les ‘Buller’ Hayes. The Balmain recruit claims that Dutchy once asked him, “what have I got to do to be selected?” Hayes gave the Lidcombe tearaway his honest opinion but seventy years later recalled how Matterson totally ignored his advice.

Direct Lineage

Charles ‘Chat Chat’’ Matterson (Wests lower grader)

Hayes surmised; “The reason was, in my opinion, you could never get the ball off him. Once ‘Dutchy Dutchy’’ got it, that was the end of it. He was a good tackler and he played it hard. I told him to look for his supports … pass the ball. But he never did …” ,

Rugby League News 16-5-1931

Chat was the father of Charlie & Johnnie, who also went on to play lower grades at the club. He was grandfather to Greg, Paul & Terry (Charlie’s sons). Paul and Terry played first grade at Easts. Terry became a stalwart at the Brisbane Broncos and earned an Origin cap for NSW. Chat is the great grandfather of current Parramatta top grader Ryan and his NSW Cup playing brother, Dean.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Below::

Charlie Matterson plays in the top grade for Parramatta during May of 1957.

Above::

Johnny & Charlie Matterson line up in the Wests 3rd Grade team during 1953. Note future international and Magpies club president, Bill Carson in the pack.

‘Chat’ Matterson’ married Doris Franks, the daughter of a Carlingford orchardist in 1927. The couples’ sons, Charlie and Johnny would both progress into grade at Wests, playing in the club’s 3rd Grade team in 1953, before linking with strong western Sydney club St Mary’s during the late 1950s. Incisive backs, the Matterson brothers continued to live with their parents at Cooba Street, Lidcombe during this period and worked as slaughtermen at the State Abattoirs. Charlie ‘Chick’ Matterson also played a season of grade footy with Parramata in 1957. His year at the Eels was highlighted by a first grade appearance during the Country Week Carnival; a game in which the Blue & Gold’s swamped Monaro 41-6.

“The backs moved extra well, and Charlie Matterson went in for a good try to give Saints a 3-nil lead.”

- Nepean Times 1-5-1958 Charlie junior would marry Catherine Robb in 1960 and the couple’s three sons continued the family’s amazing dynasty of rugby league excellence. The newly weds moved in to number 122 Campbell Hill Road, Chester Hill, a fibro abode situated just two or three hefty punt kicks away from the wide open spaces of Abbott Park (later named, The Terry Lamb Sports Complex in honour of Chester Hill’s most famous junior product. Aside from Matterson and Lamb, the club has also produced David Klemmer, Jamal Idris, Geoff Robinson and Aiden Seizer. Charlie Matterson coached many a junior footballer at the Hornets throughout the 1970s and 80s.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

The Next Set of Matterson Brothers … Paul, Terry & Greg The three sons of former Parramatta five eighth Charlie Matterson and his wife Cath, all forged a path in rugby league. Wests juniors from the Chester Hill Hornets Club, Terry and Paul would reach first grade at Easts in 1986 before the former kicked on to become a key member of the great Brisbane Broncos team of the late 1980s/early 1990s era. The eldest of the brothers, Greg Matterson has evolved into a NSW Cup master coach and has led the fortunes of the famous Newtown Club since 2008.

Prior to all that however, Terry Matterson played Matthews Cup for Canterbury before starring in the SG Ball Cup competition for Wests. The young Magpies finished the five game preliminary rounds undefeated and sat on top of the table alongside Parramatta and Balmain. They’d notched 120 points for and conceded just 16 when they faced up to the Tigers in the semi finals. A four tries to two, 24-10 victory followed with young Matterson slotting three goals for the good guys. In the other semi, Parramatta rather ominously ran roughshod over Canberra, winning 42-0. The Eels side contained future Sydney top graders; Mark Blackburn, David Black and Mark McDonnell and would prove too strong for the Magpies seven days later in the decider.

The following year, 1984, saw Terry Matterson progress to the Wests Jersey Flegg Cup team and despite playing up an age grouping, he was selected to represent the City U18s off the bench. Interestingly the Country U18s hooker that afternoon was Wests current NSW Cup coach Wayne ‘Snoopy’ Collins and his opposite number was St Gregory’s College and future Magpies Presidents Cup star, Leon Robinson.

The years 1983 & 1984 represent a horror period for the club as great uncertainty swirled about its very survival. Having already successfully disposed of the Newtown Jets, the NSWRL were attempting to add a further foundation pelt to their bloody mantle. Phillip Street effectively put a contract out on the Magpies and the games hierarchy was hell bent on ‘offing’ the grand old club. Wests was forced to fight for its very existence through the courts. Smelling blood in the water, rival clubs moved in callously to loot much of the available black & white talent. Sadly, Terry & Paul Matterson followed another set of talented Magpie siblings; Scott & Brett Gale to Bondi Junction. It might be noted however, that the Wests 1984 Annual Report referencing of a “Terry Matheson” being selected in the City Under 18s probably didn’t impress anyone in the Matterson household. This lack of detail may well have helped seal the deal. Easts not only knew the lads name, but they also came knocking. Two seasons later, both Paul and Terry were handed first grade debuts by the Tricolours head coach, Arthur Beetson. . .

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE

© Andrew Stark

Terry Matterson

1988 1983

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE

© Andrew Stark

Auburn born Terry became the most famous of the Mattersons when during the 1990s he played 156 top grade games for the Brisbane Broncos. Signed from the Eastern Suburbs Roosters in 1988, ‘Boxy’ Matterson scored 24 points in the Bronco’s first ever game in the Sydney competition; a resounding 44-10 thumping of defending premiers Manly. This individual tally stood as a club record for the next 14 seasons. Terry was lock forward and goal kicker in Brisbane’s premiership winning teams of 1992 & 93. He was adjudged Player of the Match in the 1993 World Club Challenge victory over Wigan and played State of Origin for NSW in 1989. At the end of the 1995 season he headed to the UK and played four years with the London Broncos.

Beyond his playing days, Terry Matterson has Terry Matterson taken to coaching. He guided the Castleford Tigers in the English Super League from 2005 until 2011. Became assistant coach at North Queensland in 2012, before overseeing the United States national team during 2013 & 14. In 2017 he became interim coach at the Gold Coast Titans after the late season sacking of Neil Henry.

Matterson is currently employed as Head of Football Operations for Brisbane club, the Easts Tigers. As talk of a second Brisbane team in the NRL grows stronger, the Wests junior’s name is one of a handful being mentioned in relation to the new club’s inaugural head coach.

Ryan Matterson Top: Terry Matterson (Brisbane) photo courtesy of Streets ice cream.

Above: Ryan Matterson (Wests Tigers) photo courtesy of the Wests Tigers website MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE

© Andrew Stark

The most recent generation of footballing Matterson’s feature brother’s Ryan and Dean.

Son’s of Terry’s brother, Paul, both are Wentworthville Magpie juniors. Ryan made his NRL debut in round 8 of 2016, scoring a try for the Roosters against St George-Illawarra. Born at Greenacre, the powerful back rower began his grade career as a five eighth. Ryan Matterson appears to have spent a brief period in the Wests junior representative system (see back page), yet he doesn’t bob up in any team lists from that period.

This fact is backed up by Ryan himself, who states that his inclusion in the Parramatta SG Ball Cup team of 2012 was, ‘my first rep team’ . An Eels junior, Ryan was signed by the Blue & Gold’s at 17 years of age.

“Be confident. Purpose in everything you do. MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark Aggression. Back yourself. Make each play count. Harder you run, more hesitant the - Paul Matterson’s 2012 note to his son Ryan (Athlete’s Voice 3-8-2018) defence is. Be physical in defence.”

In the days leading into his first SG Ball Cup game for the Eels, Ryan received a post-it note from his father Paul (see above). It featured a series of pertinent points which stripped rugby league back to its most basic form. In a 2018 interview with the Athlete’s Voice, Ryan Matterson stated that he continues to run through his dad’s post-it note advice prior to each game; “In the dressing-room, before I put my boots on to play, I pull it out to read”.

Still considered a five eighth while playing for the Eels under 20s, Ryan Matterson represented the NSW U20s & Junior Kangaroos in 2014. He headed to the Sydney Roosters after Parramatta signed Kieran Foran. Three seasons with his father’s old club, spawned 60 NRL appearances including the 2018 premiership. By 2019 however, he was squeezed out of Bondi Junction by the salary cap and linked with the Wests Tigers. A mainstay of the hybrid club’s back row in 2019, he was on the fringe of a State of Origin call-up and went into camp with Brad Fittler’s Blues squad during the lead up to a successful NSW campaign. An ugly separation ensued at season’s end however, a falling out with Wests Tigers coach ‘Madge’ Maguire being sited as the catalyst. After a brief stand off between player and club, Ryan Matterson was snapped up for season 2020 by his junior club, the Parramatta Eels.

“Debutant playmaker Ryan Matterson had a debut to remember, tossing an intercept pass in the first half for a Dragons try but setting up one try and scoring one of his own in a memorable fight back” - Chris Kennedy (NRL.com 25-4-2016)

Younger brother Dean has played NSW Cup at a number of club’s as he attempts to earn himself an NRL debut. He captained the Eels U20s team to the Holden Cup grand final in 2017; a game in which Wayne Lambkin’s Manly side won the day in a 20 points to 18 thriller.

Matterson has subsequently played reserve grade at Wyong (Sydney Roosters), Mounties (Canberra) and at the Blacktown Workers (Manly).

Given the weight of Wests involvement in the Matterson ancestry, it would be fitting if young Dean could add the Western Suburbs Magpies to his list of club’s in the next season or two.

Left:

Dean Matterson fires out a pass for the Wyong Roos in 2018. Photo – Andrew Stark.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Paul Matterson

Dean Matterson Wentworthville Under 14s of 2011 featuring Dean Matterson and his father Paul (trainer). Below: Ryan Matterson in the Wentworthville Under 10(2)s of 2004.

Above:

I remember this kids first training session with Wests SG Ball. He started with a drill with one attacker and two defenders. Ryan was opposed to David Nofoaluma and James Tedesco – stepped them both with ease!” ease!”

Tim Foulcher Facebook post (2018) recalls Ryan Matterson’s time at Wests

Ryan & Dean Matterson pictured in Sydney Roosters garb during 2017. Photo courtesy of the Sydney Above:

Roosters Website

Ryan Matterson

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE

Successful Newtown Jets coach Greg Matterson (Photo courtesy of the Newtown Club’s website), Top Right: Neil Matterson with his father Charlie in the background (taken from a team photo of Wests premiership winning 1930 team (Clouds of Dust … by Gary Lester). Above: The latest set of Matterson brothers; Dean & Ryan ham it up for the Fox Sports cameras in 2017.

Top Left:

A young Ryan Matterson was ever so briefly a Wests Magpie (Photo courtesy of Wests Facebook page), Top Right: Frank Matterson 1930 Middle Right: Three brothers in First Grade in 1928. Bottom Right: Terry Matterson early in his Broncos career (Photo courtesy of Scanlens).

Next Page: Left::

Frank Matterson

Terry Matterson

Ryan Matterson

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE Issues 6 - 10

October 2020 – May 2021

Online presentation © Andrew Stark 2021 No part of this magazine/fanzine/presentation, may be reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without the permission of the copyright owner

Magpie Memoir Magazine © Andrew Stark 2021

MAGPIE MEMOIR January January 2020: 2021: Volume Volume12Issue Issue11

MAGAZINE One Fans Tribute to the Western Suburbs DRLFC

ISSN:2652--4406 ISSN:2652

Nice Threads Adrian $9.50

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

The photographer as a boy in the backyard at Strathfield, captured discussing team selections with his shadow.

Below: Aiming his cap gun at imaginary Sea Eagles, Roosters, Rabbits and low hanging Berries Left :

Photos – Hugh Stark

Andrew Stark grew up in inner Sydney Strathfield during the heady days of the 1970s. He was quickly 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 the chief photographer for Terry Williams’ Sydney League News publication, covering grassroots footy from the mid 1990s.

