Wally Prigg (left) and Dave Brown
Australia’s tackling style came under the microscope after their first two matches of their British tour, under the captaincy of Frank McMillan from Sydney Wests.
The Kangaroos defeated St Helens Recreation Club 13-9 in the opening match of the tour, and then accounted for another Lancashire outfit, Leigh 16-7, four days later, after Leigh led 7-5 at halftime.
Twice in the match against Leigh, a touch judge came in to report Australian players for what was referred to as “double tackling” a rival. Frank Curran (South Sydney) and Dan Dempsey (Tivoli, Ipswich) were the ‘culprits’ in the first instance, and were penalised by Mr Loughlin, from Bramley, in Yorkshire.
Vic Hey (Sydney Wests) scored Australia’s try of the match, backing up winger, Fred ‘Firpo’ Neumann (Brisbane Valleys), who threw a lovely pass back in-field as the cover converged. Leigh’s only try was a beauty, with Billy Stringman crossing after he fielded a well placed kick, and beat his rival, Neumann for pace. Harry Meadows landed the conversion from the sideline.
Australian centre, Dave Brown showed signs of things to come with his elusive running.
Australian Team Manager, Harry Sunderland, who also covered the tour for ‘The Courier-Mail’, wrote that before the tour was over there could be many cases of linesmen coming in against the visitors and “other happenings which worry a young touring side.”
Another Australian correspondent, Claude Corbett described the Australians’ play as ragged, and not up to the standard of international teams.
It seems the same could be said for the referee.
“Many of the rulings astounded the Australians,” Corbett wrote. “The crowd laughed occasionally, when the referee pulled the game up for allegedly forward passing.” (He would probably get a job in the NRL).
Halfway through the second half, over 1,000 unemployed men, who were cluttered around the gates, were admitted to the ground at a reduced price. At kick-off, 4,900 spectators had paid full price for admission. The Great Depression was in full swing, and Lancashire was arguably hardest hit in the UK, largely because the cotton mills were grinding to a halt, in the face of cheap overseas products.
The match against S Helens Recreation (a side picked from work places, in particular Pilkington Glass Works) was a struggle, with the ‘Recs’ leading 6-3 at halftime, in front of an appreciative crowd of 8,880. Australia’s class showed in the second half, with a highlight a 70-metre run by Cliff Pearce (North Tamworth), which resulted in a try to Arthur Folwell from Newtown in Sydney.
While tackling was a problem in the Leigh match, it was the fend of Sid ‘Joe’ Pearce (Sydney Easts) which caused dramas at St Helens, the referee (Mr Peel) twice penalising him for the ferocity of his method of getting rid of potential tacklers.
Both teams stood in silence for two minutes before the game, in memory of Ray Morris, with the band playing the hymn, ‘Silver Hill’. Morris, a dashing outside back with the Sydney University club, had died in Valetta, Malta, on the journey to the UK. He suffered a ruptured ear drum, during a boxing bout on board the SS Jervis Bay. The ear drum became infected after Morris went for a swim in a pool in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) on a stop over.
The Australian team was based at Ilkley in Yorkshire, for the 37-match tour, which included three Tests against Great Britain and one against Wales. Australia lost the Test series against Britain 3-0, but beat Wales. The Kangaroos also played an exhibition game against England, in Paris, winning 63-13, in a superb display, featuring immaculate handling. Kangaroo tourist, Wally Prigg (Newcastle) had the honour of scoring the first rugby league try on French soil. The match proved an inspiration to local rugby enthusiasts, who launched the inaugural French Rugby League Championship the following autumn.
Earlier in the year, Australia’s rugby union Wallabies toured South Africa, losing a five Test series 3-2. L H Kearney, a noted rugby league scribe, covered the Wallabies’ tour for ‘The Courier-Mail’.
FOOTNOTE: Derek Schlyder has published a book written by rugby league legend, Duncan Thompson, 50 years ago. Schlyder, a long time fan of Thompson’s, has published the book free of charge and Duncan’s descendants have gifted copyright of the book to the Toowoomba Rugby League. The book has finally been published thanks to the determination of Thompson’s grand children and the assistance of Schlyder. The cost of the book is $20, and all proceeds will be shared equally between Toowoomba Rugby League and the Western Clydesdales club. The book can be purchased through the Clydesdales Shop
About Author
St. Helens Recs were once a professional outfit, and had a big rivalry with Saints for a long time. Their City Road ground remained in use as a Pilkington sports facility until about 10 years ago, before being redeveloped got housing. The club survives, as Pilkington Recs, at Ruskin Drive, another former works facility.