News: Afternoon of hot dogs and heroes

[ManlyBacker]

<p>AFTER covering the NRL, State of Origin and Test matches for nearly 25 years, you can forget what rugby league at the grassroots is truly like.</p>
<p><img src="http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2010/07/05/1225887/786458-solomon-haumono.jpg" border="0" alt="Solomon Haumono" width="316" height="237" /></p>
<div class="story-body lead-media-small" />
<div class="article-media article-media-small media-count-1 first-image-316w237h" />
<div />
<div class="image " />
<p class="caption"><em><span class="caption-text">Blast from the past...Solomon Haumono hits the ball up for Valley United against Forestville. Picture: Brett Costello </span><span class="image-source">Source: The Daily Telegraph</span></em></p>


<a href="http://silvertails.net/news/4920-afternoon-of-hot-dogs-and-heroes.html">Read the full article</a>

 

[Bradza]

Ahh the memories......Good old Ferretville oval! I went to primary school up the hill from the oval and kicked a few footys over the goal posts there as an 8 yr old. What a great mascot - the ferret!
20-12 is a good effort from them - they haven't won a game this year & Valley are coming first. This was Glen Ryan's (Glowtop) old club.

 

[Andrew..]

Ahh the memories......Good old Ferretville oval! I went to primary school up the hill from the oval and kicked a few footys over the goal posts there as an 8 yr old. What a great mascot - the ferret!
20-12 is a good effort from them - they haven't won a game this year & Valley are coming first. This was Glen Ryan's (Glowtop) old club.

Not being pedantic (just showing my age) wasn't Glen Ryan..Glowhead.

 

[Bradza]

Glowhead sounds right now that you say it. On reflection I think his first name was spelt with two n's as well. Sorry Fro.

For those too young, Glenn Ryan was a hard running backrower for us from 1983 to 1990 and had almost white blond hair.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Growing up in Moree (country NSW) this was what Sunday football was like week in and week out. It was a "tradition" to go to the football about lunchtime on Sunday, have a few beers, a few hot dogs  and watch the locals go around (all of whom you knew). Occasionally you'd get a good side and they won some games, but even if they lost you had fun and at the end of the day who really cared.

Sadly the NRL has largely forgotten about country RL, they get zero funding and struggle to put sides together let alone travel the 100's of Kms' needed every second weekend.

The Moree Boars travel to Tamworth (600 Kms round trip), Werris Creek (700 Km round trip), Gunnedah (400 Km round trip), Wee Waa (300 Km round trip) and Narrabri (200Km round trip) and no one gets paid, in fact sometimes they are putting money in to pay the bus just to get to a game.

It's really sad that the NRL gets gazillions for the game, and almost not a zack goes to the bush where the game is fast being taken over by AFL....crazy isn't it!!

 

[eggson]

Ahh the memories......Good old Ferretville oval! I went to primary school up the hill from the oval and kicked a few footys over the goal posts there as an 8 yr old. What a great mascot - the ferret!
20-12 is a good effort from them - they haven't won a game this year & Valley are coming first. This was Glen Ryan's (Glowtop) old club.

You went to Forestville PS?  I grew up in Killarney!

 

[Bradza]

Yeah eggson, grew up in Forestville and now living in Curl Curl.
Didn't Dean Ritchie go to Killarney High? I remember him do columns for the North Shore Times when he was just a young kid.

 

[Normie]

I went to Forestville Primary too! Was there until I went to Forest High in 1981. A lot of friends went to Killarney High and Dean Ritchie was in their year - Year 12 1986! He was also a frequent visitor to the Forestville RSL......

 

[eggson]

Haha good times!