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 series aims to look back through the photographers vast collection and is one man’s humble celebration of the mighty Western Suburbs D.R.L.F.C.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE January 2021: Volume 2 Edition 1 (Issue 7)

Welcome to your latest edition of the fibro fanzine, MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE. Given the COVID wipe-out of 2020, it’s been a hell of a wait for any genuine black & white footy. Here’s hoping we get a hefty serve of NSW Cup, Massey Cup, SG Ball and Matthews Cup action throughout the upcoming winter, and may the mighty Magpies run roughshod over all comers.

Up in the NRL, the West-Ts are shaping nicely for 2021 and hopes are high that the club can climb back to its spiritual home - i.e. ninth rung down from the top of the ladder.

At time of writing, the junior rep sides are beginning their summer trials in preparation for the upcoming season and the two squads look brimful of talent. Disappointingly however, two of my favourite players from last season’s SG Ball team, Charlie Lennon and Cam Lawrence have both transferred to Canterbury Bankstown.

Former North Sydney Bears and New Zealand assistant coach Ben Gardiner has been appointed chief black & white clipboard clutcher for Wests NSW Cup campaign. This publication wishes all our Magpie teams the best of luck for season 2021.

- Andrew Stark Vale - Hugh Stark (1934-2020) & Sue Stark (1943-2020)

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

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

© Andrew Stark 2021 email: 10dollarjpegs@gmx.com ISSN: 2652-4406 front cover: Adrian Ha’angana - Wests Ron Massey Cup 2013 – Storey Park, Asquith

Winning the colloquial battle It’s Time To Reset The Wests Tigers Narrative Photo courtesy – News Ltd

Since day one of the merger, the Wests Tigers have been horribly shrouded in Leichhardt Orange. The universal description of the team as the Tigers lies at the core of this ambush.The ensuing perception that the club is simply Balmain rebadged, lies at the heart of what aggrieves all Western Suburbs stalwarts.

Magpie Memoir Magazine feels a boisterous call of, “cattle dog” dog” is what’ what’s required to interrupt the prevailing trend.

The description of Leichhardt as spiritual home, club colours sans white, former Tiger greats and the general invisibility of the Wests side of things has for two decades been gut wrenching to watch for old Magpie fans. During 2019, Phil Gould in his podcast, Six Tackles With Gus, even went as far as to claim Balmain had won the 2005 premiership. The Nine commentators continually subject fans to ‘black & gold will never fold’ nonsense, while newspaper copy is typically littered with paragraph upon paragraph of Wests-less Tiger talk. Andrew Moore on ABC radio is one of the few commentators to throw in an occasional Wests during his excellent coverage yet staggeringly receives complaints for doing so.

Andrew’s refreshing and commonsense response to these critics has always been, Why wouldn’ wouldn’t I call them Wests Wests,, that’ that’s their name.

So how does one go about caging the tiger? The answer lies in winning the colloquial battle. Make it fun and easy for footy heads to re-describe the club. Give the punters a fresh and amusing alternative. Calling the club, ‘The Tigers’ is by now, dull and oh so yesterday. It’s time to re-badge the joint venture as ‘Westies’, or ‘West-Ts’. If this were to catch on, it could well be the game breaker in recapturing joint venture equity. The term Westie is emblematic of our club’s grass roots origins, while also tapping into a uniquely Sydney piece of urban culture. For those who comment on the game, Westies roles off the tongue more easily than Wests, and contains about 17 fewer syllables than attempting to say or write, the Tigers. It also embraces both halves of the clubs extended history; Westies, or West-T’s being a shorthand version of Wests Tigers.

In terms of definition, Westie is just a lazy side step from the famous Fibro tag of old. It also manages to strip the overblown tigerization of the joint venture back to the twentieth letter of the alphabet.

- Andrew Stark

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE

One Random Photo From The Files …

SG Ball Cup - May 1997 - Bradbury Oval MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Photo – Andrew Stark

Wests

Get That Into Ya! Wests muscle up in defence. Bears prop James King is crunched by Magpies skipper Adrian Rainey, with support coming in from Damian Attard and Mick Brabek.

Despite Wests scoring three tries to two in this game, Norths caused a 16-14 upset.

The Marshall Rogers coached Magpies ultimately finished third on the ladder, while the Bears snuck into eighth. Sadly Wests would suffer consecutive semi final losses to the Roosters and Steelers to end a promising season on a flat note.

Photo – Andrew Stark

Adrian Ha’angana Magpie On The Rebound Truth be known, my justification for scribbling this piece came courtesy of the soul stirring image which features on the cover of this edition. With his chest puffed out, Adrian Ha’angana is shown proudly sporting the famous black & white jersey. The talented back rower captured during a break in play of the 2013 Massey Cup season.

Adrian Ha’angana - Wests Massey Cup 2013

Ha’angana’s path to and from Wests provides us with a twisting and highly scenic route. I first spotted the lad playing prop forward in the Harold Matthews Cup for the Sydney Roosters back in 2008. He carved up the Sharks that afternoon at a picturesque suburban park deep in the heart of the Shire. The Roosters team featured future NRL players Cheyse Blair and Jacob Miller and the Bondi boys bounded into the semi finals that year before ultimately falling to the Bulldogs Photo: Andrew Stark

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Aged 15, scoring for the Roosters Matt’s Cup in 2008. Opposite page, left to right: Souths SG Ball Cup 2010, St Josephs College rugby 2009, Wests Massey Cup 2013.

Photo’s: above –

Adrian next bobbed up in front of my camera playing GPS rugby for the famous Hunters Hill College, St Joseph’s. A bullocking inside centre throughout the winter months of 2009, the Edensor Park league junior who grew up in Merrylands, so impressed the Rah Rah establishment that by season’s end, he was a member of the NSW U18s rugby team.

The following year, having matriculated from Joey’s, Ha’angana captained a Souths SG Ball Cup team which featured future NRL forward Kyle Turner playing in the centres, as well as Wests junior Tim Dengate at half. Progressing seamlessly into the Rabbitohs Toyota Cup team with a glimpse of NSW Cup exposure at Norths in 2011, Adrian’s rollicking upward trajectory suddenly hit an unwanted snag. In July of 2012, and in tandem with gun fullback James Roberts, the pair was sacked by Souths for “breaches of the code of conduct”.

Back in 2010, Ha’angana let slip that he was a Parramatta Eels supporter, an admission that doubtlessly invoked a series of counselling sessions and the urgent love and support of family and friends. The Souths sacking may well have required more of the same. His luck turned quick smart however, when he was afforded an opportunity to pull on the famous black & white jersey of the mighty Western Suburbs Magpies. Ha’angana played Massey Cup for Wests in 2013 and then doubled around to do it all again in 2019. His stints with the good guys bookended a magical mystery tour of garish jersey sampling; including stints at Cabramatta, Newtown, Belrose, Glebe-Burwood and Auburn.

His time in the teal, black & purple strip of the Auburn Warriors coincided a regrettable chapter in second tier rugby league. February 2018 saw disgraced former Deputy Mayor of Auburn, Salim Mehajer renege on a promised $100000 sponsorship deal which forced the 2017 Massey Cup Grand Finalists to the wall.

The only bright spot being that before the joint went belly up, young Adrian spent a year playing on the hallowed Lidcombe Oval turf made famous all those years ago by working class legends; Tom Terrific, Snake, Joe Cool, Sloth, © Andrew Stark Big Dallas and the Baby Faced Assassin.

Photos: Andrew Stark

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Above: Adrian Ha’angana (Wests) scores right under the black dot in the 2013 Massey Cup game against Asquith at Storey Park. Inset: Adrian at Joeys in 2009.

Chris Lawrence Retires: James Tedesco Leads The big Magpie stories arising from the tail end of season 2020 centred on club legends, Chris Lawrence & James Tedesco.

Photo – Andrew Stark

Eagle Vale-St Andrews junior Lawrence, called time on a wonderful career which included 253 NRL games and half a dozen games for Australia. After debuting in the big league as a schoolboy back in 2006, Chris Lawrence has been a tremendous servant of the West-Ts across fifteen seasons.

A fullback in his junior rep days at the Magpies, Lawrence starred as a centre for much of his NRL career before switching into the back row during more recent seasons.

The other major piece of Magpie news was the elevation of brilliant Wests junior James Tedesco to the NSW captaincy.

With the 2020 Origin series hanging in the balance, it was only an accidental Josh Papalii knee to the head that prevented ‘Teddy’ from leading the Blues to a stirring victory.

Above:

Chris Lawrence in action for the Wests Matthews Cup team back in 2004

© Andrew Stark

Orana Park – SG Ball Cup vs. Penrith 1989 Wests five eighth Martin Thompson hoists a clearing kick down field as team mate Greg Colless, Penrith pivot Brad Fittler, and a fella on a park bench, watch on.

Penrith proved too strong on this particular afternoon, winning the clash 34-4.

A delightfully sloping and well manicured hill is observed in the background of the photo, recalling the ground’s tranquil north eastern corner. This provides a stark contrast to the concrete and plastic vista on offer at today’s Campbelltown Stadium.

Wests would fail to qualify for the under 17s semi finals in 1989. A narrow loss to St George in the opening round preceded the Panthers clash. Further defeats at the hands of heavyweights Newcastle and Souths did follow, before the junior Magpies hit back with an 8-6 victory over neighbours Canterbury, and a final round 24-18 win over Easts. Penrith went on to reach the final that year, going down to an Illawarra Steelers team boasting John Cross Ryan Girdler, David Riolo and John Simon.

Photos – Andrew Stark A number of future first graders were on show back in April of 1989. Tim Horan, Scott Davey, Jason Small, Shane Barrett, Tulsen Tollett, Brad Fittler, Carl McNamara, and Chris Williams, who later played at Wests.

Greg Colless (above middle) kicked on to become a life member of the Macarthur Bulls Police RLFC.and in more recent times, received the honour of being selected in the Liverpool club’s greatest team of the 1996-2008 era.

Below:

Brad Fittler returned to Orana Park 4 months after this photo was taken to make his first grade debut.

His initial touch in the top grade saw the Cambridge Park wunderkind step his way through the Wests defence en route to laying on a try for Darren Willis (later to become a Magpie favourite).

By season’s end, 17-year-old Fittler was the Panthers first choice pivot … and beyond that, well, he pretty much ticked off every achievement possible in the game.

Abov e:

Left:

The unknown spectator, perched expectantly on the Orana Park bench as Wests battled the Chocolate Soldiers back in 89

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE

© Andrew Stark

One Man’ Man’s Black & White Enthusiasm Back during the nineties, I evidently fancied myself as something of a talent scout. Copies of several pieces of correspondence sent to Wests hard working secretaries of the day, Gordon Allen and Steve Noyce have recently come to light; letters in which I boldly pushed forward any number of prospective Magpie recruits.

I was covering plenty of junior footy at the time in my capacity as a photographer/journalist. I figured that given I was witnessing a host gifted young players from sidelines all over the State, this information may have morphed into information deemed useful by the Wests Football Office. Of course the Magpies, like all clubs, had people far better credentialed than ole Kodak here to handle the spotting and sifting of potential recruits. Reading back over the letters today, I must admit to feeling a tad embarrassed by my forthright naivety.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

THE SNAIL MAIL PEST

So let me send belated apologies to both Gordon and Steve for creating them extra work, way back when. Having to respond to rabid season ticket holders who give off the haughty aura of having all the league insight of Jack Gibson-Wayne Bennett-Craig Bellamy rolled into one - this must be the bane of all football club front offices.

The earliest letter recovered dates back to early 1990 and is a response from Gordon Allen. The Chief Executive writes, “it is obvious that you are a very keen Western Suburbs supporter”, which has me wondering, what exactly was contained in my original letter. In today’s more heightened social media environment I imagine being placed on a fanatics watch list. Red flagged as being just a tad too enthusiastic.

An April 1990 reply from Gordon Allen to my enquiries about promising front rower Mark Scott.

My photographs reproduced below show Scott in action against Balmain for the Wests Jersey Flegg team of 1989.

