Tales of Old

Mario Fenech Against Canterbury Bulldogs in 1986

It was the first ever night time premiership game under brand new lights at Belmore Sports Ground in 1986.  Mario was involved in a fight in the opening minutes of this fiery encounter and was sin binned for 10 minutes. Several minutes later Lindsay Johnston was also sin binned. When Lindsay came into the dressing room Mario asked him what he was doing back in the rooms. Lindsay replied “I was sin binned” to which Mario responded “You’re a F..g Idiot for being sin binned”. Mario was sin binned again shortly after returning and spent 20 minutes of the first half off the field.

With about 20 minutes to go Mario was limping badly and coach George Piggins made the decision to replace him with Craig Weeks. Weeksy had been a regular on the first grade bench that season and was taken completely by surprise to be given the call to go on.

Craig warms up and then advises the linesman that he is to replace No. 12. The linesman waits for a break in play and when a scrum on the far side is being called by referee Bill Harrigan the linesman heads out with Weeksy.  As they are half way across the field Mario spots Craig on his way out and yells out “What the F… are you doing Weeksy…F… Off”. The linesman advises Harrigan that they’re here to replace No. 12. Mario walks the other way saying he won’t go when David Boyle say’s “I’ll go then”. Harrigan stops the clock and tells Mario he has to go off and he won’t start the game until he is gone.

Mario then heads to the side line and in front of the Channel Ten camera live on Monday night football says to the Souths reserve bench “Where’s George”. The bench tells Mario that George is upstairs in the coaches box. Mario wasn’t too happy to hear this as live on national TV he say’s “Ah F..k me dead” and then storms off down the tunnel with Jeff Fenech along side of him.

This match was dubbed “The Battle Of Belmore” with South Sydney ending up winning the game. The Rabbitoh’s leap frog Canterbury on the ladder that night to take top spot on the table.

Paul Judd’s Big Night Out With His Dad “Smokey” in 1988

It was the final competition game of the season at the Sydney Football Stadium in 1988. South Sydney were playing St George in Reserve Grade and neither team could make the semi finals so it was everyone’s last game of the year. Twenty minutes before kick off and there was still no sign of South’s lock Paul Judd. The coach Rod “Bull” Gorman looks at Juddy’s best mate Craig Weeks and asks “Where’s Juddy”. Craig mumbles something that leads Bull to believe that Juddy is in fact there. With around 7 minutes to go before kick off Juddy sneaks in and Weeksy quietly tells him he had better get changed quickly and to let Bull think that he had indeed been there all along.

A scrum is packed early on in the match and Juddy takes his place in at lock. Very quickly there are complaints from both South’s & St George players as the strong smell of bourbon works its way through the scrum.  Several of the players ask the question “Jesus who’s been drinking”. Juddy quickly informs the other eleven blokes in the scrum that it was him and that he had been out drinking with his Dad “Smokey” all night coming straight from Kings Cross.

Not long before half time Juddy gets into an altercation with the giant St George front rower Jason Hoogerwerf who towers 12 inches over him. Hoogerwerf is landing big hay makers into Juddy’s head when Craig Weeks decides to race in and help his mate. Hoogerwerf then focuses his attention on to Weeksy and lands a sickening head butt that splits Craig wide open across the eye brow. Nathan Gibbs has to put 10 stitches into Weeksy’s melon and tells him he can take no further part in the game.

Juddy comes in at half time and heads straight over to Weeksy saying “Thanks for taking the bashing for me mate”. I am sure we would all agree that everyone wishes they had a mate as generous and kind as Craig Weeks.

Sadly this was Juddy’s last game for South’s as he was involved in a car accident later that year which ended his football career.

What Are We Doing Here – You Will Be Sent Off If You Don’t Come Back & Play

South’s were playing Wests in Reserve Grade at the SCG in 1986 in what was an absolute mud bath. The veteran Wests front rower John Donnelly is coming back from a suspension and is given the final 10 minutes in the Reserve Grade match. Not long after Dallas arrives on the field a scrum is packed in this steaming quagmire that was the playing surface. They form the scrum and Dallas say’s to everyone “What the F..k are we doing here why don’t we go and have a drink instead”.  This question started some healthy debate in the srcum and it was then that the South’s captain Col Murphy thought Dallas was onto something. Col replied “I agree Dallas let’s go and have a beer mate”. Col pulled his head out of the scrum and both he and Dallas start walking towards the members stand. The referee didn’t exactly know what to do and immediately blew for the clock to stop play. The ref then warned both of them that he would send them off unless they came back and played.

Male Rabbitoh Captain Tee’s Up Meeting With Canberra Raiders Cheer Girls

At Seiffert Oval, Queanbeyan in 1986 Coles Murphy was the captain of South’s Reserve Grade team. As the sides head back out for the second half the Raiders cheer girls form an entrance and start to do their cheer girl stuff. The Canberra team come out first and go through the middle of the girls which was how it was normally done. Col Murphy then leads out his South’s players and he decided to dart to the left and go behind the cheer girls. Col then pinched every one of them on the back side and turned around. With a wink of the eye and blowing each of them a kiss Col said “See you all after the game girls”.