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17-06-08, 05:32 PM
Police pick their rugby league Team of the Century
By Ray Chesterton | June 16, 2008 12:00am
The Police Team of the Century:
Vic Bulgin
John Greaves
Bob Keyes
Brian Moore
Bob Landers
Steve Rogers
Kevin Roberts
Craig Young
Kevin Schubert
Frank 'Bumper' Farrell
Paul Sironen
Jack Rayner (Capt-Coach)
John Raper
Reserves:
Dick Thornett
Neville Glover
Harry Pierce
Pat Jarvis
Manager: Barry Nelson
Referee: Bill Harrigan
THE thin blue line was a little older yesterday, and in some cases a little thicker than it once was but after NSW's 30-0 loss in Origin II it was good to salute a team of all-great Blues.
This was the Police Team of the Century and surely the last of the celebratory teams to be chosen for the game's 100th birthday.
For John Raper, the prototype for the modern day lock forward, their claim never ends.
He has now been named as lock in the teams of the century for Australia, NSW and now the police. There have also been NSW and Queensland country centennial teams chosen as well as one from Queensland.
Yesterday the ANZ Stadium was also a reunion for Raper and the police after a rocky break-up in 1962.
Raper resigned because the police were threatening to interrupt what would go on to become a stellar rugby league career.
He'd had a cartilage injury corrected by surgery and was passed fit to play by the St George doctor - but not the police doctor.
"At the time I was training six hours a day running through the sand dunes at Cronulla and working with George Daldry at City Tatts," he said.
"I had mates who were on active duty who used to say they wished they were as 'unfit' as me."
Raper even went to see the police commissioner as the premiership semi-finals drew close - but even he couldn't help.
"The commissioner said the doctor had even more power than him," Raper laughed.
Raper, who made three Kangaroo tours and was named as an Immortal, is in a wonderfully strong police pack of former internationals.
All but a couple in the 17-man squad played for Australia.
Half and former detective Kevin Roberts, who later became a referee, was also immortalised by Souths hooker-coach George Piggins. "The two things I hate most in life are referees and coppers," George once said to Roberts. "And you're both of them."
With the police team finalised, perhaps the only team of the century left to pick is one made up of rugby league's worst villains.
Don't laugh. It may happen.
By Ray Chesterton | June 16, 2008 12:00am
The Police Team of the Century:
Vic Bulgin
John Greaves
Bob Keyes
Brian Moore
Bob Landers
Steve Rogers
Kevin Roberts
Craig Young
Kevin Schubert
Frank 'Bumper' Farrell
Paul Sironen
Jack Rayner (Capt-Coach)
John Raper
Reserves:
Dick Thornett
Neville Glover
Harry Pierce
Pat Jarvis
Manager: Barry Nelson
Referee: Bill Harrigan
THE thin blue line was a little older yesterday, and in some cases a little thicker than it once was but after NSW's 30-0 loss in Origin II it was good to salute a team of all-great Blues.
This was the Police Team of the Century and surely the last of the celebratory teams to be chosen for the game's 100th birthday.
For John Raper, the prototype for the modern day lock forward, their claim never ends.
He has now been named as lock in the teams of the century for Australia, NSW and now the police. There have also been NSW and Queensland country centennial teams chosen as well as one from Queensland.
Yesterday the ANZ Stadium was also a reunion for Raper and the police after a rocky break-up in 1962.
Raper resigned because the police were threatening to interrupt what would go on to become a stellar rugby league career.
He'd had a cartilage injury corrected by surgery and was passed fit to play by the St George doctor - but not the police doctor.
"At the time I was training six hours a day running through the sand dunes at Cronulla and working with George Daldry at City Tatts," he said.
"I had mates who were on active duty who used to say they wished they were as 'unfit' as me."
Raper even went to see the police commissioner as the premiership semi-finals drew close - but even he couldn't help.
"The commissioner said the doctor had even more power than him," Raper laughed.
Raper, who made three Kangaroo tours and was named as an Immortal, is in a wonderfully strong police pack of former internationals.
All but a couple in the 17-man squad played for Australia.
Half and former detective Kevin Roberts, who later became a referee, was also immortalised by Souths hooker-coach George Piggins. "The two things I hate most in life are referees and coppers," George once said to Roberts. "And you're both of them."
With the police team finalised, perhaps the only team of the century left to pick is one made up of rugby league's worst villains.
Don't laugh. It may happen.