Sadly Mark Scott never returned to footy at Wests.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Photos: Andrew Stark

Retrospectively evaluating the seven players listed in my letter of May 1990 (see above), reveals Darren Treacy to be the stand out recommendation. The Newcastle Wests junior kicked on to play 181 NRL games at Newcastle, St George & Parramatta.

Bulldozing winger Mal Peckham was selected in the NSW U17s during the following season and NSW Country in 1994, however he never ventured to the big smoke to have a crack at Sydney footy, deciding

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

instead to remain in Moree. He would later coach the Boomerangs. When Moree dropped out of the Group 4 competition in 2004, he took the reigns at Goondiwindi. More recently, Peckham has coached the Toomelah Tigers in the Koori Knockout Carnival.

I’m not too sure how Zeke Shaw’ Shaw’s footy day’s panned out post 1990. In more recent times however, he’s been hugely successful as an Aboriginal liaison officer in his home town of Wellington. A former school teacher, Shaw introduced the Gungie Origin Rugby League Program to help foster closer ties between the community and the local police. In 2016 he was nominated for NSW Police Employee of the Year.

More correspondence from the archives in future editions of

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Fellow Wellingtonian, Bill Stanley continued to play for his local team, the Cowboys in the Group 11 competition.

In 1994, Wee Waa Panthers forward Lee Stanford played Reserve Grade for the Gold Coast Seagulls.

Dallas Buckman represented the NSW Country U17s in 1990 and was the fullback in the champion Northern Division U19s team the following year. The former Aberdeen Tiger continues to live in the Hunter Valley town today from where he runs a family concreting business with his wife Melissa.

Macksville Sea Eagles back rower Anthony Dal Santo was picked up by Newcastle and he played lower grades with the Knights during 1993.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark Zeke Shaw pictured in 2016 (Photo courtesy of Nick Grimm – Wellington Times) Middle: Lee Stanford at the Seagulls in 1994 (Photo courtesy of Big League) Above Left: Darren Treacy in action for the Dragons (Photo courtesy of Adam Pretty – Getty Images) Above Right: Malcolm Peckham - NSW Country Firsts 1994 (Photo courtesy of CRL Yearbook) Top :

MAGPI E ME M OI R MAG A Z INE © Andre

w Stark

I was so keen on Mal Peckham I kept pleading his case to the Wests Footy Club Office for two years. A period spanning two Chief Executive Officers. The above section is taken from my September 1992 letter to Steve Noyce where I write the young Moree lad up with such a flourish it may have seemed as if I was directly related, or perhaps on a cut of any subsequent contract. Steve flat batted my extravagant delivery and Peckham ultimately never appeared in the big league. Given his obvious talent and the number of hard working scouts running around country NSW, I imagine Mal Peckham fits into the category of yet another brilliant bush footballer who just didn’t want to leave his home town. I still maintain he’d have been a sensation on the edge for Wests.

Above:

The relevant section of Steve Noyce’s reply sent on the 23rd September 1992.

© Andrew Stark

Barry Davis Pictured above playing five eighth for the Mick Luibinskas coached Wests Jersey Flegg team of 1998 against the eventual premiers, North Sydney.

Davis was the Magpies leading try scorer during the 1998 Flegg campaign and his sparkling form was rewarded when he was selected to represent the NSW U19s.

The Fairfield Patrician Brothers graduate rose through the Wests ranks and made his NRL debut on April 5th of the following year. Coach Tom Raudonikis called him off the bench during Wests 26-2 loss to Newcastle. The 20-year-old started in a further 14 first grade games throughout 1999. He played on the wing in all but the loss to the Roosters in mid May, a game in which he started at five eighth.

Barry Davis scored the first of Wests three tries during the club’s final ever NRL victory; an 18-12 triumph, achieved rather fittingly against Balmain.

Along with the vast majority of Wests 1999 first grade squad, Davis was not wanted by the newly coupled, Wests Tigers.

He later played Metro Cup for the Kellyville Bushrangers alongside former Wests team mates Mick Brabek and Ben Rogers.

#1060

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Dan Christian Pictured right as a15 year-old playing with the Wests Matthews Cup team against the Roosters back in April,1999. The Magpies won 26-16.

Dan Christian would undoubtedly have succeed in rugby league’s senior ranks if his prodigious talent for delivering fast medium seamers and tonking the cherry into the car park, hadn’t got in the way. The son of former Newtown lower grade forward Clem Christian, young Daniel is a proud Wiradjuri man who grew up in the southern NSW town of Narrandera. He played five eighth in the same St Gregory’s College team as star back rower Ryan Hoffman and like his former schoolmate, he went on to represent his country in his chosen sport.

Having made his international debut in February of 2010 against the West Indies, Christian became a regular in Australia’s 20/20 team. In March of 2012, the former Magpie took a hat trick, finishing with the figures of 5/31 in a One Day International against Sri Lanka. He has subsequently featured in all the Big Bash Leagues across the cricketing globe. In 2019 he was given the honour of co-captaining the Prime Ministers XI alongside Victorian fast bowling stalwart, Peter Siddle.

Winding the story back to Dan Christian’s time in the black & white jersey. He wore the number twenty jersey for the Tony Maher coached Magpies U16s of 1999 and was the sides goal kicker. A six game preliminary round season saw Wests win half their games and they were desperately unlucky not to qualify for the finals. Finishing equal seventh with Manly and Penrith, the Magpies missed out as they had an inferior for & against differential. To make matters worse, Wests were pipped 20-18 by the competition’s eventual runners–up Souths in a final round clash at Redfern.

Sydney League News doyen, Tarzan Tuttle described Wests luckless plight in the following weekends match day program ...

Sydney League News 22-4-99

Photo – Andrew Stark

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

© Andrew Stark

Photos: Andrew Stark

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE

Photo – Andrew Stark

Follicly Fabulous Pies If one were to apply the traditional win/loss barometer of measuring success, the Wests SG Ball Cup team of 2015 may well be accused of having struggled. They were a runaway success however when it came to displaying a flourishing and divergent range of coiffure.

Josh White’s under 18s finishing 13th in the premiership standings during that well combed winter, yet as can be seen from these photos snapped at Brooky Oval, the team simply had no peer when it came to a healthy head of hair.

In the main picture, Elijah Mannah and Evander Titie Titie--Anetelea take a breather during what was a hectic clash with the perennially dandruff ridden Eagles. By day’s end, the scoreboard reckoned Manly had triumphed, yet when it came to flowing locks, scruffy mops and product laden thatch, the peroxide zealots from the Peninsula had no answer to our hirsute heroes from Sydney’s south west.

In the top inset pic, Manly’s Brad Parker all but concedes defeat late in the game, while below him Ray Stone & Jake Scott affirm the tremendous variety of style that became such a feature of the Magpies game plan circa 2015.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE Issues 6 - 10

October 2020 – May 2021

Online presentation © Andrew Stark 2021 No part of this magazine/fanzine/presentation, may be reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without the permission of the copyright owner

Magpie Memoir Magazine © Andrew Stark 2021

MAGPIE MEMOIR January February2020: 2021: Volume Volume 12 Issue Issue 12

MAGAZINE One Fans Tribute to the Western Suburbs DRLFC

ISSN:2652--4406 ISSN:2652

$9.50

Wests Junior Reps Kick Off In Style

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

The photographer as a boy in the backyard at Strathfield, captured discussing team selections with his shadow.

Below: Aiming his cap gun at imaginary Sea Eagles, Roosters, Rabbits and low hanging Berries Left :

Photos – Hugh Stark

Andrew Stark grew up in inner Sydney Strathfield during the heady days of the 1970s. He was quickly 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 the chief photographer for Terry Williams’ Sydney League News publication, covering grassroots footy from the mid 1990s.

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 series aims to look back through the photographers vast collection and is one man’s humble celebration of the mighty Western Suburbs D.R.L.F.C.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE February 2021: Volume 2 Edition 2 (Issue 8)

Twelve months and eight issues into the life of this publication, and it would be fair to deduce that I’m struggling to grasp the concept of a quarterly magazine. Two bonus editions in 2020 have now been joined by this sneaky February offering which came to pass via high excitement for the approaching winter.

Boom Matthews Cup forward Masai Tavui graces the cover; the former NSW Primary Schools rugby union rep looming as a key player in Wests 2021 under 17s challenge. The Magpies have never won the Matthews Cup and after 51 seasons of earnest toil, it might be said we’re overdue. With talented young men such as Masai Tavui, Tallyn DaSilva, Will Craig, Heath Mason, Solomone Saukuru, Zak Clarke, Kit Laulilii and the Dempy boys, to name just a few, Wests will be expected to make a bold showing this season.

A rather self indulgent piece is included from page 5 of this edition.

Both my father Hughie and mother Sue, passed away during a harrowing 2020 and many old family photos were sifted through by my sister and I during the aftermath of our parents passing. Hughie was a fine amateur photographer and keen Wests supporter from way back. I’ve included a number of shots he took of his ridiculously handsome son wearing our club’s iconic strip.

The late Brad Aiken is also featured in this issue. “Aiko” played the 1987 season in the Wests lower grades and will be remembered by many Magpie old timers.

- 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 2021 email: 10dollarjpegs@gmx.com ISSN: 2652-4406 front cover: Masei Tavui - 2020 Wests Matthews Cup vs.Norths. Photo – Andrew Stark

2021

Photo – Andrew Stark

Junior Rep’s Wests have bolted from the blocks in this season’ season’s junior representative program, scoring impressive first up wins over Norths in both the 17s & 19s played at Camden.

The Matthews Cup team raced to a 10-0 lead after twenty minutes courtesy of two tries to winger Faaletino Tavana. The Bears then fought back strongly, pushing out to an 18-14 lead early in the second Abov e –SG Ball Cup skipper Justin Matamua half. The Magpies steadied the ship however, with tries to prop Jordan Miller & Canterbury recruit, Solomone Saukuru ultimately proving enough to secure a hard fought 24-18 victory.

While the opening game was a tight affair, the SG Ball team had a far easier time, running out big 38-4 winners over an outclassed North Sydney. Impressive Wests skipper Justin Matamua opened the scoring in just the second minute, the Westfields Sports High product setting the tone as the Magpies raced to a handsome 20-0 halftime lead. By days end, the black & whites had raced over for eight tries, with dashing three-quarter Alosomu Lolohea nabbing a second half double.

Full Jnr Rep’s Coverage Continues In The April Edition MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

H. Matthews Cup (U17) Rd1 Rd2 Rd3 Rd4 Rd5 Rd6 Rd7 Rd8 Rd9

… vs. Norths (H) won 24-18 … vs. Canberra (H) … vs. Central Coast (H) … vs. Manly (A) … vs. Parramatta (H) … - bye … vs. Sydney Roosters (A) … vs. Cronulla (A) … vs. Illawarra (A)

SG. Ball Cup (U19) Rd1 Rd2 Rd3 Rd4 Rd5 Rd6 Rd7 Rd8 Rd9

… vs. Norths (H) won 38-4 … vs. Canberra (H) … vs. Victoria (H) … vs. Manly (A) … vs. Parramatta (H) … - bye … vs. Roosters (A) … vs. Cronulla (A) … vs. Illawarra (A)

Andrew Stark My Life In Black & White

Above: Looking resplendent in old school collar & cuffs circa 1974, tinkering with a go-

cart in the backyard at Strathfield with Scotty from down the road.

Below: Photographing Wests from the Lidcombe Oval bike track in 2019.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Above: Sporting home made merch circa 1976. Right: Youthful eyes full of semi final hope. Below: Dear

God, Wests by one will be fine.

Below: Are we there yet?

The weekend drive from Strathfield to Lidcombe

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Above Left: Celebrating

birthday #55 in my finest attire. Above: As a dashing St Pats College under 10s fullback. Below: Level One Coaching Certificate, plus a brief sample of the plethora of media passes I’ve acquired.

