Wally OConnell 1951 to 1952

Thursday, 20 October 2005 05:00

Just after the World War 2, Rugby Leagues best player was a diminutive Eastern Suburbs player called Wally OConnell. Standing at just 5 4 and weighing in at 73 kgs he was one of the most feared defenders and creative backs in the game in fact it was reported at the time he did not miss a tackle for 3 seasons. The champion French team of the era called him Le Cannonball as a result his many massive hits he put them in test matches.

OConnell played in the 1945 tri colour premiership winning side and was
Just after the World War 2, Rugby Leagues best player was a diminutive Eastern Suburbs player called Wally OConnell. Standing at just 5 4 and weighing in at 73 kgs he was one of the most feared defenders and creative backs in the game in fact it was reported at the time he did not miss a tackle for 3 seasons. The champion French team of the era called him Le Cannonball as a result his many massive hits he put them in test matches.

OConnell played in the 1945 tri colour premiership winning side and was the Australian 5/8 in the 1948/49 Kangaroo tour of the UK and France.

The Manly Sea Eagles entered the Sydney Premiership in 1947 and after a few lean years their ambitious committee headed by Jack Munro saw Wally OConnell as the man to lead them to the top of the premiership. In todays terms it would be like Manly obtaining the services of Andrew Johns

The whole Manly community got behind the clubs attempt to buy the best player in the land and raffles were held in most local pubs, while supporters did bucket collections at Manly Wharf to raise the money required to lure OConnell across the bridge.

After discussing Manlys 350 pound offer with club stalwart Roy Bull on the test teams tour of New Zealand in 1949, OConnell accepted the chance to captain/coach the Sea Eagles in 1950.

However Eastern Suburbs decided to protest OConnells transfer to Manly based upon the residency rules that applied at the time. Players had to prove they actually lived in the district of the club they played for.

OConnell attended the board meeting that would determine his fate with all the required paper work to prove he now lived in Manly. The board which was stacked with either Eastern Suburbs officials or sympathises disregarded this evidence and asked for OConnell to produce evidence that his wife also lived in the district. Despite Wally not being advised that this information was required for the meeting, the board still demanded that unless this was immediately produced his transfer to Manly would not be allowed.

A mystified OConnell was unable to provide this and it was determined by the board that Wally must play for the Tri colours in 1950. However he was a man of great integrity and he gave his word he would be at the Eagles. This along with his belief that he was set up at the board meeting saw OConnell decide that he would sit out the 1950 season however he continued his agreement to coach the club.

Over the next 3 seasons Wally instilled great team spirit and will to win at the club while providing a solid game plan that took the club to the 1951 Grand Final against South Sydney. Due to injuries to key players the Eagles were easy pickings for the star studded Rabbitohs, while OConnell himself missed the game due to a broken arm he received in the preliminary final.

It was a remarkable achievement for the club to make a Grand Final in only its 5th season. OConnell lamented that he could not bring premiership glory to the peninsula and he sited lack of depth was the major cause of the 1951 grand final loss.

OConnells brilliant football career was even more extraordinary considering he played with a form of tunnel vision in both eye due to a childhood accident. He chose to keep his sight defect which affected his peripheral vision a secret from all but he closest friends and relatives to avoid being targeted by opposition players. This resulted in Wally unexpectedly dropping the ball on occasions however due to his revered stature in the game the players who passed him the ball were often blamed for the mistake.

In a trial match in 1952 he suffered a heavy head knock which resulted in damage to his eye and soon after decided to retire from the game to avoid long term risk of permanent blindness.

So after 34 games for the Sea Eagles in which he scored 11 tries, 8 games for NSW and 10 test matches for Australian, OConnell hung up his playing boots.

He was not lost to the game and immediately commenced a career in the media calling games for 2UW, he along with Frank Ryde on 2SM dominated the radio airwaves for over a decade.

In 1966 he decided that he would like one last crack at coaching when Eastern Suburbs approached him to coach their first grade team. However his 1951 team mate and now Sea Eagles secretary Ken Arthurson heard of OConnells pending return to the game and immediately approached him to become Manlys coach, with an offer which he gladly accepted.

The Sea Eagles had a very young side in 1966 with most players 25 years or younger. He looked to Fred Jones to become captain of the side, which caused some controversy as Jones was banned from the Leagues Club due to poor behaviour. However despite some strong reservations from the committee, Wally stood firm & appointed Fearless Freddy as skipper as he was a natural leader and popular with the other players.

The youngest Sea Eagle at the time was a Wollongong junior called Bob Fulton. OConnell saw plenty of potential in the young player and put Fulton straight into first grade at only 17 years of age. Fred Jones later said that it was Fulton that benefited most from the coaching of OConnell therefore it can be assumed that a lot of the credit must go to Wally for moulding Fulton into the Rugby League immortal he became. While another young player, Frank Stanton, also later proved he was a good learner of OConnells tactics and philosophies.

After 2 seasons coaching the club which included an appearance in the 1966 preliminary final, OConnell decided it was time to spend more time with his family and left the game with his head held high after a highly successful career on and off the field. When telling Ken Arthurson he was retiring, OConnell told him that lack of depth cost the Sea Eagles the premiership in 1951 and again in 1966/67 seasons and it must be improved if the club was to be successful. This was message Arthurson did not forget and he put a plan into play that would see the club win 4 premierships in the 1970s based upon OConnells stern advice and the team spirit and pride in club he built during the coaching tenure.

Wally OConnell is one of the foundation stones the club was built on and his contribution should never be forgotten. For without OConnell our greatest administrator (Arko), our greatest player (Bozo) and arguably our greatest coach (Stanton) may not have been a great as they turned out to be.

Wally OConnell a true Sea Eagle legend.

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