Immortal Johnny Raper - Immortal

[The Silverdale Phantom]

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Love the bowler hat!

 

[Dragon David]

He's been claimed by the whole game, like Tommy. A tidal wave of love, respect and an embracing of his personality, no matter what.

I don't want to offend any well meaning visitors, but how Johns was able to stumble up the stairs and sidle up next to Johnny Raper in the great pantheon of the Immortals beggars belief.

All these undeniable legends had a certain grace about them. Look at Artie Beetson for example.

I wont speak Ill of the passed, but I’m not wholly satisfied with Fultons entry either.

Just my view.

That you got to see Chook play in real life is a miracle.

Yes, it was fantastic that I did get to see him play. His defence was great as usual. There had been several players who tried to play a similar game to Chook - I think Wally Lewis was one and possibly Ron Coote.

 

[Dragon David]

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Love it chalesv.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

Yes, it was fantastic that I did get to see him play. His defence was great as usual. There had been several players who tried to play a similar game to Chook - I think Wally Lewis was one and possibly Ron Coote.

I heard that he could cut players in two and send them to Disneyland from clean tackles at waist height!

One of the young sgi fans at work simply said today he “was the greatest player ever”

Which is high praise, given young mate was a Dragons junior. So he should know his stuff.

He lives and breathes the Saints.

As for his dementia that’s pretty sad, but it can’t touch his legacy or anyone else’s.

 

[Dragon David]

I heard that he could cut players in two and send them to Disneyland from clean tackles at waist height!

One of the young sgi fans at work simply said today he “was the greatest player ever”

Which is high praise, given young mate was a Dragons junior. So he should know his stuff.

He lives and breathes the Saints.

As for his dementia that’s pretty sad, but it can’t touch his legacy or anyone else’s.

This dementia is going to be a common denominator for a lot of the guys playing today which is a sad thing. Even though several have retired like Cordner and Friend etc., the likes of Keary, Papenhuyzen and quite a lot of the other players really are likely to have dementia problems in their senior ages.
Good on that young SGI fan at your work for giving high praise to a remarkable footballer and human being.

So sorry to read about Olsen Filipaina. He was a very likeable chap and played it tough particularly for the Tigers and NZ.. may he rest in peace.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

This dementia is going to be a common denominator for a lot of the guys playing today which is a sad thing. Even though several have retired like Cordner and Friend etc., the likes of Keary, Papenhuyzen and quite a lot of the other players really are likely to have dementia problems in their senior ages.
Good on that young SGI fan at your work for giving high praise to a remarkable footballer and human being.

So sorry to read about Olsen Filipaina. He was a very likeable chap and played it tough particularly for the Tigers and NZ.. may he rest in peace.

Players are getting bigger and stronger and while there are rule changes, it’s hard to see the game surviving without radical changes in player welfare.

Matterson is almost two metres tall, weighs 17 stone and has not been the same player since Packer ran right over him.

The young bloke loves his sgi -contempt for the sharkies and theres a young rooster.

Rooster kid was the one that said “ ah f**k no!” and he’s only 26. Pens down and he jumped online straight away.

So people are quite touched by this, thus a state funeral.

It’s even brought @stryker and I together in a very rare display of unity.

Johnny was a good human being, made a contribution, gave something back in a world besotted by greed and self congratulation. Just was himself. Like Tommy.

Vale Olsen yes. So young too. Pioneer in his own right.

This is a big deal. Every player in the nrl should wear the black armband round one. No exceptions.

 

[Gareth67]

Yes, it was fantastic that I did get to see him play. His defence was great as usual. There had been several players who tried to play a similar game to Chook - I think Wally Lewis was one and possibly Ron Coote.

Agree Dave , Ron Coote was also a great cover tackler - right around the bootlaces , unfortunately for him Raper was always first chosen at lock in the rep teams .

