Do Canberra Raiders fans miss Mark McLinden?

[AlbertRosenfeld]

Mark McLinden is a wonderful performer for the London team, formerly the London Broncos, newly renamed Harlequins Rugby League. He is club captain.

Marty, as the fans know him, is a brilliant attacking player. He now plays full back mostly, and in the halves when Tommy Leuleuai or Luke Dorn are injured.

Do Raiders fans miss him? Do they wish he were still playing for the Raiders?

He strikes me as very intelligent for a rugby league player. Does anyone know if he went to university?

 

[paulquinn49]

He will always be a wonderful performer, just an average player.

I mean when he milked all those penalties and made our team the joke of the league, were those real tears?

Lucky he plays in a comp where tackling above waist high is a send off offence so he doesnt have to "perform" anymore.

 

[greeneyed]

His nickname was Marty (after Marty McFly in the Back to the Future movies as I recall), but many of the Raiders fans called him Macca, after he and Andrew McFadden formed the "Mac Attack" early in their careers. Macca was very popular with the fans - he was probably my favourite player for some reason. He had a great sense of humour and his vivid imagination and off field stunts with his friends often made the press (obstacle courses in the apartment, writing movies, setting up joke athletic days for the people in his street, jumping off houses etc etc). I don't think he ever went to uni. Interesting he is club captain, but doesn't seem to be able to pin down a permanent spot in the London side. It was the same at the Raiders unfortunately, for whatever reason. Brilliant one week, with his speed and try scoring ability, floundering the next... played everywhere from fullback to wing to halves, but just couldn't maintain the consistency.

Don't listen to Quinny, many of us still miss Macca anyway.

 

[Raider_69]

i miss macca... on his day there were few who were a better attacking player

 

[Mullins_y2k]

I LOVE HIM!!! I WANT HIM.....in a completly no sexual way offcourse
seriously tho he could have been anything super talented

 

[Bay56]

I can remember more than one match where his freakish ability won us a match, usually when we really needed a try he was envolved.

I can remember one particular game, I think against the Warriors, where we had the game won only to be run down, then with a few minutes left we had a scrum 20m out, macca takes it at first receiver and cuts through untouched for a try .... we won.

Macca was definitely my favourite player ... used to ring him a lot as well :lol:

 

[Raider Ultra]

He was at UC until he was offered a professional contract by the Raiders. He was apparently torn between going to uni and playing for the Raiders, one of my lecturers convinced him to play for the Raiders

 

[posh]

Why? Was there was no future for this sport management degree?

 

[canberra_raiders2k2]

He was one of my favs, i hated seeing him leave.

 

[Raider Ultra]

Why? Was there was no future for this sport management degree?

Oh the hilarity.

 

[julian87]

Miss him greatly. We have no match.

 

[Timbo]

I miss him, Hopefully he'll come back someday.

 

[AlbertRosenfeld]

I find most of your comments quite touching.

Marty is obviously a very special person as well as a very special player. I hope that you don't mind that I have passed this link along to a Harlequins rugby league fans' forum. Obviously they all like him too. He should be informed of Raiders' fans feelings.

This year will be his first chance to make a bigger impression within the city of London, because the team, along with the name change, have moved from the run down and obscure Brentford ground, to the Stoop at Twickenham. They have formed a partnership with Harlequins rugby union, and this means that they have changed their name from London Broncos to Harlequins Rugby League. But they will have a good quality, small but newly constructed stadium, seating approximately 12,000. One stand has the longest bar in London. The ground is situated more in the heart of west London than Brentford is. They will have much better marketing now, and the connection with Harlequin rugby union supporters. Season ticket sales are already up 50% because of that, and we are still 2 weeks from the first match -- against St Helens on Saturday afternoon February 11 at 3 pm.

Keep your eyes open for any Harlequins matches shown on Super League broadcasts that Foxtel offers. You will be able to see how Marty is going in England.

Meanwhile you can watch him playing well recently in the Harlequins friendly preseason against Les Catalans (the new French Super League club) at:

www.planete13.tv

Click on Videotheque on the left side of the screen, and then choose Catalans vs Quins. When the screen starts to play the video, double click on the screen and it will fill your screen.

Marty is in the number one jumper and full back for Harlequins. Ian Hindmarsh is in the second row, in jumper 11, for Les Catalans. Alex Chan is 19, Jamal Fakir is 22 and Julian Rinaldi is 25 (the last two are the best French players) for Les Catalans.

 

[stevel]

As a fellow Harlequins RL supporter,I have to endorse Albert's thoughts on Mark Mclinden,,He always puts himself out in the club bar to speak to us fans .He approaches us for a chat so we never feel he has to be pushed into conversation.He is an excellent figurehead for our club and is media friendly with a quick quip when being interviewed.In our first match this season (friendly with Les Catalan) he was in excellent form, caught everything kicked at him and scored a try he really had no right too.We will hang on to him as long as we can but realise most of you guys in Canberra want him back.He told me he has had time to travel around Europe in the close season and seems to enjoy life in London...For those of you who dont know where we play ,it is about 500 yds from Twickenham Rugby Union ground..so if any of you are over ...come to the Stoop and cheer Mark and rest of the guys on..and maybe a beer or 2 in the excellent club bars afterwards with us...Feel free to e mail me with any questions on Mark or other Aussie players......

 

[stevel]

Sorry,,make that a pm ,,not e mail

 

[thickos]

I miss him, but I miss Ruben Wiki as well. Both brought a lot to the team that the current crop can't.... but we have to move on.

I hope he gets his organisational skills together because with his speed and vision he could continue to cut it in the NRL... hopefully with us.

 

[dubby]

Marty was unique. I always thought he was a will'o the wisp type of player. Not in the league of Raiders legends like Laurie or Mal, but certainly a crowd favourite. Like its been mentioned, he was approachable and funny and that means alot to the fans. It would be easier to miss him if he was a pig of a man.

 

[Paullyboy]

I was a huge fan of McLinden, he had a spark that always gave me hope that a try could come from anything. We dont have that anymore. We have wonderchild Carney who is far from the talent everyone seems to think he is and Jason Smith - who is great, but doesnt put on a try from anywhere on the field.

 

[thickos]

Marty was unique. I always thought he was a will'o the wisp type of player. Not in the league of Raiders legends like Laurie or Mal, but certainly a crowd favourite. Like its been mentioned, he was approachable and funny and that means alot to the fans. It would be easier to miss him if he was a pig of a man.

I think that's the big thing. He was an eccentric loveable crowd favourite - he always got the biggest cheer when the team was read out. People gravitated towards him. Great personality, something the club desperately lacks.

 

[Chachi]

He was instrumental in the few thrashings we've handed out in the last 5 years or so and also in many of the upset wins we've had in that time. Unfortunately consistency was a concern but when he was on his game he was certainly one of our best. I think the ESL suits him as there is a couple of games there each season where players like McLinden can switch off a little but still get the job done. You don't have that luxury in the NRL - and certainly not with the teams Canberra have had for the past 5 years.