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Big League - 1970 Walk Off North Sydney V's Dragons

Loudstrat

Loudstrat

Coach
Messages
15,224
If it's the game where Norths walked off due to anger at refereeing decisions, then Norths skipper was Ken Irvine.
 
mightybears

mightybears

Bench
Messages
4,342
http://stats.rleague.com/rl/scorers/games/197001.html#0616

It was against Canterbury, at Belmore, first round 1970.
We lost 16-14, the Ref was Keith Page, and according to Andrew Moore's book The Mighty Bears! page 188 : "Denis Cubis ......recalled that whistle blower Keith Page, was 'off the planet' that day, abusing Norths players and making little effort to disguise his partiality for Canterbury"


Northern bear, on the mightybears.com website was there, but he hasn't got back to us yet as to his recollections!:
http://www.mightybears.com/viewtopic.php?t=4164&sid=2d6356dd885ab7f8586a44a3b535c94e


Ken Irvine, as captain cracked the sh*ts, and led the players off after just before half time after John McDonell [a later Canterbury Grand Final captain] was sent off for kicking in response to the Blue and White free hit going on, Akka Forbes talked them in to going back on, we finished the match with 11.

As to the team list, i don't have round 1 of the 1970 The Rugby League News, i do have round 3 [for April 11-12] and a Wills Pre Season Round of the Rugby League News [February 27-April 1].
 
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mightybears

mightybears

Bench
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4,342
So, Round 3 1970
The North Sydney programmed run on team was:

1.Moraschi
2.Irvine
3.Cubis
4.O'Donnell
5.Ambrum
6.Toohey
7.Williams
8.Evans
9.Payne
10.Cavanagh
11.Norton
12.Warner
13.Whitney

*John Booby obviously played round 1, so scrub Laurie Moraschi at Fullback
*John McDonell played Lock in round 1 [2 match suspension for kicking], so scrub Warren Evans i'd quess

The Pre Season Norths team v Cronulla on Feb 28, 1970 was the same as my presumed Round 1 team, except club servant Jimmy Schroeder was at prop instead of Whitney.


2 team of the century players in the round 3 [and round 1?] match.

Ultra trivia-my taxi driver last time i was in an ABC cab in Sydney was Ken McKinnon, brother to
Max McKinnon [a third grade prop in season 1970, and yeah also Doug & Don's brother], could have been great according to Ken!
 
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mightybears

mightybears

Bench
Messages
4,342
Wasn't around to see him play, but yes with surname like Booby, we can imagine the nicknames-taunts from the crowds etc.
 
mightybears

mightybears

Bench
Messages
4,342
Northernbear's recollection of thew match
Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 11:08 am on dave's mightybears.com

Kodiaks,

My recollection of the 1970 "Walk Off" was that it seemed quite bizarre at the time. I was with a mate on the hill, a Canterbury supporter, and we were both amazed at some of the decisions that ref Keith (blank) Page was making.

I my opinon we were being robbed, but as a Norths supporter I was quite used to that! It may have been a send off involving Keith Harris that may have led to the "walk off," but to say that the Norths players and supporters were bamboozled is an understatement.

I recall captain Ken Irvine calling the troops off the field and Akka Forbes on the sideline trying to send them back on. As a conservative type at the time, I thought we should have got on with it, but in hindsight the break that took place at the time of the event could have saved the referee from injury from a player or supporter. It was that blatant.

We just lost the match in the "wash up" but that's normal history for the club. We supporters are used to it and the butt of jokes that follow.

I went past Belmore a couple of weeks ago on the train, and recalled the match. It's funny that the ground is now in ruins.

Another incident that lives in my memory was a game against Penrith at the Oval in the 1980's. We were giving it to our more fancied opponents, but a penalty fo a minor offence gave them a penalty goal. We took the kick off and the ball landed in the in goal before going dead. A drop out to Penrith at the time, was the rule. The fullback for the Panthers signalled to the touchie, Martin Weekes, that the ball had gone out on the full. He was back on the 25 and couldn't see it, but he took the advice of the Penrith player and flagged it back for a Penrith penalty. That changed the game.

Martin Weekes will remember me for all time as I gave him a gobfull every time Penrith scored and was kicking for goal. I don't know whether it was fate, but at a lot of matches I attended, he was on the line. He cretainly knew I was there.
 
mightybears

mightybears

Bench
Messages
4,342
Green Machine said:
Mick Cronin nominated Keith Harris as the hardest tackler he had played against.
Click to expand...

Yeah, hear that a lot actually, My dad always liked Harris as a player because he said you got the impression the opposaition tried to run at someone else to avoid him!. Think i read that Terry Randall said the same as Cronin?

Keith wasn't actually playing-still in school in Tamworth?, but i know why Northern confused him with John McDonell, as they looked similar and were both hard tackling centres that ended up at lock/2nd row.
 
bearshark

bearshark

Juniors
Messages
2
mightybears said:
http://stats.rleague.com/rl/scorers/games/197001.html#0616

It was against Canterbury, at Belmore, first round 1970.
We lost 16-14, the Ref was Keith Page, and according to Andrew Moore's book The Mighty Bears! page 188 : "Denis Cubis ......recalled that whistle blower Keith Page, was 'off the planet' that day, abusing Norths players and making little effort to disguise his partiality for Canterbury"


Northern bear, on the mightybears.com website was there, but he hasn't got back to us yet as to his recollections!:
http://www.mightybears.com/viewtopic.php?t=4164&sid=2d6356dd885ab7f8586a44a3b535c94e


Ken Irvine, as captain cracked the sh*ts, and led the players off after just before half time after John McDonell [a later Canterbury Grand Final captain] was sent off for kicking in response to the Blue and White free hit going on, Akka Forbes talked them in to going back on, we finished the match with 11.

As to the team list, i don't have round 1 of the 1970 The Rugby League News, i do have round 3 [for April 11-12] and a Wills Pre Season Round of the Rugby League News [February 27-April 1].
Click to expand...

I was a young kid sitting on the hill at Belmore that day, watching my two favourite teams and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Never forget it. Loved the Mighty Bears.
 
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