But back to Raper , the Dragons in those years had such tough forward packs that they would bludgeoned their opponents into the ground and the poor sods who managed to escape the attention of Ryan , Billy Wilson , Ken Kearney and the likes then ran into our pocket battleship Poppa Clay . Raper was the clean member of the pack with his grass-cutting style of defense .

 

[redandwhite4evr]

Agree with all the above tributes- the one thing that I thought always set Raper apart was that in many ways he was more an English style of player- his defence was great of course but as he got older, his ball play, his vision and his ability to put a player through a gap came to the fore-he was probably as good a 5/8 at the end as a lock. My bias is showing but Raper, Gasnier and Langlands were my favourite players of all time and I am just so proud that they happened to be Saints/Dragons as well.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

Agree with all the above tributes- the one thing that I thought always set Raper apart was that in many ways he was more an English style of player- his defence was great of course but as he got older, his ball play, his vision and his ability to put a player through a gap came to the fore-he was probably as good a 5/8 at the end as a lock. My bias is showing but Raper, Gasnier and Langlands were my favourite players of all time and I am just so proud that they happened to be Saints/Dragons as well.

It’s pretty amazing that they haven’t played for awhile either.

Shout out to Steve Mortimer, one of the greatest players I’ve ever seen- in a bit of trouble now. Incredible player.

It’s very hard to split him and sterlo.

Once again, they haven’t played for awhile either!

The poor kids today are asked to look up to bloody Nathan Cleary ffs! His shoulder is in tatters, won’t be the same next year!

 

[Dragon David]

Players are getting bigger and stronger and while there are rule changes, it’s hard to see the game surviving without radical changes in player welfare.

Matterson is almost two metres tall, weighs 17 stone and has not been the same player since Packer ran right over him.

The young bloke loves his sgi -contempt for the sharkies and theres a young rooster.

Rooster kid was the one that said “ ah f**k no!” and he’s only 26. Pens down and he jumped online straight away.

So people are quite touched by this, thus a state funeral.

It’s even brought @stryker and I together in a very rare display of unity.

Johnny was a good human being, made a contribution, gave something back in a world besotted by greed and self congratulation. Just was himself. Like Tommy.

Vale Olsen yes. So young too. Pioneer in his own right.

This is a big deal. Every player in the nrl should wear the black armband round one. No exceptions.

Here, here!

 

[Dragon David]

Agree Dave , Ron Coote was also a great cover tackler - right around the bootlaces , unfortunately for him Raper was always first chosen at lock in the rep teams .

But back to Raper , the Dragons in those years had such tough forward packs that they would bludgeoned their opponents into the ground and those poor sods who managed to escape the attention of Ryan , Billy Wilson , Ken Kearney and the likes then ran into our pocket battleship Poppa Clay . Raper was the clean member of the pack with his grass-cutting style of defense .

Exactly Gareth.

 

[Dragon David]

It’s pretty amazing that they haven’t played for awhile either.

Shout out to Steve Mortimer, one of the greatest players I’ve ever seen- in a bit of trouble now. Incredible player.

It’s very hard to split him and sterlo.

Once again, they haven’t played for awhile either!

The poor kids today are asked to look up to bloody Nathan Cleary ffs! His shoulder is in tatters, won’t be the same next year!

The next decade will be a telling factor into how us people will be situated. There is so much that I dare not want to say.

All I want now is to see the NRL being played in 2022 and years to come with the Mighties and of course your Tigers doing well.

 

[Saints Forever]

Johnny was a larger than life character

an amazing footballer

I had the pleasure of chatting with him, Reg Gasnier and Ian Walsh when Changa was made an immortal.

During Changa’s acceptance speech he mentioned how happy he was to be made an immortal so that Chook would stop putting shit on him.

uncomplicated bloke who truly bled red and white.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

Johnny was a larger than life character

an amazing footballer

I had the pleasure of chatting with him, Reg Gasnier and Ian Walsh when Changa was made an immortal.

During Changa’s acceptance speech he mentioned how happy he was to be made an immortal so that Chook would stop putting shit on him.

uncomplicated bloke who truly bled red and white.

