Gentle giant remembered
STICKS was a teetotaller.
One schooner of lemon squash after training at the Carlton Hotel and then home to Miranda.
Big Norm “Sticks” Provan always kept a respectful distance between himself and his players. If he did have a postmatch celebratory beer after a game, he wouldn’t finish it.
He once said: “I was never one of the boys, I never went to the pub or places like that. But this aloofness did give me a bit of an edge and I never had to make apologises for any decisions I made or feel bad about dropping a close mate.”
While the larrikins inside his legendary St George team were enjoying beers and bourbons at the Carlton Hotel, 600m along Jubilee Ave from Kogarah Oval, Provan would be walking away.
“He didn’t worry about the boys having their schooners,” Dragons teammate Johnny King said. “He was a wellmannered gentle giant who led by example.”
Provan died on Wednesday night aged 89 after a long battle with dementia. He displayed the same fight as when he sought respect from his peers.
“Norm was a very cleanliving guy, unlike the old man,” joked Stuart Raper, the son of Dragons Immortal John. “Norm used to pull Dad into line a few times, tell him to pull his head in. Dad had so much respect for him.”
Provan was a fitness fanatic who pushed his team to their limits up and over the Cronulla sand hills and on road runs around Kogarah, Allawah and Bexley.
That gave Provan his high. “He certainly wasn’t a drinker from early days,” said premiership-winning Dragons captain Steve Edge. “That was his choice. But he was always there at reunions and always made you feel comfortable. He was revered by the players.
“Norm was my Immortal from when I was 10 years old. He was a champion who always took an interest in my career.”
Provan owned two electrical shops, one in Rockdale, the other at Hurstville.
He happily spoke footy to customers and was often spotted on the road out front patiently waiting for a Saints fan to wander past for a chat. His hand shake would all but swallow the smaller hand of his customers. He later bought the Oasis resort at Caloundra.
“He had a huge hand. He more or less shook your arm, not your hand,” King said. “He wasn’t a snob. If a bloke came in to buy a fridge, Norm would talk footy with him. What a lovely bloke. A huge man, bloody oath he was.”
The 13th Immortal, Provan was a rangy and imposing second-rower during St George’s unprecedented 11-year reign as NSWRL premiers i between 1956 and 1966.
His appearance in 10 of the 11 grand finals – winning them all – is an Australian rugby league record.
He played 18 games for NSW and 31 matches for Australia.
A statue of Provan and great mate Arthur Summons adorns the prize issued each year to the NRL premiers, named the Provan-summons trophy. The image – nicknamed The Gladiators – came from a photograph captured in the SCG mud after the 1963 grand final.
After his playing retirement, Provan coached St George in 1968, Parramatta (1975) and Cronulla (1978-1979).
He was inducted into the Australian Rugby League and International Rugby League Hall of Fame in 2004.