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This one's for Sludge
ZORBA
25mar06 STEVE Rogers will be in illustrious company in that great grandstand in the sky when his beloved Sharks do battle with Manly at Brookvale Oval tonight.
The seaside rivals will be playing for the Steve Rogers Memorial Trophy for the first time following the death of the former Cronulla and Test great in January.
To ensure his career as a player and official is preserved, the boards of both the Sharks and the Sea Eagles have agreed that the clubs will play for a trophy named after Sludge Rogers every time the great rivals meet in an NRL match.
That would have pleased Rogers who appreciated the occasions when the two clubs met.
Rogers is perhaps the greatest player not to win a premiership.
In his only grand final appearances - in 1973 and 1978 - he was up against champion Manly teams.
In his first grand final in 1973 he was a teenager with stars in his eyes and magic in his feet.
Unfortunately for him and the Sharks there was an opposition centre by the name of Bob Fulton who was at the peak of his powers and his two brilliant tries were enough to ensure the J.J. Giltinan Shield was headed across the Harbour and Spit Bridges.
By the time Rogers made another grand final he was firmly established as one of the best centres in the game and Fulton was more times than not his Test match centre partner.
Fulton left Manly in 1978 but a young and powerful Sea Eagles side, coached by cranky Frank Stanton and led by Max Krilich overcame all the odds to win replay matches and a replay grand final ... again against the Sharks.
When Rogers went away on the Kangaroo tour in October 1978 he was surrounded by eight Sea Eagles in the touring side.
He roomed with Max Krilich and became great friends with his old foe Fulton.
Krilich would dole out Rogers's touring wages to prevent the star centre from losing his money gambling.
Krilich will be at Brookvale Oval tonight to pay tribute to his old touring mate.
``He was a wonderful player and a champion bloke - there aren't many backs today who would hold a candle to Sludge when it came to skills and speed,'' Krilich said.
Rogers will have a couple of elite Sea Eagles with him in that grandstand in the sky.
In the Manly side in the 1973 grand final were a couple of all time greats in winger Ken Irvine and prop John O'Neill.
Irvine remains the greatest try scoring winger of all time in Australia and O'Neill was one of the toughest, roughest props to take the field.
Like Steve Rogers they left us far too early in life.
But I bet my old jockstrap they will be side by side looking on tonight like three proud peacocks in a row.
Enjoy old mates.
ZORBA
25mar06 STEVE Rogers will be in illustrious company in that great grandstand in the sky when his beloved Sharks do battle with Manly at Brookvale Oval tonight.
The seaside rivals will be playing for the Steve Rogers Memorial Trophy for the first time following the death of the former Cronulla and Test great in January.
To ensure his career as a player and official is preserved, the boards of both the Sharks and the Sea Eagles have agreed that the clubs will play for a trophy named after Sludge Rogers every time the great rivals meet in an NRL match.
That would have pleased Rogers who appreciated the occasions when the two clubs met.
Rogers is perhaps the greatest player not to win a premiership.
In his only grand final appearances - in 1973 and 1978 - he was up against champion Manly teams.
In his first grand final in 1973 he was a teenager with stars in his eyes and magic in his feet.
Unfortunately for him and the Sharks there was an opposition centre by the name of Bob Fulton who was at the peak of his powers and his two brilliant tries were enough to ensure the J.J. Giltinan Shield was headed across the Harbour and Spit Bridges.
By the time Rogers made another grand final he was firmly established as one of the best centres in the game and Fulton was more times than not his Test match centre partner.
Fulton left Manly in 1978 but a young and powerful Sea Eagles side, coached by cranky Frank Stanton and led by Max Krilich overcame all the odds to win replay matches and a replay grand final ... again against the Sharks.
When Rogers went away on the Kangaroo tour in October 1978 he was surrounded by eight Sea Eagles in the touring side.
He roomed with Max Krilich and became great friends with his old foe Fulton.
Krilich would dole out Rogers's touring wages to prevent the star centre from losing his money gambling.
Krilich will be at Brookvale Oval tonight to pay tribute to his old touring mate.
``He was a wonderful player and a champion bloke - there aren't many backs today who would hold a candle to Sludge when it came to skills and speed,'' Krilich said.
Rogers will have a couple of elite Sea Eagles with him in that grandstand in the sky.
In the Manly side in the 1973 grand final were a couple of all time greats in winger Ken Irvine and prop John O'Neill.
Irvine remains the greatest try scoring winger of all time in Australia and O'Neill was one of the toughest, roughest props to take the field.
Like Steve Rogers they left us far too early in life.
But I bet my old jockstrap they will be side by side looking on tonight like three proud peacocks in a row.
Enjoy old mates.