It’s very cool to be uncomplicated sometimes.

Especially say in relationships and the crap people subscribe to.

Awesome story, thanks.

 

[Dragon David]

Johnny was a larger than life character

an amazing footballer

I had the pleasure of chatting with him, Reg Gasnier and Ian Walsh when Changa was made an immortal.

During Changa’s acceptance speech he mentioned how happy he was to be made an immortal so that Chook would stop putting shit on him.

uncomplicated bloke who truly bled red and white.

That would have been an awesome thing to have been able to speak to the likes of Puff, Abdul and Changa. Something that you will treasure Saints Forever, forever.

 

[OneEyedDragon]

I met Chook and Puff about 13 years ago when I attended a fund raising dinner for the local junior Leagues club and team. Their speeches were entertaining and they were happy to chat afterwards. Johnny had a bit more to say than Reg. I am sure I bored them with my wide eyed Dragons fan talk of the glory days (a conversation I am sure they had endured thousands of times before), but they were both unfailingly polite and encouraging in their responses. The night remains a wonderful memory for me. (Changa showed up the following year to complete my joy, but that is another story).

I also remember a story from an excellent pommy winger at the time. He said that he would get the ball, break free and race for the line, but he knew he wouldn't score, he just knew Raper would arrive with a classic cover tackle.

RIP Johnny Raper, a legend of the game

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

I met Chook and Puff about 13 years ago when I attended a fund raising dinner for the local junior Leagues club and team. Their speeches were entertaining and they were happy to chat afterwards. Johnny had a bit more to say than Reg. I am sure I bored them with my wide eyed Dragons fan talk of the glory days (a conversation I am sure they had endured thousands of times before), but they were both unfailingly polite and encouraging in their responses. The night remains a wonderful memory for me. (Changa showed up the following year to complete my joy, but that is another story).

I also remember a story from an excellent pommy winger at the time. He said that would get the ball, break free and race for the line, but he knew he wouldn't score, he just knew Raper would arrive with a classic cover tackle.

RIP Johnny Raper, a legend of the game

Fantastic and interesting post!

Although not in the same sacred world:

I bored poor old dwz into the next world one day. He was so patient with me and I got a nice photo. Lovely guy.

 

[YoHadrian]

What a player.

R.I.P.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

What a player.

R.I.P.

Here’s an article worth reading from our friends at RLP

John Raper - Playing Career - RLP

A summary of the career stats for Rated the greatest lock forward the game has produced, there are some judges who rank the intractable Johnny Raper above Messenger and Churchill as the greatest player - if not the greatest personality – rugby league has seen. Raper tackled his love of the game...

www.rugbyleagueproject.org

“Rated above Churchill and Messenger” whoa!! That’s a serious claim isn’t it?! Wow!

Some players are just born footballers and they call it natural talent but they are very few and far between and often careers cut shot or unravel.

Not Johnny, compound interest excellence.

Post career, just kicks on as a self sustaining footy celeb in his own right.

A rogue and ruffian, but not with his head up his backside. You could laugh with him.

 

[Trifili13]

Unfortunately never saw the Dragon's legends as was born in 1967. But to have 4 immortals and countless other greats of the game from that era, I can't see how any other team is even in the conversation as the greatest ever. Much like Bradman and then the rest. Some say it was the unlimited tackle era, or Saints had their leagues club or teams can't build such a squad under the current salary cap era, but I counter that by saying that teams can now scout and build a team full of 'non-locals' while back then there was residency criteria (although probably a few false addresses were provided) which limited who you could have in your team.

I know I am preaching to the converted here but just think about - 11 premierships in a row. They say it is hard to even go back to back, yet our club managed to do it 11 times. I don't care what advantage they had or what era it was, it was just a phenomenal achievement. As the book says 'Never Before Never Again' (a good read for those who have not read it).

Nice to read all the stories from all the forum members and their encounters and memories of Chook and our other legends.

GO THE MIGHTY RED V