 

[Bradza]

He was also a frequent visitor to the Forestville RSL......

and still is I believe........(although I haven't set foot in there for about 15 years myself)

 

[Cameron]

Ahh the memories......Good old Ferretville oval! I went to primary school up the hill from the oval and kicked a few footys over the goal posts there as an 8 yr old. What a great mascot - the ferret!
20-12 is a good effort from them - they haven't won a game this year & Valley are coming first. This was Glen Ryan's (Glowtop) old club.

your right bradza theres nothing like giving the ferret a run on a sunday arvo

 

[Guest]

Glowhead sounds right now that you say it. On reflection I think his first name was spelt with two n's as well. Sorry Fro.

For those too young, Glenn Ryan was a hard running backrower for us from 1983 to 1990 and had almost white blond hair.

.. he was a no name in a team of stars buts produced week in week out with the big names of the team back then... a little like how david mule hoskings , john jones & david o`donnell were in the 90`s with all the stars we had i could probably put cunningham in that list also of no names playing like superstars

 

[Utility Player]

Growing up in Moree (country NSW) this was what Sunday football was like week in and week out. It was a \"tradition\" to go to the football about lunchtime on Sunday, have a few beers, a few hot dogs  and watch the locals go around (all of whom you knew).

Did you go to many Boomerang games Mark?

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

Stuff turning up and seeing those blokes on the opposite side of the park

I played last season and used to **** myself when I saw 3-4 115kg+ Samoans ready to rumble, would say my prayers before returning each kick off haha

 

[Canteen Worker]

[quote author=Mark from Brisbane link=topic=183863.msg271653#msg271653 date=1278291911]
Growing up in Moree (country NSW) this was what Sunday football was like week in and week out. It was a \"tradition\" to go to the football about lunchtime on Sunday, have a few beers, a few hot dogs  and watch the locals go around (all of whom you knew).

Did you go to many Boomerang games Mark?
[/quote]I was born in Moree but did my high school in Tamworth. In those days West Tamworth murdered the rest of group 4 most years, though a young forward from Gunnedah made life miserable for a lot of the teams. Name was Dallas Donnelly. One of my best memories was watching Noel and Les Cleal in the centres for Northern Division scare the hell out of the touring English side and flog them by about 40 to 20 at Scully Park. Did a few school trips to Moree and did pretty well - Glen Innes were our strongest rivals and we won the Uni Shield in 78. Mark - you are spot on about local footy and the country. Whether it be in Sydney or the bush, it is in parlous condition and must be looked after or it will die.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Yes Utility went to a few of the Boomies games, they were certainly exciting to watch....and yes CW remember all those times....my last year in high school was 1973, and Moree won the Uni Shield that year...played in Newcastle, v Forbes High....was at the game. Current CRL head Terry Quinn (who played for the Panthers for a bit) was in that side...sadly I was never god enough to be in the side. I know Noel and Les very well from their days with the Warialda Wombats.

 

[Berkeley_Eagle]

Just on local leagues, if you thought NRL refs were bad you should see some of the nuffies that ref these games

 

[Ryan]

I used to play 1/2 back (no surprises) for Macarthur Anglican, and we used to face school like St Gregs, who at the time had blokes like Jason Taylor running around for them.

We were pretty much middle of the pack winning % wise most years, and our school (when I wasn't playing) made the television (Channel 9) once - I think against St Patricks College???.

Used to love league with the boys. The same group of guys played Union as well, and whilst it is extremely droll to watch / follow / support (union), I believe it was much more fun to play (union)!! That being said, I can't even have Union as a "pass by" channel, as it sends me to sleep.

 

[Garts]

Ryan is Macarthur Anglican anything to do with MacCarthy College?  I remember playing them and I think the school had recently changed names. Our Penrith way as they had all Panthers players in their side and Gower was the captain the year before.  We made the Comm Bank Cup semis that year, got 3 TV games in our run.  Played before 1st grade at Bruce Stadium and got spanked 55 nil, haha.  Pretty embarrasing. 

 

[Canteen Worker]

Macarthur Anglican is at Cobbitty/Camden, MacCarthy is at Penrith and is a Catholic College. They were the boom schoolboy side for a few years - not sure what they call it now, if they have changed the name.