Rugby league great Ian Walsh dies after long illness

[beecww]

I was at both finals games. In the major semi against souths Reg Gasnier made a half break and was ankle tapped by Bob Moses, half a metre and it would have been a tied game. Against Canterbury we lost the great Langlands and had to play with 12 men, but still formed a guard of honour for Canterbury after the game. What a club we are. I remember that about 2 minutes after the game the whole ground went completely quiet as if what was a due respect for the world's greatest ever sporting achievement. Ian Walsh should never be remembered for losing, but for providing us with one of the greatest ever efforts against great odds.

 

[Clevo]

I thought you fans would enjoy this Youtube clip

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo0t7S2cnaY

 

[TruSaint]

Brilliant, tear jerking stuff.
Walsh, Gaz, amazing.
Thank you my friend.

 

[Willow]

I thought you fans would enjoy this Youtube clip

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo0t7S2cnaY

The advice given by Walsh and Gasnier to the young players rings true today. Extraordinary how the basics haven't changed all that much, despite all the rule changes.

Thanks for the clip Clevo. Top stuff. :thumn

 

[Old_Timer]

Thank you Clevo, wonderful memories there.

 

[Drew-Sta]

Wow!

In that clip, at 2:10, is the seats at Carrs Park. I had my wedding pictures there in 2010. To think those steps were run by Abdul and his boys in 1967 is AMAZING!

Fantastic footage Clevo.

 

[Clevo]

I love my job... been trying to get a RL archive clip project happening to find gems like these. While I like the action in-game clips I do prefer these behind the scenes footage better. There's something homely about them.

Fell free to spread the link to the clips around. If I can generate some interest I can argue to turn the project into an official one. There's heaps of interesting stuff in the ABC Archives...spotted a reference to the 1943 Grand Final I don;t know where it came from (long before the ABC began broadcasting).

The thing that struck me most about Ian Walsh from these clips was how at ease he speaks. For a country lad Rugby League Footballer he doesn't fit the stereotype at all....you'd think he was a gentleman cricketer going by the Interview clip.

Glad by the reception so far...... and that info about Carrs Park will come in handy for when I start cataloguing all this footage I hope to share in the future.

 

[Willow]

spotted a reference to the 1943 Grand Final I don;t know where it came from (long before the ABC began broadcasting).

A newsreel clip? They were not broadcasting on TV (no one was) but the ABC were well established as the national broadcaster on radio. I imagine the ABC have been the go to corporation for a lot of archive material over the last 50+ years.

The thing that struck me most about Ian Walsh from these clips was how at ease he speaks. For a country lad Rugby League Footballer he doesn't fit the stereotype at all....you'd think he was a gentleman cricketer going by the Interview clip.

Glad by the reception so far...... and that info about Carrs Park will come in handy for when I start cataloguing all this footage I hope to share in the future.

Good stuff. Looking forward to more of it.

 

[jenninga]

I saw Ian's career with us from start to finish. He was a good old style hooker very much in the mould of Killer Kearney. I know he won a lot of scrums for us against the feed in the days when scrums were a contest. He was also a very tough man on the footy field and an absolute gentleman off it. If memory serves me well, I think Frank Facer brought him to the club from Eugowra in southern NSW. He served our club with distinction and much missed by us that had the privilege to see him play.
R.I.P. Ian.

Always enjoyed his columns in the telegraph,never sat on the fence unlike todays gutless columnists.

 

[tumbidragon]

Thanks for that Clevo, great stuff mate. Would love to see more old footage of the old boys