FOR 40 years, Brian Kenyon guarded the Dragons dressing room door like he was on the gate at Buckingham Palace.
"He wouldn't let the wind in," Nathan Brown put it last night after hearing the news of Brian's passing.
Brown reckons The Grand Kenyon was up there with the greatest Dragons who ever lived. Raper, Gasnier, Langlands ... "Greatest Dragon who never played," Brown explained.
Brian was a life member of the club after taking over as dressing room doorman in 1969 from his father Jack who also coached the Dragons to the club's first premiership in reserve grade in 1938. Jack started as the doorman in the 1950s.
You talk about family tradition: they say Brian was born red and white.
Brown says no one took his job more seriously.
"It didn't matter who came to the door," Brown recalled. "If the coach didn't want them in the room, they weren't coming in."
In fact, the only person who ever got by without a pass was the prime minister. "And [John Howard] was the Saints' No. 1 fan," Brown added.
"But it didn't matter if you were a Hall of Fame player or an under-21s player, he treated everyone how people should be treated.
"While he appeared to be this big, cranky man, deep down he had a heart of gold."
They still talk about Brown's final speech on the day he departed in 2008, which was also Brian's last day of work as it turned out.
It was at Brookvale Oval, after the Saints' loss to Manly.
Brown called everyone into the rooms, including Brian; they were all expecting the coach to talk about himself and the players.
Instead, the coach turned to the doorman, describing him as the Dragons' finest clubman.
Which is funny because that's how Brian used to describe Brown.
He once said: "I have always rated Johnny Raper as the best player I ever saw closely followed by Graeme Langlands ... Nathan is the best clubman."
This week Brian lost his battle with cancer, on Anzac Day, in the aftermath of the Dragons' victory over the Roosters.
Club officials got wind of Brian's deteriorating health after the game, so a couple of old mates got in their car and drove up to the Calvary Hospital on Jubilee Ave.
On the way they stopped by the St George Leagues Club at Kogarah to pick up the NRL premiership trophy.
They wanted to give big Brian one last look.
Brown added last night: "He treated people how people should be treated.
"Like I said, he was the greatest Dragon that never played."
Brian's funeral will be held at Woronora Crematorium today at 10am at the South Chapel, followed by a wake at St George Leagues Club.
