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Lift of highs and Lowes
25/10/2003
By Peter Peters - the Manly Daily
Zorba's View
JUST on 12 years ago Graham Lowe lapsed into five comas at Royal North Shore Hospital and during each his wife Karen was told he had no hope of survival and she should be prepared for the worst.
The then coach of the Manly Sea Eagles had collapsed at training with deep vein thrombosis, which was quickly followed up by several heart attacks, a stroke and the granddaddy of them all... a brain haemorrhage.
Graham Lowe had hardly had a sick day in his life before he joined Manly to further his brilliant coaching career which had taken him from struggle street on the south side of Auckland at Otahuhu to a premiership in Brisbane with Norths and then a glorious period with English club Wigan, which won 11 trophies in three years under the canny Kiwi.
Before Lowe arrived at Wigan the club had gone 25 years without a premiership trophy.
Graham Lowe returned to the northern beaches this week and fell in love with the area all over again.
"There were times when I never thought I would see this place again - it's one of the most beautiful areas in the world," Lowe said as he looked out towards the sea from Dee Why Beach.
The transformation in Graham Lowe is stunning.
His weight has dropped from, 100kg to 88kg and there isn't a week in his life now that he doesn't row 40km on his trusty rowing machine.
Just last month Lowey - at the age of 57, would you believe - became the proud father of twin boys Jack and Sam.
Of all the football clubs he has been associated with Lowe has a special spot for Manly and it is no coincidence that his new-born boys both have tiny Sea Eagle jerseys.
As a young five-eighth or centre back in Otahuhu he dreamed of playing in Australia with Manly who at the time were New Zealand's most popular footy side outside of the All Blacks.
A recurring shoulder injury saw him give the game away at 23 and after a break from the game he put his hand up to coach the under-I8s because no one else wanted the job.
Success came quickly for the then auto electrician and before long he was coaching Otahuhu's first grade side.
They lost just 10 games in four years before former Queensland coach Bob Bax lured him to Brisbane with the Northern Suburbs club.
Inside two years Lowe had won a Brisbane premiership and his coaching career was off and running.
That's the time I first met Graham Lowe.
I was calling the grand final on radio and before the game I was allowed into a team meeting of the Norths side by Lowe to familiarise myself with the players in his side.
His stirring talk inspired me to think Norths - despite being despised outsiders - had a chance.
The opposition back in 1980 in the South Brisbane Magpies were youngsters like Mal Meninga, Dave Brown, Billy Johnston and Chris Phelan - all players embarking on outstanding careers.
Inspired by a young New Zealand lock named Mark Graham the Norths side sprang a big upset.
Lowe's deeds spread back across the Tasman, he was named Kiwi coach and I believe that is the time when the game took a massive leap forward in the Shaky Isles.
Looking at Lowe's development as a coach was Ken Arthurson and once Arko zeroed in on a target he rarely missed.
But Lowe was snared by Wigan boss Maurice Lindsay and their association was incredibly successful. It was during this time that Lowe had his greatest success - when he met and fell in love with a delightful and attractive Yorkshire lass - his wife Karen.
Karen Lowe refuses to accept defeat and has spent countless nights by her husband's bedside fighting back the tears and talking to her husband she was constantly told wouldn't come out of several of his comas.
"She never gave up and that made me stronger - my dad died young and I didn't want to leave my daughters Sara and Amy without a father," Lowe said.
Lowe's deeds during his Manly days are folklore.
He once turned up to a training session at North Head straight from his hospital bed and with 72 clips in his shaved head to keep the operation wounds together.
Another time he sat bolt upright in bed and stunned his family and friends by declaring: "If you bastards think you are here to see me die then it's going to be a long wait."
Locally based property developer, great mate and fellow Kiwi Steve Spillane tells of another Lowe hospital story.
He was on bedside duty with Karen Lowe when Lowey opened his eyes slowly and gradually came to.
"Once he knew where he was he tried to talk and obviously couldn't because of the tubes coming out of his mouth. He signalled for something to write with and we thought he was going write how much he loved Karen or missed me but he wrote - get these f....ng tubes out of my mouth!"
Lowe has renewed his close association with the Sea Eagles and has been instrumental in organising a $200,000 sponsorship deal with the giant development company, the Carpenter Group, in New Zealand.
Through Lowe's association with the company chief, David Henderson, a Sea Eagles Kiwi Connection training program has been set up to provide a pathway to the NRL through Manly, for talented youth in the Auckland and surrounding areas.
On November 1, more than 30 handpicked youngsters between 16 and 20 will attend the first weekly training session.
A team will be chosen to tour Manly early next season and Manly coach Des Hasler will take his NRL coaching staff and club legend Geoff Toovey to Auckland before the start of next year's NRL premiership.
The entire idea is Graham Lowe's.
It will ensure Manly again have a steady stream of outstanding Kiwis to carry on the tradition of Tony and Kevin Iro, Darryl Williams, Matthew Ridge, Craig Innes, James Leuleli, Mark Broadhurst and many others over the years.
