Incredible untold stories of the greatest schoolboys rugby league team in history
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That kid was Paul Gallen – and he didn’t make the Australian Schoolboys team. Nor did a strapping fullback from NSWCHS who went on to score an iconic NRL grand final try, Pat Richards. And neither did a trio of notable prospects from the runner-up, Queensland SSRL: Matt Bowen, Dallas Johnson and Aaron Payne.
“He was an instinctive footballer, good speed, freakish ability and I sort of guided the side around, so we were a good mix.” “I actually had a couple of blues with ‘Woolly’. Ended up having a decent, respectful relationship with him, but early doors … he’s from country NSW, didn’t take too much shit and neither did I, and we ended up butting heads,” he says.
“I was at a stage where I was going to go straight up into the top 25 … but David Waite said, ‘We’ll worry about that when you get back mate – England, Ireland and France Schoolboys is an experience you have to have in your life’,” Gasnier recalls. The Australian Schoolboys outside their accommodation in Limoux, Le Mauzac — named after the grape used to make a sparkling wine for which the southern town is famous. Picture: Courtesy of Kevin SharpAfter 36 hours of travelling – British Airways to Heathrow via Bangkok, another flight to Toulouse then a bus to the southern French village of Limoux – Greer had a surprise for his players.“All we wanted to do was have a hot shower and crash, and he said, ‘Nup, we’re going training.
“We scored about three tries really quickly and it was just men and boys playing against each other. But all of a sudden, our 10 metres was 25 metres back and theirs was like one and a half metres back!” Greer says. “When we were playing the Test, at half-time he went out on to the middle of the field and he got the referee and he was almost strangling him. You could hear what he was saying: ‘We’re here to put on an exhibition! We’re not here to try to make it level, so stop penalising the Australians for things that they’re not doing wrong!’ He was right up him, he just wanted it to be fair. He said, ‘I don’t care if we get beaten by 100, let the people see what they’re like!’ It was quite amusing.
“Johnny Row was a legend. He used to love his beat-boxing and his rapping,” says Gasnier – not knowing back then that Rowbotham would become a recording artist when footy didn’t work out. They travelled to Carcassonne for their second match, against a French Schools Selection side of players from the region. Talipeau, Tate, Anthony Quinn, Warren Aiken, Greg Bolous, Blake Henzell, Mark Minichiello and Daniel Ninness this time made the team, captained by Orsini.
“It was still sitting on the bloody runway and I’m going, ‘Oh, no!’ We were only going to be there three days and get over there and find out that half our gear is missing. We finally got it back the morning we were going back to London. I spent most of my time trying to get gear for the kids and I didn’t get to see the game.”“They put us on a training ground that, I swear, I took four steps and I my feet sank down 12 inches and I could not get them out,” Greer says.
Though many families travelled with their sons on tour, the lads weren’t shy about experiencing the local nightlife at times and Dublin was a solid outing. A sleep-in was followed by some Christmas shopping before hopping a plane to Manchester.Source: SuppliedAn ambush awaited in England.
Luke Branighan and John Rowbotham with Wigan superstar Jason Robinson. Picture: Courtesy of Kevin Sharp“They tried to ambush us a bit with that. They thought they’d have a good enough side to beat us and they were basically a year older too,” he says. “I haven’t been punched in footy very often, but their hooker just went ‘whack’ straight into my nose,” Irvine says.
Parker admits: “I may have got stuck into him … But when you’re 17, and I’d come from Beaudesert and a school with tough individuals, you held your own and you never took a backward step.” The Aussies were buzzing after escaping with more points and less bruises than the Poms, yet they copped it from their coach.
Justin Hodges at Widnes, site of the first Test against the Lions and the massive all-in brawl that broke out. Picture: Courtesy of Kevin SharpThe brawl, though, was a serious headache for rugby league in the UK. Top former Australian referee Greg McCallum was boss of Britain’s refs at the time.“I went to Greg McCallum and I said, ‘We want a copy of the footage’. He said, ‘I don’t think you really want to see it.
“In the 57th minute … Australia scored the try that gave them the sort of lead they needed to maintain their perfect record in Europe. Fittingly it came via a touch of genuine class from their centre, Mark Gasnier, whose flicked pass sent Justin Hodges striding for the line. “The win cannot be understated. The final whistle was an extremely emotional moment. It was also a great relief. We celebrated out success and reminisced about the preceding five weeks. It was an experience I will never forget.”
“Some great players in that team … to captain my country against these players was an honour,” Noone wrote. “I’ve still got Braith Anasta’s jersey as I swapped my top with his. Great memories.” “Greery hadn’t announced the team and he whispered something like this to me on the bus: ‘I think I might use Gaz in the second row … and I might use Corey Parker at fullback.’ I said, ‘Are you serious? It’s still a game on tour!’ But unbeknown to me – everybody else knew – the game had been cancelled because of the snow.
The plane ride couldn’t come soon enough. They skipped the country on December 21, a Qantas flight out of Heathrow, arriving home on December 23. Strangely, it was colder back in the Sydney summer than London’s winter. Says Parker: “When I came through, I was good mates with Cam Smith, who obviously went on to become the GOAT of rugby league – and I thought Danny Irvine was a very, very good dummy-half. I rated him very highly.”
“It was a really acute snap and pain under my skin. You try and brush it off but the next day it blew up really badly.”As for Branighan, the dream turned to despair after replacing Mundine and playing 15 games in his first NRL season with the Dragons. He was sidelined by knee reconstructions in 2001 and 2002 while at Cronulla, and the game moved on.
Luggage Trays Junior Footballers Young Blokes England Sin Bin Anthony Quinn Footy Career Training Session Agonising Grand Final Pat Richards Recording Artist Northern Europe Warren Aiken Victoria Luke Branighan Drink Container Northern Ireland Customs Official Daniel Ninness Justin Hodges Home Side Tim Elbra Security Guards Team Tour Matt Bowen Limoux – Greer London Penalty Shots Holy F—King Hell Anthony Mundine Special Greeting Sydney Tour Manager Brent Tate Rugby League Heartland Guys Ate Tour Diary Team Lists Tough-Love Preparation Danny Sullivan John Rowbotham Southern French Village Tragic Hard-Luck Stories David Waite Kevin Sharp Australian Tour Manager Grand Final Try French Selection Side Illegal Arms Quality Players Real Experience Louis Bonnery United Kingdom Grand Final Loss Miniature Crossbows Adam Woolnough Bloody Armed Forces Freezing Cold Afternoon Team Read Team Manager Australia Luggage Counter Dublin Australian Secondary Schools Rugby League Rugby League Secure Army Barracks Melbourne French Phonebook ARMY FIREWORKS Blake Henzell Christian Orsini Big-Name English Player Name Tags Tour Matches Gatwick Airport Ltd. Dallas Johnson Grand Final Daniel Irvine Day Shopping Powerhouse Young Europe University Side Jamie Lyon New Zealand British Airways PLC Football Brain Special Treatment Stupid Reason Army Barracks Michael Fischer New South Wales Dragons Prospects Penalty Count Final Scoreline Coach Recalls Arthur Little Oceania Paul Gallen Brett Sargent Hair Blonde Gun Hooker Ireland Captaincy Role Kevin Irvine Teenage Boys Corey Parker Mark Gasnier Australia And New Zealand Mark Minichiello Laighin English Side Aaron Payne Greg Mccallum Stade De I’Aiguille Luggage Area Cold Cuts
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