SPORT

I was one of around 150 friends , lifelong mates and admirers who attended the memorial service at the Sydney Cricket Ground on April 17 to honour a truly great journalist and author , Ian Heads .

Headsy left this place on March 25 , and man-o-man , did he ever pack a life into his 81 years in this place .

His journalistic career began as a copy boy in the early 1960s at the Sydney Daily Telegraph , and such were his skills and work ethic , he quickly rose through the ranks to become the chief journalist covering rugby league for most of his long career .

During his newspaper career , Headsy also wrote for the Sydney Morning Herald and the Herald-Sun and also spent some years as the much admired editor of Rugby League Week .

Headsy penned more than 50 books , mostly on rugby league personalities , but also significant books on other sports .

One of his most popular was The Night the Music Died , published in 2014 to commemorate 40 years since one of the great sporting fairytales .

And that was when the bushie minnows from Western Division stunned the rugby league world by winning the 1974 Amco Cup .

The mid-week knockout competition ran from 1974 until 1989 , and that momentous first year the competition was contested by all 12 NSWRL clubs ,

Auckland , second division side , Ryde- Eastwood , and seven NSW Country Divisional sides .

So those of you au fait with multiplication , subtraction , division and addition will have worked out that it is 50 years since Western Division shocked the rugby league fraternity by beating some of best teams in our part of the world to hold aloft the Amco Cup .

The series final was played at Leichhardt Oval in front of over 16,000 fans and the rank outsiders from the bush out-slogged Penrith 6-2 to claim the trophy .

Along the way to the final Western Division beat an internationals-studded Auckland 13-7 , a talent-stacked Canterbury 12-10 in a quarter-final , and then in a semi-final , tossed a powerful Manly-Warringah lineup on a penalties countback after scores were tied 12-12 at the full-time hooter .

The team was coached by legendary

KA BLING and FLYING DESTINY fought out a close finish over 1045m at R ’ wick on May 15 . Both showed solid form last time in and should be ready to hit the ‘ go ’ button when resuming .

RESISTABLE failed in heavy going last time out but indicated she will make amends next time her sports silks in closing second in 1045m trial at R ’ wick on May 16 .

BROADSIDING is a brilliant colt and indicated he is set for a huge winter with slashing second in 1045m trial at R ’ wick on May 16 . He is one out of the box !

ALICIA ROMA is now with the Snowden camp and indicated plenty of ability in effortless 737m win at Randwick on May 16 .

LADY TASSORT , RARE MOON and BLANC NOIR contested 737m trial at

Randwick on May 16 . Lady Tassort won effortlessly with Rare Moon ( 2 nd ) and Blanc Noir sixth not being knocked about from go to whoa .

SPYWIRE could not have been more impressive in winning 737m trial in good time at R ’ wick on May 16 . This colt just oozes class .

IN SECRET and FACILE fought out a close finish in 1030m trial at Rosehill on May 18 . Both hit the line strongly and indicated they are ready to rock ‘ n ’ roll .

You think that ’ s a cup ? This is a cup ! Western Division legend , Barry Rushworth , still has the strength to hold the coveted ( and giant ) 1974 Amco Cup trophy .

former St George , NSW and Kangaroo winger Johnny King , Col McDonnell was the manager and Bill Baker , the trainer .

Throughout the series Johnny King used 23 players representing clubs scattered throughout a huge area – from Cobar out west , north to Coonamble , Lithgow in the southeast , and Cowra and West Wyalong in the south .

All members of the team – and indeed their supporters – deserve much acclamation for the efforts they put in travelling vast distances for training and matches .

On March 2 , those members of the team still with us , attended a 50-year reunion , which included watching games of footy at Narromine before heading to Dubbo RSL for a long and enjoyable dinner and to reminisce about their amazing achievement five decades ago .

Sadly , nine of those history-making footballers are no longer with us , including crowd favourite , “ TV ” Ted Ellery , whose barnstorming presence off the bench lifted the spirits of his team-mates and spectators like .

One of those who enjoyed the reunion was Western Division ’ s most experienced player , former NSW Country , Parramatta , NSW and Kangaroo , Barry Rushworth .

“ I was 31 back then and in the twilight of my career and was truly surprised when Fred King ( selector ) asked me to come into the team for the semi-final match again Manly ,” Barry recalled .

“ I was playing and coaching at Lithgow and had driven across to Orange to see Western Division put up a good showing before going down to the touring Great Britain .

“ After the game , Fred collared me and said my experience would be a tremendous help to the team , but I replied , ‘ mate , I ’ ve run my race , I still love playing for Lithgow and coaching the blokes . I just don ’ t think I ’ m up to it ’.

“ I drove home the hour and 20 minutes to our hotel and as I entered the back door , one of my friends said , ‘ good on ya mate . I heard on the radio you ’ re in the Western Division team ’. “ My initial reaction was , ‘ aw , no ! “ I played against quite a few of the blokes from Group 10 and had been impressed by them and their team-mates from further out in the division , all of whom put their hearts and souls into the Pommies match .

“ So , I put in extra training and rolled up to Western Division training and was welcomed with open arms by Johnny King .”

Among the other players in attendance at the reunion were halfback , Robbie Pilon , who was anointed man-ofthe-match by the Channel 10 commentary team which included Ray Warren and the great Ken Irvine .

Other Western Division luminaries joining Barry and Robbie at the reunion were Johnny King , five-eighth and skipper , Paul Dowling , rampaging winger , Terry Fahey and tough-as-teak forwards , Geoff Lousick and Nelson Smith .

Ian Heads OAM ( for services to the media as a sports journalist , author and mentor ) would love to have joined the old players at the reunion .

In researching for The Night the Music Died , he spent much time interviewing most of the heroes of ’ 74 – they would have welcomed him with open arms to the reunion .

As well as his OAM , the inspirational writer ’ s honours included a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Australian Sports Commission , induction into the National Rugby League Hall of Fame and an inaugural inductee on the Sydney Cricket Ground Media Hall of Honour .

Catch you on the sidelines again one day , my old friend .

SAD MARKS : The passing of rugby league great , Ron “ Thirsty ” Lynch , the Parramatta legend who also played a couple of seasons captaining Penrith , and also represented NSW 17 times and Australia in 12 Tests . “ Thirsty ”? He could down a schooner faster than Trump could devour a leg of chicken .

WISH MARKS : I ’ d love to referee an NRL game . I ’ d penalise any player flopping to stack a ball-carrier and slow down the play-the-ball . They ’ d only get one chance – next time they ’ d be having an early shower .

Team

THE HILLS INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine . com . au ISSUE 108 // JUNE 2024 25