Left: Orana Park vs. Manly MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Left & Below: Tarzan Tuttle (aka Terry Williams) bursts into

print to praise his lens man circa 2000. The photo’s subject, Sam Judge was snapped playing for Cabra, but was naturally a Wests junior. Bottom Left: Photographing Wests Massey Cup 2013. Bottom: Bags being Shane Day. Below: Intrepid photographer Stark.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Photo – Andrew Stark

Eddie Su’a Big Eddie is pictured as an 18 year old at Brookvale Oval; rumbling up centre field for Wests against Manly during the SG Ball Cup season of 2001.

Six seasons later and the Samoan born Su’a was making his NRL debut in the engine room for the Cronulla Sharks. He played half a dozen games in the big league during 2007 before dropping back to NSW Cup with the Cronulla Cobras.

In 2009 Eddie represented Portugal in their hefty 64-6 Mediterranean Shield loss to Malta played at Fairfield

Canterbury Great Comes Out

Skilful Canterbury back-rower of the 1970s, Graeme ‘Heaps’ Hughes has revealed that as a boy, he and his famous brothers were all passionate Western Suburbs Magpie fans.

The passing of Arthur Summons in May of 2020 prompted the former Berries premiership winning forward and Sheffield Shield cricketer to out himself and his brothers as closet Magpies.

“I was a mad Magpies fan. Garry, Mark and I used to sit behind the goalposts at Pratten Park with our parents and grand parents. We grew up all our life wearing Western Suburbs jumpers playing footy in the backyard. Arthur Summons was one of our heroes.”

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark Above:

Graeme Hughes SMH 19-5-2020

Graeme Hughes pictured presenting a young Jason Taylor with the Man of the Match Award in 1991 following a big Wests win over Newcastle (photo taken from the TV)

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Wests 17 def Manly 10 : Brookvale Oval – 1st Grade 1979 Much is made of Wests use of intimidation during the Fibro era. Those brute force and chest thumping days when our hero’s heavied the prettier teams into thinking fondly of their own survival, and less about two competition points. While the 80 minute softening up period was undoubtedly a recurring theme, Roy Masters’ Magpies are rather unjustly never given credit for the sparkling footy they managed to lay on during the in-between moments. Those quiet times when blokes weren't being sent off or carted to hospital. Wests scored a number of slashing tries and one particular beauty came against the dreaded Silvertails at Brookvale in May of 1979.

Mark Beaven delivered the final pass for a West s gem.

As the newspaper graphic reproduced above demonstrates, Warren Boland finished off a cracking Magpie raid started by Les Boyd from deep inside his own quarter. Manly led 3-2 when the magic try unfolded, 25 minutes into the game. Earlier in the clash all hell broke loose from which Dallas Donnelly and former Wests favourite Stephen Knight were sent off. Peter Frilingos writing in one of the Monday tabloids rated the all in brawl as; “one of the game’s most prolonged acts of mayhem in years”.

Manly skipper Max Krilich was knocked out cold after attempting to separate his winger Mooney from a scuffle with Donnelly & Boyd.

The simmering dislike between the two clubs had famously kicked off the previous year when Wests copped a serving of silvertail snobbery during a preseason game played in Melbourne. That Manly had controversially defeated the minor premiership winning Wests in the 1978 preliminary final before carrying on to win the comp, was a huge sore point among the black & whites.

During the lead up to the Brookvale Oval clash Wests officials had requested the use of a room at the Oval to show their players a pre game motivational film. The Silvers knocked back the request and the Magpies were forced to use a nearby Northern Beaches pub to watch, Search & Destroy.

Destroy The film’s tag line boasted of its Vietnam vet’s lead characters dishing out, a new breed of justice. Manly’s decision to deny Wests a viewing room undoubtedly stoked the Wests fire and reinforced the perception of Sea Eagle arrogance. After the fiery game had run its course, Manly jumped into the media with information on the Magpies choice of pre game viewing; strongly hinting that this was the fuel that incited the on-field violence. The maroon & white stance was laced with caustic irony however, as it was later revealed that Manly officials had shown their players the very same motivational film just weeks earlier.

Top: All hell breaks loose at Brookvale (photo courtesy of the

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE

© Andrew Stark

Daily Mirror) Abov e: Search & Destroy (1979)

Pushing the huff, puff and endless trips to the judiciary aside, the Fibro vs. Silvertail war did offer up the occasional moment of levity. During half time of this 1979 Brookvale Oval clash, the Manly ground announcer informed the crowd that a large Mercedes was blocking a driveway and would the Western Suburbs supporter who owned it, please move it.

Above: Warren Boland, Tom Raudonikis & Les Boyd celebrate a 1979 try (Photo courtesy of Rugby League Week).

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE

West s prop Kyle White pictured during 1996, channelling the spirit and aggression of the 1979 team. Coached by 79 captain, the great Tom Raudonikis, West s shocked everyone by storming into the 1996 semi finals. (Photo taken f rom 1996 ABC TV cov erage)

© Andrew Stark

One Random Photo From The Files …

SG Ball Cup - March 1994 - Hillier Oval © Andrew Stark

Eamonn Coogan Wests SG Ball Cup halfback Eamonn Coogan is pictured offloading with an elegant flourish despite the best efforts of Illawarra lock forward and future international, Craig Fitzgibbon. Magpies hooker Matthew Sharkey watches on.

The Wests Ball Cup team of 1994 was coached by legendary Parramatta winger Eric Grothe, captained by Kim Corbett and featured Brett Hodgson at fullback.

The side was well served for halfbacks with Coogan starting the season in the number seven jersey ahead of St Gregory’s College tyro, Chris Miclat and future Wests top grader Ron Jones. Both Miclat and Jones were on the bench for this Hillier Oval clash against the Steelers.

The SG Ball Cup competition was won in 1994 by South Sydney.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE

Photo – Andrew Stark

Jason Eade Pictured above playing Jersey Flegg Cup for Wests against Parramatta at Campbelltown Sports Ground in April 1991. Eighteen year old Eade has left Eels prop Sandy Epere clutching at thin air, as future Wests favourite Glenn Grief (12) looms menacingly in the photographs foreground.

Jason Eade was a local junior who played a dozen first grade games at Wests in 1994 before joining Peter ‘Skull’ Mullholland and a throng of Magpie teammates who headed to Perth to play for the Western Reds in 1995. Eade notched a further 24 top grade appearances at the Reds across two seasons, before heading to the English Super League for a stint with French club, Paris St Germain.

#983

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Jillaroo Star’s Wests Heritage

Australian and Queensland team five eighth Tarryn ‘Taz Taz’’ Aiken tore the heart out of the NSW challenge during the 2020 women’s State of Origin clash. The livewire Brisbane Broncos star has burst onto the scene in recent seasons and the Jillaroos appear to have found themselves a halves pairing for the ages with Aiken providing a perfect foil for the scheming Ali Brigginshaw.

Watching on from mt Gosford lounge room last October, I grimaced as the Central Coast product sliced through the Blues defence, seemingly at will. My only solace was the little known Wests connection at play. Brad ‘Aiko Aiko’’ Aiken was a talented teenage five eighth who emerged from the Wyong Roos to play lower grades at Wests back in 1987.

Aiko was Tarryn’s father. I write ‘was’, as sadly Brad Aiken passed away suddenly in December of 2019, aged just 50.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Jillaroo Star’ Star’ s W ests Heritage

Brad Aiken was a Wyong junior who headed across to play for the neighbouring Toukley Hawks in his mid teens, representing the Central Coast Matthews Cup team in 1983. His younger brother Adam was a member of a famous Wyong Roos side which managed to win every junior premiership from the under 8s right through to the under 16s. The team was captained by tough-as-teak half Steve Carter who would later become a favourite at Penrith. Brad Aiken returned to Wyong in 1986 and started the year in the Roos under 18s before being fast tracked into the First Grade side by the club’s imported captain/coach Bob Muirhead. Aiken capped a memorable debut year in senior footy by winning the club’s prestigious ‘Youth of the Year Award (won the following year by his brother Adam). By kick off to the 1987 season, Brad Aiken was a Western Suburbs Magpie.

During the early to mid 1980s, there was something of a pipeline between Wests and the Central Coast. John McArthur (Umina), Darryl Turner (Gosford) John Ti-Wah and Steve McCoy (both Terrigal) all headed south to play at the Magpies. Brad Aiken’s top grade coach at Wyong, Bob Muirhead was himself a former Wests prop and one suspects it may have been on his recommendation that the talented pivot was given the opportunity to pull on the black & white in 1987. The connection between Wests and Wyong kicked off in the early 1960s with the arrival of boom Roos three-quarter Roy Ferguson, while another talented Wyong product, Olaf Prattl played the 1972 season at Wests. Club mates of Brad Aiken’s at Campbelltown in 1987, Ian Naden, Wayne Lambkin (via Ourimbah) and Bob Mules would all follow Bob Muirhead’s lead and turn out for the Roos during the late 1980s.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Top Left: Brad Aiken shows off his Player of the Match Award after his Toukley team had fallen to Terrigal in the under 16s grand final of 1985.

Top Right: Aiken partners Brett Davis in the Wests Re serve Grade halves during 1987.

Bac k Page: Brad Aiken Player of the Match in the 1993 Group 18 grand final Bac k Page Inset: Tarryn Aiken in action for the Brisbane Broncos (photos found on Fac ebook) .

Clockwise from top left:

My whole family pretty much plays rugby league. When I grew up all all my cousins were playing, I had two brothers playing, my dad and my uncles played rugby league. So yeah, it was just in the family. family.”

- Tarryn Aiken -

West s 1987 Gradings, Tarryn Aiken playing for Australia, Brad Aiken as a teen, enjoying a fancy drink, and as a member of the Bilambil Jets premiership winning team of 1993. (all photos found c ourtes y of the inter-web) .

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

In 1988 Aiko linked with former Wyong captain/coach Geoff Todd at the Cessnock Goannas before signing with the Gold Coast-Tweed Giants for 1989. The Giants were embarking on their second year in the big league.

Another former Magpie, and team mate of Aiken’s at Campbelltown, Paul Sheahan had previously joined the Giants for their inaugural season.

During the 1990s, Brad Aiken became a key member of a strong Bilambil Jets team in the Group 18 – Gold Coast League (the red & green Jets would later produce bullocking Wests back rower Luke Garner). Aiken is said to have linked with Bilambil on a promise of a case of beer and $100 per game. During the early part of the decade the Jets were coached by former international fullback Graeme ‘Wombat’ Eadie, before the job was given to ex Manly & Norths second rower Fred Teasdale. Back to back premierships were achieved in 1992 & 1993. Aiken was adjudged man of the match in the club’s 24-6 grand final victory over the Beaudesert Kingfishers in 1993 and by mid decade, the former Wests lower grader had taken the reins as Bilambil’s captain-coach. Upon his passing in December of 2019, Brad Aiken was described as, “a true hero of the Bilambil club”.

Jillaroo Star’ Star’s W ests Heritage

I remember watching Brad Aiken in the Wests lower grades during 1987. A nuggetty number six, he was undoubtedly a classy playmaker. A fresh faced teenager, he played mostly with the Magpies Thirds, however on occasion rose to the ranks of John Jacobs’ Reserves. It was a tough season for the club however, as wooden spoons were claimed in all three grades.

After grand final success with the Brisbane Broncos in 2019, Tarryn Aiken was called into the Jillaroo squad for the World Cup Nines. The livewire half, like her dad before her, had kicked off her league playing days at the Wyong Roos.

She won the Broncos Players Player Award when Brisbane went back to back in 2020 and proceeded to dominate the State of Origin game, winning the Nellie Doherty Medal. Brad Aiken would playfully rib his Gosford born daughter for representing Queensland against NSW, however he was proud as punch of his talented daughter.

“One year since you left us dad and I miss you more everyday ...

You always had the biggest heart and it always made me so proud to be your daughter.” daughter. ” -Tarryn Aiken (December 2020)

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark Above: Aiko

& Taz – father and daughter enjoy a Kodak moment.

