When Manfred was the man
February 10, 2007
It is 30 years since Newtown's daring import briefly lit up league, writes Michael Cowley.
IT MAY not hold the significance of the Super League war, nor the stature of the birth of State of Origin. But it will forever have its place in rugby league folklore.
Any fan who was around at the time will have their memory jolted by the mere mention of the name … Manfred Moore. He played just five games of rugby league, but his impact still lingers.
It is 30 years since Moore made his debut for Newtown against Western Suburbs. He was the American football player brought to Australia by Jets secretary Frank Farrington, their former coach Jack Gibson and No.1 supporter John Singleton.
Whether it was because the US seemed a lot further away than it does today, or because we wanted to see if a player from "their game" could compete in "our game", or whether it was simply the novelty of it all, Moore's appearance at Newtown captured the imagination of all.
"No, it's not 30 years," Moore said from Los Angeles this week. "Thirty is a big number. No, I'm denying that. It seems like only yesterday to me, the memories are so fresh.
"I still have a number of pictures from back then, and I remember the event so clearly. It touched my life. After the first game the young kids ran onto the field, were crowding all around me and wanting to pat me on the back. The caption on the photo in the newspaper said, 'Like a rock star', and that's the way it felt."
Moore recalled the origins of a deal which at the time seemed nothing more than one of Singo's publicity stunts. After two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, Moore, a running back, moved to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1976. Fortunately for him, after 13 straight defeats the Bucs traded Moore to Oakland, where he was a member of their 1977 Super Bowl-winning team.
But the wheels had already been set in motion. Farrington had been in contact with the 49ers looking for a player that would suit league. Out of the blue Moore got a call from his former coach Dick Nolan, asking if he wanted to go to Australia to play football.
"I thought, 'Hey, great I can play football in the United States, sure I can go and play football in Australia'. Then Dick stopped me and said: 'No, no, no, no. It's rugby'," Moore recalled.
"I had played rugby one time in college between football seasons, so I didn't really hesitate … I came down there and started meeting some of the guys and they showed me a few things, and I saw a match on film and then I said, 'OK, I'm come this far I may as well go all the way'."
With just a month to prepare before the season, Moore set about learning rugby league. Despite much criticism, he was selected to play against Wests at Henson Park on March 20, 1977.
Successful? You could say that. He scored a try when he leapt high over two Magpies to gather a bomb, the Jets won 17-10 and the crowd of 8743 "sounded like 50,000", according to one report.
Another said: "Manfred Moore is fast becoming Australia's most glamorous sportsman."
It was a stunt at half-time that caused the wildest cheers. As the team made their way to the sheds, Farrington approached with two footballs under his arms.
Moore recalls their exchange.
Farrington: "I want you to toss it over the stadium [grandstand]."
Moore: "You want WHAT! I'm not a quarterback."
Farrington: "Oh, give it a try."
"All the people wanted to see me try it, so I took the first ball, and I backed up a little bit like a javelin thrower, and then threw it. It went up and up and then, all of a sudden, it went down … into the stand. I was so embarrassed. It was like I was an embarrassment to my country, to African Americans, my family and the NFL football teams I'd played on. Then Frank said: 'That's OK, mate,' and he tossed me the second ball.
"I put my head down and said: 'Lord, help me!' I backed up again, and I threw it, and that ball took off, it was a perfect spiral and it spiralled up and up and over and out of the stadium and the crowd went crazy."
Moore would play four more games. In the last one, against Cronulla, he was kicked in the head and needed nine stitches.
"I started towards the sideline and they said, 'No, you've got to get back in there'. I thought, OK, if I'm going to die I'm going to take someone with me. I went back out and I tackled their star player. My head drove into his ribs and he was lying on the ground and … he was in such pain and I felt so bad. I was ready to retire from sports after that."
He returned to the US and played one more season with Minnesota. He has not been back to Australia since, but hopes the Jets might invite him next year for their 100th birthday.
After football he worked in real estate and finance. He is head deacon at the Christ Memorial Church, San Fernando, whose pastor, the gospel singer Andrae Crouch, has won nine Grammys - impressive, but his deacon is still the only NFL player to play first-grade rugby league in Australia.
For true believers, Newtown play North Sydney in a Premier League trial match at Henson Park tonight, 6pm.