Welcome back, Lowey!
25/10/2003
By Peter Peters - the Manly Daily
Zorba's View
JUST on 12 years ago Graham Lowe lapsed into five comas at Royal North Shore Hospital and during each his wife Karen was told he had no hope of survival and she should be prepared for the worst.
The then coach of the Manly Sea Eagles had collapsed at training with deep vein thrombosis, which was quickly followed up by several heart attacks, a stroke and the granddaddy of them all... a brain haemorrhage.
Graham Lowe had hardly had a sick day in his life before he joined Manly to further his brilliant coaching career which had taken him from struggle street on the south side of Auckland at Otahuhu to a premiership in Brisbane with Norths and then a glorious period with English club Wigan, which won 11 trophies in three years under the canny Kiwi.
Before Lowe arrived at Wigan the club had gone 25 years without a premiership trophy.
Graham Lowe returned to the northern beaches this week and fell in love with the area all over again.
"There were times when I never thought I would see this place again - it's one of the most beautiful areas in the world," Lowe said as he looked out towards the sea from Dee Why Beach.
The transformation in Graham Lowe is stunning.
His weight has dropped from, 100kg to 88kg and there isn't a week in his life now that he doesn't row 40km on his trusty rowing machine.
Just last month Lowey - at the age of 57, would you believe - became the proud father of twin boys Jack and Sam.
Of all the football clubs he has been associated with Lowe has a special spot for Manly and it is no coincidence that his new-born boys both have tiny Sea Eagle jerseys.
As a young five-eighth or centre back in Otahuhu he dreamed of playing in Australia with Manly who at the time were New Zealand's most popular footy side outside of the All Blacks.
A recurring shoulder injury saw him give the game away at 23 and after a break from the game he put his hand up to coach the under-I8s because no one else wanted the job.
Success came quickly for the then auto electrician and before long he was coaching Otahuhu's first grade side.
They lost just 10 games in four years before former Queensland coach Bob Bax lured him to Brisbane with the Northern Suburbs club.
Inside two years Lowe had won a Brisbane premiership and his coaching career was off and running.
That's the time I first met Graham Lowe.
I was calling the grand final on radio and before the game I was allowed into a team meeting of the Norths side by Lowe to familiarise myself with the players in his side.
His stirring talk inspired me to think Norths - despite being despised outsiders - had a chance.
The opposition back in 1980 in the South Brisbane Magpies were youngsters like Mal Meninga, Dave Brown, Billy Johnston and Chris Phelan - all players embarking on outstanding careers.
Inspired by a young New Zealand lock named Mark Graham the Norths side sprang a big upset.
Lowe's deeds spread back across the Tasman, he was named Kiwi coach and I believe that is the time when the game took a massive leap forward in the Shaky Isles.
Looking at Lowe's development as a coach was Ken Arthurson and once Arko zeroed in on a target he rarely missed.
But Lowe was snared by Wigan boss Maurice Lindsay and their association was incredibly successful. It was during this time that Lowe had his greatest success - when he met and fell in love with a delightful and attractive Yorkshire lass - his wife Karen.
Karen Lowe refuses to accept defeat and has spent countless nights by her husband's bedside fighting back the tears and talking to her husband she was constantly told wouldn't come out of several of his comas.
"She never gave up and that made me stronger - my dad died young and I didn't want to leave my daughters Sara and Amy without a father," Lowe said.
Lowe's deeds during his Manly days are folklore.
He once turned up to a training session at North Head straight from his hospital bed and with 72 clips in his shaved head to keep the operation wounds together.
Another time he sat bolt upright in bed and stunned his family and friends by declaring: "If you bastards think you are here to see me die then it's going to be a long wait."
Locally based property developer, great mate and fellow Kiwi Steve Spillane tells of another Lowe hospital story.
He was on bedside duty with Karen Lowe when Lowey opened his eyes slowly and gradually came to.
"Once he knew where he was he tried to talk and obviously couldn't because of the tubes coming out of his mouth. He signalled for something to write with and we thought he was going write how much he loved Karen or missed me but he wrote - get these f....ng tubes out of my mouth!"
Lowe has renewed his close association with the Sea Eagles and has been instrumental in organising a $200,000 sponsorship deal with the giant development company, the Carpenter Group, in New Zealand.
Through Lowe's association with the company chief, David Henderson, a Sea Eagles Kiwi Connection training program has been set up to provide a pathway to the NRL through Manly, for talented youth in the Auckland and surrounding areas.
On November 1, more than 30 handpicked youngsters between 16 and 20 will attend the first weekly training session.
A team will be chosen to tour Manly early next season and Manly coach Des Hasler will take his NRL coaching staff and club legend Geoff Toovey to Auckland before the start of next year's NRL premiership.
The entire idea is Graham Lowe's.
It will ensure Manly again have a steady stream of outstanding Kiwis to carry on the tradition of Tony and Kevin Iro, Darryl Williams, Matthew Ridge, Craig Innes, James Leuleli, Mark Broadhurst and many others over the years.
Welcome back, Lowey!