Brad Aiken 1969--2019 1969

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE Issues 6 - 10

October 2020 – May 2021

Online presentation © Andrew Stark 2021 No part of this magazine/fanzine/presentation, may be reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without the permission of the copyright owner

Magpie Memoir Magazine © Andrew Stark 2021

MAGPIE MEMOIR January 2020: April 2021: Volume 12 Issue 1 Issue 3

MAGAZINE One Fans Tribute to the Western Suburbs DRLFC

ISSN:2652--4406 ISSN:2652

RAY MOSSY

STONE $9.50

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

The photographer as a boy in the backyard at Strathfield, captured discussing team selections with his shadow.

Below: Aiming his cap gun at imaginary Sea Eagles, Roosters, Rabbits and low hanging Berries Left :

Photos – Hugh Stark

Andrew Stark grew up in inner Sydney Strathfield during the heady days of the 1970s. He was quickly 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 did later became the chief photographer for Terry Williams’ Sydney League News publication, covering grassroots footy from the mid 1990s.

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 look back through the photographers vast collection and is one man’s humble celebration of the mighty Western Suburbs D.R.L.F.C

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE April 2021: Volume 2 Edition 3

What a joy it was to be back at Lidcombe Oval for round one of this season’s Massey Cup competition. It’s always a sentimental visit back to the hallowed turf and on a hot and steamy afternoon, the Wests boys played with tremendous passion to knock off strong opposition in a thriller.

If you squinted hard enough and let your imagination run free, you could almost taste the atmosphere of glory days long passed. Back when the man in the white coat would struggle up and down the hill with his big bag of peanuts yelling, in the shell or sugar coated! When iconic Magpie’s, Tom Terrific, Joe Cool and Spider Mullins were idolised by local kids, and fearsome men such as Ned Kelly, Snoozer Elford, Dallas Donnelly, Sloth Gibbs & co … terrorized visiting forwards.

The ghosts of a fearsome history were present and willing their 2021 Massey Cup club mates on to victory. And when with six minutes remaining, Dan Petralia speared over beside the posts - just metres from where Geoff Foster scored that famous match winner against Souths back in 1976 - you could hear an ethereal roar booming from beyond the bike track, emanating a thousand momentous afternoons of yesteryear.

- 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 2021 email: 10dollarjpegs@gmx.com ISSN: 2652-4406 Above:

Kell O’Brien, John Purcell, Les Boyd, Geoff Foster, Ron Giteau, Jim Murphy, & Sam Buka - 2013 Wests Matthews Cup vs. Central Coast, Woy Wo y Oval.

Photos – Andrew Stark, except 1976 photo – John Elliott

front cover: Ray Stone

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Ray Stone Moss Vale Tearaway The job of recruitment and player retention is often a thankless task. That being said, I must admit to having unfurled an acutely raised eyebrow in tandem with a slow shake of the head, upon hearing news back in 2017 that the Wests Tigers had let star Magpie junior Ray Stone slip through buttery fingers.

Ray Stone is an old school styled back rower who starred for Wests in both the Matthews & Ball Cup competitions. He subsequently progressed to the West-T’s under 20s in 2015 & 2016, before being snapped up by Parramatta. Having played a prominent role in the Eels U20s grand final team of 2017, Stone made his NRL debut the following season.

While at the Magpies, Stone represented the Australian Schoolboys across two seasons. This achievement by the Wollondilly Anglican College back rower was deemed so noteworthy by NSW MLA Jai Rowell, that it garnered a mention in State Parliament. Stone’s green & gold rep honours continued during his initial year at the Eels when he was selected and played for the Junior Kangaroos.

The West-T’s triumphant press release of the 10th of July, 2015 celebrated two of the club’s juniors being selected in the Australian Schoolboys team to take on the Kiwis later that year. Ray Stone (Wests) & Ryan Papenhuyzen (Balmain) would of course both kick on to play in the NRL … with rival clubs!

Raymond Stone …

NRL Playing Career: 19 games (Parramatta Eels 2018 – 2020) 1 NRL try 23 years of age Wests Jnr Reps 2013 – 2015, Wests Tigers 2015 2015-2016 Junior Club: Moss Vale Dragons Photo’s above & right below:

Ray Stone – Wests Matthews Cup vs. Central Coast 2013 (© Andrew Stark)

“Ray Stone is a gritty, mean, machine of a footballer … an aggressive tackler, he’s known to cut blokes in half in defence.”

- The Cumberland Throw

A product of the Southern Highlands club, Moss Vale, the tearaway forward is rather unimaginatively nicknamed, ‘Stoney’. Given the old adage, a rolling stone gathers no moss, it would seem that in the high pursuit of clever footy player monikers - an opportunity has been lost (Mossy Stone?).

Having been elevated to the Parramatta top 30 squad during the 2018 preseason, one Eels insider observed that, the quality Stone has demonstrated at training is that he’s prepared to make effort on effort. Undoubtedly, the hard as nails back rower is a big part of the future of the Eels”.

Above: Ray Stone – Wests Ball Cup 2015 (© Andrew Stark)

As his name suggests, Stone is a blunt, Lidcombe Oval style of forward. Yet in recent seasons, the Wests junior has added a touch of finesse to his game and has often been used by coach Brad Arthur as his interchange dummy half.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

“I like Ray Stone as a player, I think he’s a beauty.”

- Phil Gould (Ch 9 – 12-6-2020)

Photos – Andrew Stark

Abov e -

Ray Stone pictured with a gaggle of his former Moss Vale club mates following a 2019 Parramatta game (Photo courtesy of Facebook).

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

AROUND THE GROUNDS - Magpies Sporting an Alien Hue Wests Magpie juniors featured across NRL squads for 2021 include; James Tedesco (Roosters), Ray Stone (Parramatta), David Nofoaluma (West-Ts), Sauaso Sue (Newcastle), Dean Britt (Canterbury) & Taniela Paseka (Manly).

In the NSW Cup; Cup local lads lining up for rival clubs include; Gus Garzanti & Kelsey Coakes (Blacktown), Tim Lafai (Parramatta), Trent Peoples & James Tautaiolefua (Souths).

While in the under 21 - Jersey Flegg competition we find; Felix Smith, Mavoni Tuifua, Logan Muir, Brandon Webster-Mansfield & Rua Ngatikaura (West-Ts), Christian Urso (Canterbury) & Jacob Sykes (Manly).

It’s disappointing to note that, at the time of writing, there are no Wests juniors in the Magpies NSW Cup team.

There is only one, David Nofoaluma, in the Wests Tigers NRL squad, while there are five in the club’s 40 man strong Jersey Flegg squad.

MASSEY CUP

WESTS PIP CABRA ROUND ONE LIDCOMBE OVAL THRILLER Wests kicked off their Massey Cup campaign in grand style scoring scoring a gritty 1616-12 win over competition heavyweights. Cabramatta.

On a day described by the Lidcombe Oval ground announcer as, too hot to clap, the Magpie faithful were ultimately most generous in their applause for a spirited Wests win. Despite losing two players to the sin bin throughout the game, the home side defended stoutly to deny an imposing Two Blues outfit.

North Sydney recruits Kell O’Brien at prop and Kurtis Preece in the halves caught the eye, while the Francis boys, Mitch & Dane, who were last season running around with the Thirroul Butcher Boys, all look to be fine additions to the black & white cause.

Wests trailed 6-0 early, before left edge tries to fullback Mitch Francis and centre Johnny Mitsias built a 10-6 lead. The famous Liddy Oval scoreboard remained static for the next half an hour as a ding dong battle for supremacy raged. The Magpie’s were forced to endure intense pressure on their own line as wave after wave of Cabra’ attack was sent their way. They finally cracked in the 63rd minute when diminutive hooker Moo Doh snuck over from close range. Down 12-10 late in the game, it was a try six minutes from time, scored by Dan Petralia, that got Wests home.

Week 2 was set down for TG Milner Field vs. Ryde Eastwood, however an incessant deliverance of mad-assed precipitation forced a rain check.

Left: Mitch Francis scores Right: Celebration time (Photos – Andrew Star k)

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

One Random Photo From The Files …

SG Ball Cup - March 2001 - Brookvale Oval

Michael Tsolakis

© Andrew Stark

Photo – Andrew Stark

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE

Wests SG Ball Cup second rower Michael Tsolakis is captured firing out a pass as Mitchell Weir watches on, during the round 4 clash with Manly. The Scott Marlow coached Magpies were a young team for their age division in 2001 and despite containing five future NRL players (Ryan Hoffman, Isaac De Gois, Liam Fulton, Bryce Gibbs & Eddie Sua) they had a tough year, winning just one of six games. The lone victory however, was a beauty and fell on the day this photograph was taken.

It was a thumping 9 tries to three, 48-16 demolition of the Cliff Lyons coached Sea Eagles, who were captained by future international, Anthony Watmough.

The 2001 SG Ball Cup was won by Newcastle. Twelve months later, Wests were to lift the silverware for only their second time in the competition’s 56 year history.

JUNIOR REPS 2021

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Photo – Andrew Stark

Kitione Kautoga crashes over against the Victorian Thunderbolts

WESTS REMAIN IN THE HUNT With three rounds still to play, the big wet threw its soggy blanket blanket over this season’ season’s junior representative program. Wests are currently sitting sixth in the Matthews Cup and twelfth in the SG Ball Cup competitions, with both sides threatening to click into into top gear for a meaningful run into the big end of season games.

Wests Matthews Cup team kicked off their campaign in fine style against the Grizzlies at Kirkham Oval, running out 24-18 winners back during early

H. Matthews Cup (U17) Rd1 Rd2 Rd3 Rd4 Rd5 Rd6 Rd7 Rd8 Rd9

… vs. Norths (H) won 24-18 … vs. Canberra (H) won 32-14 … vs. Central Coast (H) won 14-12 … vs. Manly (A) lost 14-20 … vs. Parramatta (H) lost 14-22 … - bye … vs. Syd Roosters (A) postponed … vs. Cronulla (A) … vs. Illawarra (A)

SG. Ball Cup (U19) Rd1 Rd2 Rd3 Rd4 Rd5 Rd6 Rd7 Rd8 Rd9

… vs. Norths (H) won 38-4 … vs. Canberra (H) lost 10-16 … vs. Victoria (H) lost 26-28 … vs. Manly (A) lost 6-16 … vs. Parramatta (H) lost 18-32 … - bye … vs. Roosters (A) postponed … vs. Cronulla (A) … vs. Illawarra (A)

JUNIOR REPS 2021 Photo – Andrew Stark Solomon Saukuru

February. Two mid half tries to exciting right winger Faaletino Tavana had the Magpies trotting off to oranges holding a 10-6 advantage. After the break, Norths dominated the early exchanges and Wests found themselves trailing 18-14 heading into the final ten minutes of the contest. Tries to prop Jordan Miller and powerhouse centre Solo Saukuru however, saved the day for Nathan Lakeman’s black & whites.

The SG Ball side had an easier time of it first up, running freely en route to a handsome 38-4 victory. The hibernating Bears conceded eight tries all up and were fortunate that Jahoiyakim Afoa’s goal kicking was off target as the scoreline may well have pushed toward fifty. Wests left edge dominated as boom Cronulla Sharks recruit Kitione Kautoga and winger Alosomu Lolohea both crossed for doubles.

Week two saw the Matthews Cup boys slap down the Raiders to the sweet tune of 32-14. There was plenty to clap as the Vikings were vanquished by a slick Wests performance. Faaletino Tavana notched his second double in as many weeks, while fellow winger Ofele Lene also bagged two tries. Tom Morison’s SG Ball team found themselves trailing 16-0 at halftime. A stirring second half fight back had the Magpies within reach heading into the final minutes yet Canberra ultimately proved too good, winning the day 16-10.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Photo – Andrew Stark Lock forward Kit Laulilii in the thick of the action against the Central Coast Roosters

JUNIOR REPS 2021 A hot and steamy Campbelltown Stadium greeted teams for round 3. The Matts Cup clash pitted together two undefeated teams, and the tense battle that ensued did wholly reflect this fact. Wests jumped out of the blocks like world-beaters. Nice lead up from Jordan Miller and Tom Fisher, saw winger Ofele Lene diving over in the tennis club corner after just four minutes of play. Blockbusting right centre Solo Saukuru proved unstoppable back on the angle eight minutes later, and when Tallyn Da Silva burrowed over from dummy half, the Magpies had three unanswered tries on the board. Goal kicking was the Roosters greatest ally during the opening twenty minutes however, as Wests lead was built without any contribution from the boot. In a remarkable turn around, the Coast were suddenly back on level terms heading into half time with two converted tries. The second appeared to come on the back of a blatant knock-on, but that’s footy and the teams trotted off for oranges at a dozen a piece.

