Broadhurst the tough nut

Dorahy at the Illawarra Steelers in Wollongong and later moved to England to play for Hull Kingston Rovers for a couple of seasons.

After returning to Christchurch he accepted another invite to play for the club for one more season, and then called time on his professional career.

He considers himself fortunate to have avoided any major damage to his constitution during those years, saying his biggest concern nowadays are his creaky 63-year old knees.

A cracked sternum did cause some problems, the result of receiving an elbow to the chest by another Kiwis international, Graeme West, when they played each other in England.

The doctor at HKR did a repair job, giving Broadhurst injections to dull the pain.

‘‘Then we got a new doctor and he wouldn’t give me injections, saying it was too dangerous and that I was getting a lot of pain because it was a serious injury.’’

Concussions are a major talking point in the game these days but Broadhurst reckons he has been lucky.

The worst incident was when he received a karate-chop to the side of the

‘‘A lot of people make a lot of money nowadays but I didn’t.

‘‘I should have been a lot better off than I have been but I’m pretty happy with my life.’’

Although he played in Australia and England, and 17 games for the Kiwis, his favourite memories are of playing alongside his friends at the Papanui and MaristWestern Suburbs clubs in Christchurch and representing the South Island when they upset the touring Australian team at the Christchurch Showgrounds.

A tough man, Broadhurst didn’t bow to anyone. He didn’t look for trouble but anyone trying their luck against the front rower risked leaving the park with a wiggly tooth or an egg-shaped lump on their lip as a momento.

‘‘Any prop, playing anywhere in the world, you are going to come across the odd smart-arse.

‘‘You probably have to sort it out, otherwise you are going to get a hiding.

‘‘They are all pretty tough buggers. Otherwise you wouldn’t be out there.

‘‘As you got older, they left you alone more. When you are younger, you are trying to sort each each other out.’’

SUPPLIED Mark Broadhurst, pictured in action in 1981, was a skilful player whose talents were wasted as a battering ram when he played in Sydney in the early 1980s.

DAVID WALKER/STUFF The deeds of Mark Broadhurst have been recognised with the creation of the BroadhurstShelford Trophy, which will be contested when Manly play the Warriors in Christchurch tonight.

richard.knowler@stuff.co.nz