Crushers’ coach, Bob Lindner and Mario Fenech
It’s one of the worst games of football I have covered, and sadly it is remembered for only one thing – the original ‘Falcon’.
I’m referring to the Round 2 ARL match between the Parramatta Eels and South Queensland Crushers at Parramatta Stadium. Both sides were coming off First Round losses, Parramatta to neighbours, Penrith and the Crushers to Canberra.
It was the Crushers’ inaugural season in the big time, although a team of mainly fringe players had contested Brisbane’s XXXX Cup competition in 1994.
Mario Fenech, one of the game’s great warriors, was named club captain for 1995 and led the side against a Parramatta team captained by Test prop, Paul Dunn and coached by former Test forward, Ron Hilditch. Former Test lock, Bob Lindner, one of the all time great rugby league players, was in his rookie season as a coach, although he had had a brief spell as captain-coach of Oldham in England.
Lindner vowed to make changes after the 26-2 loss to Parramatta, particularly as the club had only been able to score one try in 160 minutes of first grade football.
South Queensland trailed only 4-2 at halftime against Parramatta, with Englishman, St John Ellis having landed a penalty while Chris Lawler had kicked two goals for the home side. But a try three minutes after the break when Parramatta hooker, Peter McPhail picked up the crumbs from a Lawler bomb, set the Eels on the way to a comfortable victory.
The rot set in with the Crushers continually turning over possession. Fullback, Danny Crnkovich scored in the 63rd minute after Crushers’ forward, Anthony Bella lost the ball. Lawler dashed over from the scrum base in the 71st minute and the final indignity came five minutes from the end when centre, David Woods intercepted a pass from British Test halfback, Mike Ford and raced 50 metres to score between the posts.
Lindner described the rate of the turnover of possession as ‘extraordinary”.
The Crushers and Eels played a 10-10 draw in reserve grade with a late penalty goal by Kiwi prop, Grant Young ensuring the Crushers escaped with a premiership point. Former Wallaby, Garrick Morgan was in the lead-up work for the Crushers’ tries scored by former Lismore Marist Brothers’ centre, David Krause and Penrith signing, Glen Liddiard.
The incident where Mario was hit in the head by the ball happened as Mario was jogging slowly to the sideline as an interchange player prepared to come on. Dummy half, Ray Herring, a former Bronco, threw the pass which became part of the folklore.
Footnote: Fenech was relegated to the bench during the week, with Lindner declaring that form would be the basis for selection, not reputation. Trevor Gillmeister took over as captain.
In his book ‘Personal Best’, written by his younger brother, Stephen, in 1992, Mario said the game of rugby league had given him untold pleasure and satisfaction despite the many challenges. Mario always had a good sense of humour – he wouldn’t have been part of Channel 9’s Footy show if he didn’t. But I can’t help but feel that the term ‘Falcon’ does him a disservice. Some scribes say it is unjust – even racist – that the controversial cricket run-out known as Mankad, should be named after Indian cricketer, Vinoo Mankad. Well, the term ‘Falcon’ is a play on ‘Maltese Falcon’, and Malta is the country where Mario was born – on November 11, 1961.
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