Photo – Andrew Stark

The second half saw play ebb and flow as the Magpies and Roosters strove for any semblance of an advantage. The game ultimately came down to a penalty goal kicked by Wests winger Faaletino Tavana with five minutes remaining on the clock.

The Magpies had looked most likely throughout the contest and having scored three tries to the Roosters two, the black & whites deserved their tight win.

The SG Ball Cup side were pitted against the Victoria Thunderbolts. The southerners boasted brilliant fullback Faaletino Tavana prospect, Sualauvi Faalogo whose blistering speed and step would ultimately prove to be the difference. The cocky custodian notched a hat-trick of tries and added three conversions as the junior Stormers came from behind to pip the Magpies 28-26 in a thriller.

Having led 26-16 into the final ten minutes, it was a game Wests should never have lost. The turning point was a dumb penalty conceded with nine minutes remaining, while the black & whites where in possession of the pill.

Game highlight for Wests was undoubtedly the form of left edge back rower MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Kitione Kautoga who crossed for two barnstorming tries. His link man Bryce Wilson was also having a whale of a game, scoring a neat opportunist try himself, before a head knock suffered just before half time ruled him out of the remainder of the contest. Coach Morrison (pictured right) would not have been pleased with the penalty count and the general lack of discipline shown by his team during crucial stages of a game they had all but won.

Photo – Andrew Stark

JUNIOR REPS 2021

Photo – Andrew Stark

Brookvale Oval; the mere mention of the place gives me an instant bloody nose and despite bold showings, both Wests sides came away from silvertail-central with round 4 losses. The Matthews Cup team conceded three first half tries to trail 14-2 at the break. A spirited second stanza saw the boys in black & white get back into the game, before ultimately going down 20-14 against one of the competition favourites. The SG Ball lads crafted their loss in the complete opposite order to that of their younger compatriots. The U19s led Manly 6-0 at oranges, before being run down during the last twenty minutes. The Sea Eagles prevailing 16-6 in a gruelling affair.

Traditional junior powerhouse Parramatta visited Camden for round five, and after two ding dong battles, the Magpies once again came away with nothing to show for their toil.

Nathan Lakeman’s team trailed 12-4 at the halftime break, before a converted try scored by winger Faaletino Tavana, his second try of the day and sixth of the Jahoiyakim Afoa races over for a try against the Thunderbolts, with Compton Fuatimau in support Left:

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

JUNIOR REPS 2021 season, reduced the deficit to two. The Eels kicked again however, to run out four tries to three, 22-14 winners. The Ball Cup clash saw honours shared early and the teams hit the mid game sheds at a dozen-a-piece.

Unfortunately, Parramatta got a roll on in the second half and the blue & gold’s eked out a 32-18 victory. The Camden losses saw the U17s slip to eighth on the competition ladder, while Tom Morrison’s U19s had dipped down to thirteenth. The following week’s bye appeared to have come at an ideal time, allowing both Wests teams to regroup before relaunching into round seven. The subsequent weekend’s washout however left the black & white’s with no football for three weeks and one wonders how this will affect each side heading into the subsequent round.

The sixth placed Matthews Cup boys look nicely positioned with games against Cronulla & Illawarra, who are both one point behind them on the ladder, along with a clash against the fourth placed Sydney Roosters to come.

Things are a bit trickier for Tom Morrison’s twelfth placed SG Ball side however, as they will need to topple all three of their upcoming opponents to squeeze into the top eight.

Go get em boys !

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Photos – Andrew Stark

Clockwise from top left:

Justin Matamua, Bryce Wilson, Remi Mant, Jordan Miller

Photo – Andrew Stark

© Andrew Stark

Tim Perrin Pictured above playing Presidents Cup against Souths on the 28th of May 1988 at the Sydney Football Stadium (with Paul Noldt in support).

Perrin starred in the front row for St Gregory’s College in the 1986 & 1987 Commonwealth Bank Cup competitions and represented the Australian Schoolboys during both these years. Slated to be joining Cantebury in 1988, he ultimately decided to link with his St Greg’s coach Peter ‘Skull’ Mulholland at Wests.

In 1990 Perrin made his first grade debut during Wests 34-0 April Fools Day loss to the Knights. He played two further top grade games off the bench for the struggling Magpies that year, suffering follow up losses to Brisbane 30-10 & Norths 16-6.

Tim Perrin left Wests Magpies at the end of 1990 to join the Wests Rosellas in the Newcastle competition. A regular in the Newcastle Divisional Rep team during the first half of the decade, the hardworking prop also represented NSW Country.

“As is usual with Peter Mulholland-coached teams from St Gregory’s, they used their big and capable forwards like Australian Schoolboy prop, Tim Perrin to do the lead up before spinning the ball wide …”

Tony Peters Big League, 20-5-1987

#918

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Further to the photo on the previous page, Paul Noldt (the support player), was a Parramatta junior who captained the NSW Primary Schools team in 1980 (see below).

Photo courtesy of Phil Palmer via Facebook

© Andrew Stark

The young Blues played three games against Queensland that year, each game ending with a 10-8 score line. Sadly for the good guys, the Maroons won two of these contests. Noldt is pictured front and centre in the above team photo, with notable team mates being Paul Harragan (back row, 2nd from left), and Rod Wishart (front row, 1st on left). The Queensland team contained future Norths stalwart Gary Larson, as well as aspiring Olympic swimming gold medallist, Duncan Armstrong.

The deciding clash was played as the curtain raiser to the very first State of Origin game at Lang Park. An experience Paul Noldt and his team will surely never forget.

“I still remember some of the songs we sang on the bus as 1212 -year year--olds.

So inappropriate for young boys” boys” - Paul Noldt The tough-as-nails halfback kicked on to rep’ City U19s in 1987 before playing lower grades for the mighty Magpies in 1988 & 1989 (captain of the Presidents Cup team in 89). Shifting into the back-row, the former Abov e Left: Paul Noldt in action for Wests in 1988 (Photo – Grantham High student played Metro Cup Andrew Stark). Abov e Right: Pictured at a recent Wests for Wentworthville during the early 1990s. reunion. (Photo courtesy of the Pratten Park Magpies).

NSW CUP

MAGPIES DODGY START Wests NSW Cup side has kicked off 2021 in a less than ideal manner, recording back to back losses to slump to the tail of the field.

To make matters somewhat worse, the scheduled early afternoon start at Campbelltown for the Magpies round two clash with Norths, was pushed back to early evening due to the soggy conditions. This forced your loyal correspondent to abandon plans to travel down by train from the Central Coast to cover the game as he needs to be tucked in by 8pm on a school night.

Despite leading 12-10 at the break in round one against Canberra, Wests were outplayed beyond half time, the Raiders ultimately running in six tries to three to record a 32-18 win.

Licking their wounds, Ben Gardiner’s men headed home to Campbelltown for round two against the Bears, and the first leg of this years Jason Taylor Cup. Despite another eye catching performance from young Queensland dummy half Jake Simpkin, the Magpies fell 24-16 to a star studded Grizzlies outfit.

The round 3 trip to Newcastle to play the equally winless Knights, presents as a vital chance to kick start Wests season.

Photos Above:

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Allan Fitzgibbon & Jock Madden

(photo’s courtesy of Wests Tigers website)

Photo - Andrew Stark

Darren Britt

#908

Shark Park – 1st Grade vs. Cronulla 1991 The young prop rips in during Wests hard fought 10-8 victory over the Sharks down in the Shire. The Magpies clinched the game in the final moments when a stripping penalty gave sharpshooter Jason Taylor the opportunity to kick his side to victory.

Photo courtesy of Darren Britt & Facebook

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE

Darren Britt as a youngster, rumbling forward for the Orange CYMS

Darren Britt hailed from Orange and played Jersey Flegg for Wests in 1988. I remember photographing both Darren Britt and a spindly SG Ball Cup halfback named Jason Taylor that year in junior rep games Wests played against Easts at Henson Park. Tragically those pics were misplaced at some point in the subsequent decades, and all that remains in my collection from 1988 is the Flegg Cup programme, reproduced on this page.

It’s interesting to note that a number of the players in the Wests Flegg team of that year continued on into grade. Most notable of course was Darren Britt who would later represent his country. Jason Kelly, Angelo Alavanja, Shaun Devine and Richie Connell did all kick on to play top grade footy with; Wests, the Western Reds and Balmain, respectively.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Nineteen year old Darren Britt made his first grade debut for Wests during the 24-6 win over the Eels at Parramatta Stadium in round 17 of 1989. He soon became a mainstay of the Magpies forward pack and played 49 top grades games through to the end of the 1993 season. Britt headed to Canterbury the following year and subsequently captained the Bulldogs, won premierships, and from 1998 through to 2000, he represented Australia on nine occasions.

Gary Lester in ‘Clouds of Dust, Buckets of Blood’ Blood’ canvasses the reason’s why a number of Wests players moved on during this period. He quotes Britt as saying, “After six years I felt I needed a change and Canterbury offered me more money” Darren Britt’s son, Dean (pictured left in the Camden Rams U16s of 2010) is a current Canterbury NRL player. While his Camden mates, Luke Dooner and James Kovac lined up with Wests, Dean became a member of the Bulldogs Matthews Cup squad in 2010. Stress fractures in his back however, ruled him out before a ball was kicked.

In 2012 he was signed by Melbourne and made his NRL debut for the Storm in June of 2017. A move to the Rabbitohs yielded 16 top grade appearances before young Britt headed back to Canterbury for the 2020 season.

Photo – Andrew Stark

Tom Morrison 2007 Matthews Cup Magpie stalwart Tom Morrison is pictured offloading during a Matthews Cup trial against Cronulla played at Shark Park during February of 2007.

The Greg McDonald coached U16s of 2007 were given a difficult draw. In their nine home & away rounds they faced six of the teams who would ultimately qualify for the top eight. Given the competition boasted 16 starters, and that two of Wests opponents, Canterbury & Penrith were the ultimate grand finalists, the black & whites were desperately unlucky to miss the play offs by just a single competition point.

The team was co-captained by Lance Siataga & Sean Finnerty and included future NRL star Tim Lafai in the centres. The Magpies notched an amazingly symmetrical set of results in 2007. From their nine games, the team won four games, lost four games, while also recording a draw. Wests very neatly scored, and conceded, exactly 184 points for the season.

Back rower Morrison subsequently went on to play for his beloved Western Suburbs Magpies at every level up to NSW Cup. He also turned his hand to coaching and is in charge of the Magpie’s SG Ball Cup team in 2021, having previously coached the U18s from 2017 through to 2019.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE Issues 6 - 10

October 2020 – May 2021

Online presentation © Andrew Stark 2021 No part of this magazine/fanzine/presentation, may be reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without the permission of the copyright owner

Magpie Memoir Magazine © Andrew Stark 2021

MAGPIE MEMOIR May January 2020: July2021: 2020: Volume 21 Issue 1 Volume Volume Issue 4 1

Issue 4 RRP

$10

MAGAZINE One Fans One Fans Tribute Tribute to the to the Western SuburbsWestern DRLFC Suburbs DRLFC

ISSN:2652--4406 ISSN:2652

MIRCESKI WESTS WORLD RECORD HOLDER

Farewell

Tom Terrific

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

The photographer as a boy in the backyard at Strathfield, captured discussing team selections with his shadow.

Below: Aiming his cap gun at imaginary Sea Eagles, Roosters, Rabbits and low hanging Berries Left :

Photos – Hugh Stark

Andrew Stark grew up in inner Sydney Strathfield during the heady day of the 1970s. He was quickly 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.

