Place of Origin would give those Maroons a go!
Just imagine if the Time Machine allowed us to align all of our stars in the one era. The boys out west would bleed blue against the Queenslanders and what a game it would be! Consider this line-up if you will…
Fullbacks
Don Parish (Dubbo Macquarie/wellington Reds) – the local lad who was selected for the 1959 Kangaroos while playing under Leo Nosworthy with the Blues. He tells the story of being at the old picture theatre in Darling St (where the Western Plains Regional Council car park is now located) when the movie stopped and big bold letters beamed from the screen – ‘Congratulations Don Parish on your selection in the Kangaroos!”
David Peachey (Macquarie) – the affable 18 year-old was lured to the big smoke after playing alongside his uncles Marshall, Martin and Mick. His career with Cronulla and Souths saw him celebrated on every ground he stepped lightly upon.
He scored a try in his only State of origin appearance and played with the Sharks in a Super League Grand Final and then came home to claim Group XI premierships with Macquarie and Westside (Reserve Grade) and continues to lead at Peak Hill this year.
Wingers
Terry Fahey (Wellington) – “the Redfern Express” as the late, great coach Jack Gibson tagged him when he swapped the Red he wore under Johnny King for the myrtle and green of South Sydney. Terry was one of the last players to be selected for Australia from his home club in the country when he played alongside Graham Langlands in a World Cup match in Brisbane in 1975. Souths, Easts and Canberra Raiders all included “Tezza” in their “best of” teams of the century.
Johnny King – Gilgandras own who was the first player in the NSWRL competition history to run out in the same team as his dad.
Johnny and Cec played one game in third grade with St George before the young flyer climbed the grades. Seven grand final wins with the mighty Dragons, 15 Tests with the Kangaroos and accolades for coaching Western Division to their famous 1974 Amco Cup success.
Brian Johnston (Dunedoo) – wonderful player for St George who played one Test against New Zealand and eight games with NSW in State of Origin. A gifted ball-runner, and tough tackler, Brian played for Western Division against the touring Great Britain side in 1978 before heading to Sydney. He is now an administrator of the famous club.Centres
Bob Weir (Narromine) – played first grade in 1955 aged 18 under the great Leo Nosworthy when the locals ruled the roost in Group XI. His career peaked in 1965 and ’66 when he played in a dynamic NSW team against Queensland and was controversially left out of the Australian team in favour of Maroons’ centre John Mcdonald.
Bob is recognised as one of the toughest and most skillful players ever to wear the Country jersey and played with his beloved Jets up until 1974 when he was chaired from the field as coach of the premiers. He missed the grand final after breaking his leg late in the season but oversaw an upset win against minor premiers CYMS at Pioneer Oval, Parkes.
Russell Richardson – Dubbo Westside junior played a two Super Tests during the rugby league war and was starting centre Against New Zealand in the 1999 Tri-series. Russell was a talented youngster, good enough to represent Australia in Schoolboy Tests against New Zealand and Great Britain. He played 121 NRL games Cronulla, South Sydney and the Newcastle Knights, scoring the Sharks only try in their 1997 Super league grand final loss to Brisbane Broncos.
For shadows throw in Blake Ferguson (Wellington/roosters) and Willie Tonga (Peak Hill) Five-eighth
Earl Harrison (Gilgandra) – renowned as a devastating tackler with good hands and excellent football brain, Earl played nine Tests against Great Britain, France and New Zealand and was regarded by Immortals centre Reg Gasnier “as the perfect link-man on the Roos undefeated tour the British Isles and france in 1963.
Half
Les Hutchings (Condobolin) was captain of Country Firsts in 1970 and joined Canterbury mid-season after playing two games for NSW. He is well-remembered in Group XI circles for his standout efforts at Condo when the Rams were up against powerful Dubbo CYMS, Parkes, Forbes and Narromine teams. Les played 43 matches with the Canterbury Bankstown Berries as they were then known, from 1971-74. Lock
Ron Lynch (Forbes) – the man known as “Thirsty” starred for Country in the late 1950s and early ‘60s and represented Australia in 12 Tests and NSW on 17 occasions. His career with Parramatta spanned 11 years (1961-71) and he finished up playing two seasons at Penrith Panthers.
A no-nonsense lock, Lynch played in the second-rower for Australia when Johnny Raper and then Ron Coote locked the scrums and was on the field for the infamous “Battle of Lang Park” First test against Great Britain in 1970. Second-rowers – take your pick!
Barry Beath (Eugowra), Dean Pay, Andrew Ryan, Les Davidson, Nik Kosef (Cobar) and of course, bush legend Ronny “Rambo” Gibbs from Bourke.
Front Row
David “Cement” Gillespie (Narromine), Les Boyd (Nyngan), David “Narna” Grant (Trangie/dubbo CYMS) and John Coveney (Narromine) are all remembered for their toughness.
In fact, when he was asked recently who was the toughest player he ever faced, “Cement” said, “without a doubt, the late Narna Grant”!
Of course Dean Pay and Les Davidson could also lend their bodies to the front row if needed.
Hooker
Ian Walsh – Group XI’S most famous product who captained his country on Kangaroo tours and in home Tests and St George to premierships. Walsh played at Bogan Gate, with Condobolin, Dubbo, Forbes and Parkes before igniting the flame at Eugowra in the late 1950s. He played with his father Jack Wand (as he was then known) in Dubbo.
Walsh attended Dubbo Public School and Dubbo High during and after the Second World War. He led Australia in 10 of his 25 Tests between 1959 and 1966 and led the Kangaroos tour in 1967. Immortals like Gasnier, Langlands and Raper rated Walsh as the toughest hooker ever!
And if we needed a shadow reserve, then look no further than Dubbo CYMS red-headed ball-winner, when scrums were really scrums, Kel Brown. The affable No 12 (back in the day, hookers hung between numbers 11 and 13) came to prominence during Ken Mcmullen’s early days at CYMS and was selected for Country Firsts and NSW in 1970 before signing with the Eastern Suburbs Roosters.
If this isn’t enough to whet your appetite think Josh Jackson (Gulgong), Georgie Rose and Ricky Walford (Walgett), journeymen Brian Norrie and John Hobby from Eugowra, Tony Paskins, George Smith (not the dreadlocked Wallaby) Isaah Yeo, Mark Soden, Tyrone Peachey, Darren Britt, Paul Dunn, Royce Simmons, Andrew Farrer, Barry Rushworth, Joel Thompson, Steve Calder and Jack Wighton who all honed their skills on the hallowed turf of the Western Division.
To top it off, Tommy “Cattledog” Raudonikis from Cowra could be half, coach and chief motivator!