Rod Wishart
Australian second rower, Paul Sironen was sent from the field by referee, Colin Morris from Huddersfield in the Kangaroos’ 32-14 win over English club side, St Helens at Knowsley Road.
Sections of the British media made a big deal of the fact Sironon was a former policeman, and perhaps should have been setting a better example. The tall Balmain forward was sent off for alleged use of the elbow on St Helens’ second rower, Sonny Nickle, a member of the Great Britain touring party in Ausrtralia two years earlier. Sironen and Nickle had been into each other almost from the kick-off.
The Kangaroos’ star performer was winger, Rod Wishart, who took his points tally in five tour games to 96, with a try and six goals.
St Helens, coached by former Test centre, Eric Hughes, defended courageously with the Kangaroos leading only 12-8 at halftime. But the tourists scored three tries to one after the resumption, and turned on some brilliant football.
Captained by halfback, Kevin Walters, Australia’s starting side included fellow Bronco, winger, Wendell Sailor on his first tour with the national side. Sailor, Wishart, Tim Brasher, Andrew Ettingshausen, Jason Smith and Wishart were the other try scorers.
St Helens were missing Alan Hunte, Bobby Goulding and Chris Joynt, who were in camp with the Great Britain side. They still managed to field a strong 13 which included former Welsh rugby union centre, Scott Gibbs; another Welsh international, Anthony Sullivan; Kiwi Test halfback, Shane Cooper; former Samoan World Cup rugby union forward, Apollo Perelini and Australian, Phil Veivers from Brisbane Souths.
Gibbs, who had only switched from rugby union in April that year, was on a high after facing the Kangaroos twice in 48 hours, as he had also played for Wales against the tourists at Ninian Park, Cardiff, a match won 46-4 by Australia.
“It was a massive game, and we (St Helens) didn’t back down,” he said. “Players like Sony Nickle and Jon Neill really gave it to their big forwards. In the end their big guns started firing. But it was still a great evening.”
St Helens’ try scorers were Bernard Dwyer and Andy Haigh, while Tommy Martyn kicked three goals.
I was leading a supporters’ tour in the UK, but we did not attend this match as we were in Scotland.
St Helens’ coach, Eric Hughes is a friend of mine, and during the tour I took my group to the pub in rural Cheshire run by Eric and his wife, Jacki.
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