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 look back through the photographers vast collection and is one man’s humble celebration of the mighty Western Suburbs D.R.L.F.C

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE Ma y 2021: Volume 2 Issue 4

When news of the passing of Tom Raudonikis filtered through on the morning of April 7th, my initial emotion was one of disbelief. The great Wests halfback had been battling cancer for decades, so his death shouldn’t have come as a huge surprise. Yet having grown up on the Lidcombe Oval bike track during the 1970s, idolizing our fearless skipper, I was knocked for six by the sad news. While some of my Homebush Public classmates were into Superman or Batman, my superhero never needed a cape. He wore a magnificent black & white jersey with a big number seven emblazoned across its back. The valorous Tom Terrific was everything this impressionable kid from Strathfield ever wanted to be.

Small in stature he took on giants A true battler, he led the competition’s underdog club against highly privileged opposition. During the mid to late 1970s, Raudonikis and his men transformed Lidcombe Oval into a fortress. Each and every weekend they represented me, my family, our neighbours, turning a humble suburban ground into a place to fear for all visiting teams. Tommy was our inspiration, his guts & sheer desire across eleven passionate winters producing an epic era in so many peoples lives.

Tom Raudonikis 1950 - 2021

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

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

© Andrew Stark 2021 email: 10dollarjpegs@gmx.com ISSN: 2652-4406 James Mirceski - Wests Massey Cup 2021. Photo – Andrew Stark Above: Tom Raudonikis. Photo’s - Rugby League World (1972), & the internet (Wests final day in the NRL 1999). front cover:

NSW CUP 2021

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

WESTS PURPLE PATCH OF FORM The Magpies are officially on on--fire in this seasons NSW Cup. A blitzkrieg performance against the Knights, followed by an impressive win over the Eels has propelled Wests into the top 4.

After two narrow, opening round losses to begin 2021, Wests clicked into gear in the Hunter, running roughshod over the hapless Knights 50-6. In their following fixture, played at Stadium Australia on Easter Monday, the Magpies put paid to Parramatta, scoring seven tries to five to complete an entertaining 34-28 win.

The standouts for Ben Gardiner’s team have been hooker, Jake Simpkin (pictured below) and fullback, Zac Cini (pictured right).

Simpkin snuck over for the sides opening try in each of the opening four rounds and the diminutive Queenslander was rewarded with an NRL debut in round 6.

Former Australian Schoolboy, Zac Cini looks to be a terrific prospect and reminds me of a young Garry Jack when he was running around in the winning Wests 2nd Grade side of 1981.

Top Photos, clockwise from left :Jock Madden, Ben Gardiner, Kiah Cooper, Zach Dockar-Clay, Kelma Tuilagi (Photos: Andrew Stark).

Update - Rd 5: Wests 34 Mounties Rd 6 Wests 42 Souths

14 18

Photo – Andrew Stark

MIRCESKI Wests World Record Holder Magpies Massey Cup prop, James Mirceski holds a special place in both, rugby league history, and the Guinness Book of World Records.

Representing Serbia in their World Cup qualifier against Greece at the Makis Stadium, Belgrade during 2019, Mirceski scored the fastest try in international rugby league history. He grounded the ball just 7.9 seconds into the game, after latching on Above: James Mirceski on the charge for Wests in 2021 to the kick off which had boomerang bounced straight into his arms. Big Jim was charging up field for what was to be a keen defensive set when all of a sudden the pill hit him in the chest. Before he knew it, he was under the sticks, untouched.

“This is a dream … I made record for the Guinness Book of Records. I would not have thought that my name would be written in the history of rugby league. I’m proud that I did it and I hope this will promote our sport in emerging nations like Serbia and Greece.”

- James Mirceski (europeanrugbyleague.com)

Mirceski’s amazing feat blitzed the previous record which had been held by Bob Fulton. Bozo took a leisurely 15 seconds to score for the Kangaroos against France back in November of 1970.

Sadly for Serbia, the early Mirceski strike was to be the Eastern European nations only joy as Greece ran away with the game, running out handsome 82-6 winners.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Above:

Not so fortunate back in April of 2018. James Mirceski is denied a try at Lidcombe Oval against the Guildford Owls. Photo – Andrew Stark.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

AROUND THE GROUNDS - Magpies Sporting an Alien Hue -

Wests Magpie juniors featured across NRL squads for 2021 include; James Tedesco (Roosters), Ray Stone (Parramatta), David Nofoaluma (Wests-Ts), Sauaso Sue (Newcastle), Dean Britt (Canterbury) & Taniela Paseka (Manly).

In the NSW Cup; Cup local lads lining up for rival clubs include; Gus Garzanti & Kelsey Coakes (Blacktown), Tim Lafai (Parramatta), Trent Peoples & James Tautaiolefua (Souths).

While in the under 21 - Jersey Flegg competition we find; Felix Smith, Mavoni Tuifua, Logan Muir, Brandon Webster-Mansfield & Rua Ngatikaura (Wests-Ts), Christian Urso (Canterbury) & Jacob Sykes (Manly).

-- Bryce Crane -Saddened to hear that Wests 2020 SG Ball Cup winger/back rower, Bryce Crane has been forced to retire from the game. The Narellan junior has lost the use of his right arm after attempting to make a tackle in a local game played last August.

JUNIOR REPS 2021

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

© Andrew Stark

LAKEMAN’S LADS POWER HOME The Harold Matthews Cup has never had the name ‘Western Suburbs’ Suburbs’ engraved into its glittering faç façade. Not in 51 years of competition.

The inin-form Magpies have finished inside the top four in 2021 and head into the semis in top form. Grab the rosary beads peeps, it’ it’s daredare-to to--dream time!

The Wests under 17s unleashed some scintillating footy en route to the finals, scoring resounding victories over both Cronulla and Illawarra to cement their place in this years big games. A last round shoot out with fellow contenders, Sydney Roosters confirmed the young Magpies are in this competition right up to their razor sharp beaks.

The late March visit to Shark Park provided Wests fans with plenty to cheer about as Lakeman’s Lads gutted the young Sharkies, running out handsome 36-6 victors Above:

Lachie Bush lays on the match winner for Tallyn Da Silva at Bateau Bay.

H. Matthews Cup (U17) Rd1 Rd2 Rd3 Rd4 Rd5 Rd6 Rd8 Rd9 Rd7

… vs. Norths (H) won 24-18 … vs. Canberra (H) won 32-14 … vs. Central Coast (H) won 14-12 … vs. Manly (A) lost 14-20 … vs. Parramatta (H) lost 14-22 … - bye … vs. Cronulla won 36-6 … vs. Illawarra (A) won 34-22 … vs. Syd Roosters (A) won 26-24

SG. Ball Cup (U19) Rd1 Rd2 Rd3 Rd4 Rd5 Rd6 Rd8 Rd9 Rd7

… vs. Norths (H) won 38-4 … vs. Canberra (H) lost 10-16 … vs. Victoria (H) lost 26-28 … vs. Manly (A) lost 6-16 … vs. Parramatta (H) lost 18-32 … - bye … vs. Cronulla (A) lost 18-54 … vs. Illawarra (A) lost 10-40 … vs. Syd Roosters (A) lost 18-36

The Magpies dominated across the park with stand out performances coming from Lachie Bush, Heath Mason, Solo Saukuru, Tom Fletcher and left winger Ofele Lene. Classy dummy half Tallyn Da Silva also shone, continuing his fine season from the base of the Wests ruck.

The black & whites were on fire down in the Gong during the opening half against the Steelers, racing in five unanswered tries to lead 28-0. A Tom Fletcher try three minutes after the break extended the visitors advantage to 34-0, before the team clocked off mentally, metaphorically climbing back on the early bus to Leumeah. Illawarra duly roared to life during the final twenty minutes to bring the final score back to 34-22.

The final round clash with the high ranking Sydney Roosters saw Wests go in minus a number of their stars. A sparkling Heath Mason try in the opening minutes was quickly cancelled out as the chooks clicked into gear to run in four first half tries. The introduction of Tallyn Da Silva and Masei Tavui sparked the Magpies and the boys roared home. A 24-6 deficit was turned into a stirring 26-24 victory with tradesman-like front rower Lachie Bush setting up Da Silva for the match winning try late in the game.

The elimination semi against the Central Coast Roosters at the Laybutt Field produced a see sawing thriller. Wests led 6-4 at the break courtesy of an early Solo Saukuru try, however trailed twice during the second period.

A late Heath Mason four pointer, coupled with a pressure final’s conversion from fullback Taj’h Colquhoun ultimately got the Magpies home 18-16.

Taj’h Colquhoun

Wests SG Ball side fell away badly after the bye round and follow up big wet. Hefty away losses at Woolooware, Wollongong and Bateau Bay ended a season which had begun brightly with a big win over Norths. This was followed by solid efforts against the Raiders and Thunderbolts. The skipper, Justin Matamua was outstanding throughout a difficult campaign for Tom Morrison’s U19s and the talented lock forward undoubtedly has a big future in the game.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGA ZINE © Andrew Stark

Justin Matamua

Photos: Andrew Stark

Heath Mason

One Random Photo From The Files …

SG Ball Cup March 2005

Wayde Dunley MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

A talented playmaker, Dunley progressed through the Magpie junior rep teams into the Wests Tigers U20s in 2008, winning the club’s prestigious NYC Player of the Year Award. The following year he was added to the NRL squad but frustratingly spent much of 2009 as the Tigers 18th man. Starved of football, the talented playmaker decided to head back to his junior club, the East Campbelltown Eagles in 2010 to guarantee himself a touch of the Steeden. Wayde won the Group 6 premiership in 2012 and Sydney Shield titles in 2014 & 2016, bookending a Massey Cup stint back at the Magpies in 2015.Tragically in July 2017, Wayde Dunley passed away after a fall on a fishing trip to Bundeena. He was 28 year of age.

MASSEY CUP 2021

FIBROS vs.

SILKTAILS

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE

On the day following Tom Raudonikis Raudonikis’’ funeral, the Magpies did battle with the Kaiviti Silktails at Lidcombe Oval in round 6 of the Massey Cup. Despite a mid game fight back which saw Wests turn an early 16-4 deficit into a narrow second half lead, the Fijian visitors finished with a flurry to claim the competition points.

Photos: Andrew Stark

The 38-26 loss followed on from a difficult month for the home side. Having begun the year with a rousing 16-12 victory over Cabramatta, Leo Epifania’s battlers coupled lost weekends with a pair of absolute shellackings. A bye, a 56-12 loss to Wenty and a washout, were followed by a 64-4 defeat at the hands of St Marys. While the loss to the Silktails did provide fans with an improved showing, six weeks into the season and Wests find themselves loitering at the wrong end of the competition ladder.

Upcoming games against the Windsor Wolves and Glebe are shaping as vital if the black & whites hope to figure in the big end of season games come September.

Photos - Top: The Silktails flew just a little higher than the Magpies. Abov e: John Trimboli rips in, with support from Dan Petralia & Ali Allouche. Right: Kurtis Preece dives over for a Wests try just before half time.

CHURLISHLY ORWELLIAN Doomed Merger Forever Weighed Down By Mean Spirited Parochialism " Who controls the past controls the future.

Who controls the present controls the past. “ I’ve been an avid Magpie fan forever. Growing up on the Lidcombe Oval bike track during the 1970s, I’ll admit I didn’t have any great objection to our orange coloured neighbours. I say orange, yet to be more accurate, Balmain teams of that era cloaked themselves in more of a mustardy gold hue. They had one or two decent players back during that period, but the Tigers would invariably drop by Lidcombe Oval once a year to cop a pasting. I mean, what wasn’t to like?

I guess my forehead initially began to corrugate in relation to the Leichhardt-lot, when they started trotting out teams chockers full of stolen Magpies: Garry Jack, Scotty Gale, Mick Neil, Ross Conlon, Gary McFarlane, Tim Brasher, Lee Crooks … and the list went on. Balmain’s rise in the mid to late 1980s seemed to coincide Wests great period of struggle and the interchanging of personnel was the most visual manifestation of these contrasting fortunes. Still, I didn’t mind the Tigers. Let’s face it, they weren’t Sea Eagles, Bulldogs or Roosters. In saying that however, I will admit to cheering myself stupid when Canberra’s big Steve Jackson corkscrewed his way to the line in that slow motion stagger during the extra time period of an epic 1989 grand final. It was a magnificent conclusion and an unforgettable slice of rugby league history, which just so happened to coincide Balmain’s most soul destroying moment (probably equal to Souths daring to turn up for the 1909 Final). Given the murky torrent that has flowed under the bridge since then, my smile only grows broader whenever I recall Jackson’s tottering charge.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark Paul Sironen & Steve Roach look on helplessly from the sideline as it all goes wrong for Balmain in the 1989 grand final .

Right:

Photo courtesy of the internet

Rationalization of the game followed less than a decade later. The Super League war forced a shot gun wedding between Wests and Balmain during late 1999. It was a union which did sadly spawn a slow witted runt of an NRL franchise.

I recently asked myself, did Wests go into the merger with too magnanimous an attitude?

A retrospective viewing of the past 21 years reveals that the other mob approached this forced marriage with a fulsome Orwellian flourish. The Magpies were quickly air brushed out of history. Wests became an afterthought, as Leichhardt Oval was parroted as the club’s spiritual home, colours were wrongly described as black & gold, and the Tigers appellation ran roughshod in the battle for identity.

Commentators would often call the team Balmain, and Balmain greats from the past; Pearce, Sironen, Roach and Elias were continually trotted out despite none of them having ever pulled on a black & white jersey.

Wests was universally replaced by ‘The’ … as in, ‘The Tigers’. Print journalists with arms seemingly forced up behind their backs would reluctantly begin all their runt related copy with a fulsome, ‘Wests Tigers’ reference. Yet once that irksome chore had been completed, they were free to scribble the ‘T’ word without qualification throughout the remainder of the article. The name Wests has become almost as redundant in Sydney league parlance as; ‘Bankstown’, ‘Warringah’ or ‘Sutherland’, in relation to Canterbury, Manly and Cronulla.

This recounting of the past two decades and the squalid campaign to eliminate any reference to Wests, took an interesting turn just recently.

The Orwellian way in which the Leichhardt club has attempted, and largely succeeded, in propagating the myth that there has only ever been one club, and that club is ‘The Tigers’, was actually being practiced years before the merger. I recently came across a mean spirited 1995 article written by Balmain club historian, Chris Karas. The two page piece appeared in the NSWRL sanctioned Sydney League News and focused on Tim Brasher and the Burwood United Club.

Abov e:

Steve Jackson broke Balmain hearts in 1989. By 1990 he was a Magpie.

Photo courtesy of the Sydney Morning Herald.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE

Burwood United was a famous club in the Western Suburbs junior league, up until 1987 when the Magpies headed off to Campbelltown. The inner west boundaries were subsequently adjusted and from 1988 on, the club found itself re-staked in Balmain territory.

Tim Brasher played in the Western Suburbs junior league from his infancy, right through to the U17s. He played in Wests representative teams from a very young age and starred alongside Jim Serdaris in the club’s semi final bound SG Ball Cup team of 1987. The young superstar was contracted to Wests beyond that, however once the Magpies relocated to Campbelltown, he applied for and was granted a release on compassionate grounds. In 1988 he lined up with the Balmain SG Ball team and the following year, Warren Ryan promoted him to first grade.

Given this back story, I almost choked on my Milo when I stumbled across Karas’ 1995 piece in which he brazenly fails to mention any Western Suburbs involvement. The journalist documents Tim’s amazing feats with Burwood, where he played in nine premiership winning teams and holds the club record for scoring 104 tries in a single season. Karas then selectively jumps straight into the 1988 SG Ball Cup season.

Accompanying mentions of the Gale brothers, Jason Stewart, George Doumit and even Kevin Smyth, who progressed from Burwood United to play in the top grade at Wests, Parramatta & Balmain, also pass without any Magpie acknowledgement.

Karas writes, “Tim ’s natural pace, s werve and class stamped him the finest junior centre the Balmain district has produced since Paul Daley burst onto the representative scene in 1984.”

To suggest that Brasher was a Balmain product is somewhat akin to passing Greg Inglis off as a born-and-bred Queenslander. Having spent ten years as a Magpie junior, Tim played a single season in the Tigers junior system. He played under the auspices of the Western Suburbs DJRL from Under 7s through to Under 16s and represented the NSW U15s along the way. All this before Wests relocation to Campbelltown saw him land, most fortuitously in Balmain’s lap. In terms of the lads junior development, the Tigers contribution was slight.

“We need a Burwood and Wests Matthews Cup/SG Ball reunion” reunion” - Tim Brasher readily acknowledges his Magpie heritage (Facebook 2019).

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Tim Brasher the Magpie In the above photograph, a very young Brasher is pictured in the Wests U7s team.

That’s him on the right with his eyes shut.

Left, and again with his eyes shut, Tim is

shown taking a breather during the Matthews Cup carnival of 1986.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Photos courtesy of Tim Brasher

Karas’ guilt by omission, showcases a cynical whitewashing of the truth, which in the subsequent decades became disturbingly familiar. During the post 2000 merger years, Karas has been a regular contributor to a north western Sydney based newspaper, The Weekly Times. Run by local identity John Booth, its main claim to fame is a column written under the by-line of The One-Eyed Tiger. This weekly attempt at satire has at its core a recurring theme, Booth basically uses a jokey persona to pretend that Wests Tigers are still the Balmain Tigers. It draws on the spirit of Laurie Nicholls, yet unlike the most famous Tiger fan of all, it’s parochialism verges on the mean spirited and petty. It would be fair to surmise that the ‘W’ word has not been mentioned in a John Booth column since the merger. Of course this is one step removed from Chris Karas’ 1995 piece on Tim Brasher and Burwood United. That was a straight history piece, published in a NSWRL sanctioned publication.

Not long after stumbling on the 1995 article I dug up a fascinating piece of insight delivered by the great Frank Hyde back in 1984. It came at the height of the NSWRL‘s attempt to kick Wests out the competition. Hyde was highly critical of the move and proposed a series of mergers; one of which was Wests & Balmain. One very telling proviso was attached to the great commentators thoughts, a statement that rings achingly true today, given the course of history post the year 2000. Hyde wrote …

When you kill a club you alienate people who have been rugby league supporters … I suggest amalgamation between clubs, carried out professionally so that the character of the clubs would be retained, is a better way to go.

Hyde’s telling proviso – so that the character of the clubs would be retained – lies at the very core of every old Magpie’s gripe.

Early in the season, I sat down on the couch to watch the Wests Tigers play the Sydney Roosters. Despite the team trotting out in their predominantly black strip and the game being played at Campbelltown, the Channel Nine commentary team weren't able to call them ‘Wests’ once. I tallied up the references throughout the first half, but simply couldn’t keep going after the break, preferring to turn the volume down.

In forty minutes of football, the home team was referred to as ‘Wests Tigers’ on three occasions, ‘Wests’ didn’t get a single mention, while ‘The Tigers’ was uttered a ridiculously repetitive 57 times. I felt triggered.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE

© Andrew Stark

Left: Frank Hyde’s plan which appeared in Rugby

League Week during the 1984/85 off season.

Abov e: John One-Eyed Tiger Booth Abov e right: Journalist & historian, Chris Karas

To add to the frustration, the commentators managed to mention ‘Canberra’, ‘Manly’ and ‘Melbourne’ in running. So why is it that no one can ever call the Wests Tigers, Wests?

Anyone who has dabbled in political science will tell you that ignoring your opposition is a basic tactic. As far back as 1964, US President Lyndon Johnson was famously uttering, “When you’re ahead in the polls, why give your opponent free publicity?”

There is no doubt that the Tigers have been ahead in the merger poll from day one. And even today, despite being financially moribund, the entity formerly known as Balmain continues to win in the battle for hearts and minds. This twenty one years of Tiger arrogance was eerily pre-empted by Chris Karas’ selective use of facts in his 1995 article; the Balmain junior league life member using the smugness of incumbency to browbeat all semblance of truth.

Karas ended his piece with a classic Orwellian device. “Burwood United dominated the Balmain Junior League during the late ‘80s and early ‘90s and remain a force today in the junior schoolboy ranks” ranks ”.

He of course failed to mention that the pre 1988 period of Burwood history, just so happens to include a lazy seven or eight decades in which the club was under the auspices of the Western Suburbs DJRL. In his dystopian classic, 1984, Orwell famously penned, Oceania was at war with Eurasia: therefore Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia. He might well have included a footnote to the effect that, Burwood is a Balmain junior club; therefore Burwood has always been a Balmain junior club.

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE

© Andrew Stark

My motive in this piece was not to besmirch Chris Karas. He’s clearly a well respected and hard working servant of Balmain rugby league. His 1995 article however, does perfectly illustrate the mean spirited, sectarian mindset which was to flow into the tumultuous years of late 1999 and beyond. From day one of the merger we had Balmain legends such as Steve Roach refusing to mention the ‘ W’ word. Conversely, the great Tom Raudonikis in a typical act of goodwill, continually referred to the new entity by its full and proper name.

Sadly, the petty internal parochialism which emanates from the Balmain side of the merger is systematic and has gone a long way toward making the Wests Tigers the basket case that it is today.

- Andrew Stark MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE

The great enemy of clear language is insincerity.

George Orwell

George Orwell Right: The offending Sydney League News article of July 1st, 1995.

Abov e:

Photo – Andrew Stark

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE © Andrew Stark

Reece Simmonds Pictured left, in action for the Mick Liubinskas coached Wests Jersey Flegg team in a clash with Manly at Brookvale Oval during 1998.

Simmonds was a livewire halfback from the Eagle Vale St Andrews junior club who attended Westfields Sports High School. He graduated to the Magpies SG Ball Cup team in 1997 and two seasons later was captaining the Wests Jersey Flegg side.

Employment as a greyhound handler at the Dapto Dogs saw Simmons link with the St George Illawarra First Division team (Reserve Grade) in 2001, before making his NRL debut during the following winter. Playing primarily as a fullback, Simmonds notched 14 top grade games across two seasons with the Dragons before switching to the wing in 2004. He played a further 23 games and crossed for 14 tries in what was his most consistent season in the game. Simmonds was in and out of the St George-Illawarra side throughout the next two seasons before transferring to South Sydney in 2007. He played seven NRL games for the Rabbitohs, spending much of the year in Second Grade with eventual grand finalists, North Sydney.

The following year saw Reece Simmonds embark on a career as a south coast coal miner, while continuing to play rugby league in the local Illawarra competition with Collegians. A switch to the Paul McGregor coached Wests Red Devils spawned a number of premiership winning seasons and Simmonds also captained the Illawarra Divisional team in the NSW Country Championships. Remarkably during the 2011 season, he answered an SOS call from the Dragons who had been hit hard by injury.

The 31-year-old winger once again pulled on the famous Red-V to play his final NRL games; adding two more tries to a career tally which settled at 23.

All up, Reece Simmonds played 57 top grade games spanning the years 2002-2011.

He later coached both the Wests Red Devils and Collegians in the Illawarra League.

“Reece was a tremendous talent for us, not only as an excellent player but with junior development within our club.”.

– Bruce Prior (Collegians Leagues Club - 2010)

MAGPIE MEMOIR MAGAZINE

Tom Fisher Matthews Cup Captain 2021

© Andrew Stark

STAR STAR TURN TURN

“This kid has one of the best tackle techniques I have seen in a long time!

If injuries stay away and his development continues, there will be big things in the future for this young fella!”

- Ron Jones praising Tom Fisher (October 2020)

Tom Fisher on the burst for Wests Matthews Cup during 2021.

Inset: Ron Jones offloads for Wests Jersey Flegg team back in 1994.

Photos – Andrew Stark

Above:

Magpie Memoir Magazine © Andrew Stark 2021

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