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VIDEO CLIPS - View St Helens famous South African Flyer, Tom Van Vollenhoven Try - set up by Alex Murphy and Alan Prescott. "How good is Murphy?"
To view just click the Link below
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5ctXMD8BjE

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This was the match where the British captain Alan Prescott broke his arm in the 3rd minute of the match and continued to play for the whole game.

In the 29th minute David Bolton the GB stand-off broke his clavicle and took no further part in the match and Vince Karalius moved from loose forward to stand off. Vince took quite a few dumpings but at half time Britain led 10 -2.

This is how Tom MItchell decribed the GB dressing room at that half-time break, " The British dressing room - all unbowed. Fitness of almost a supernatural quality was beginning to tell. I sat down beside the Captain. His arm merely carried several folds of bandaging. The doctor in attendance at the game was summoned. His verdict was a positive one, "This man cannot continue - and it must not be considered". But when the team rose to go out Alan led them. If he hadn't done so the game was over - the Quest for the Ashes blown away. He switched places with prop McTigue when he thought it was better to do so. He gathered the ball, he ran, he dictated the pattern of play and he tackled well with his good arm. Only those present at the game had any idea of the man's naked courage.

The team went out with Karalius at the far side of the dressing room still on the bench. "Vinty we are out. Come on" "Sorry, Thomas, can't - it's me back". I got in behind him and did enough to get him standing up. Slowly across the room to the sunlit opening leading to the pitch - then a step or two and like a boxer getting up after a knockdown, he teetered with a push onto the arena, gaining movement with every stride. Without him on the field the position was the same as the Captain - certain defeat. How he stood up to the first ten minutes I will never know as my eyes steered their gaze from him to Prescott. As I write this 39 years on I permit myself a heartfelt "Phew! No Ashes! No basking in the future unending sunshine of happening to be there as Team Manager."

Great Britain went on to win the match 25 - 18 and went on to win the Third Test 40 - 17 to clinch the Ashes.

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A story about an incident involving big Jim Mills and Bill Ashurst, when Karalius was coaching Wigan

First against Wigan at homein aleague game in the 1970's. Bill Ashurst, no small man himself riled Jim until Jim just took matters in his own hands. He was dispatched with a punch or two, at a play the ball I think. Mills walked Ashurst was carried off on a stretcher out cold. It is alleged on his return to the living he said" Vinty can get someone else to rile him next time!" Karalius was coaching Wigan at the time.

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You have a picture showing Andy Greg and Kurt
Sorensen scrapping with gentleman Mick Adams looking on!!
viking means this one "Quigs"
Ironically all 3 played for the Widnes club in the UK!! Are we the hardest club? we
also had Vinty Karalius, Jim Mills and Kevin Tamati... whilst our Hulme
brothers were labelled by gary freeman as the dirtiest men he'd ever
played against. And he should know!!More recently Penrith Rock Steve
Carter played for us too. Hail to the Chemics.. the Worlds hardest team.

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I remember vinny on and off the field, as a friend of my family and he scared me just looking at him. He used to tell me he lost his finger in a fight when someone bit it off.

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Seen both boyd and sorenson play first hand and both were ferocious competitors, but even as a widnes fan and it erk's me to say it about an ex warrington player boyd just edges the hard man award for me.

however i did not have the pleasure of seeing Karalius play in the flesh but the stories i have heard about vinty lead me to believe he was a bit of an animal.

However i did speak to him on the phone once (1983) when i was junior player (a mutual family friend had arranged the call)

I had a big game the following week and i asked him what his secret was.

He was real gentleman (on the phone anyway) and then after a long chat he simply said his secret was always try your best and oh eat plenty of cream cakes the night before the match

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I watched Vinny Karalius as a youngster,he was the toughest player I have ever seen but was seldom dirty.

As for being mad he tells in his autobiography about the time that he thought it would be fun to jump from the Widnes to Runcorn bridge

[to you Australians England's answer to the Sydney Harbour bridge]

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Karalius was coach at Wigan in the 70's.

There was some dispute over wages by the players and there was some muttering behind Karalius' back.

After training, Karalius confronted the whole team and said he was stepping outside in the corridor.

He said that he would fight more than one Wiganer at a time and all they had to do was follow him outside.

He waited in the corridor for 5-10 minutes and nobody appeared.

Eventually the door opened and Jimmy Hornby ( a winger) appeared.

Somewhat surprised Karalius looked at him and the winger said "Actually I'm from Billinge, is it okay if I go?"

Got this story from 'Blood, sweat and tears' a book about the rise of Wigan in the early 80's

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Les Boyd must have been very easy to wind up due to the nature of his 'girlie' voice.

Mills was a cross section of hard and mad.

But hardest Pom has to be VK and Ray Price always put his body on the line, especially those bandaged knees.

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Watched Vinty play for Saints many times. Hardest man ever on the field, quiet and very modest off it.

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Owd Vinty is in an old Saint Helens team photo on the wall of a pub near me. He is bigger than any one else on the photo by miles.

When he was playin for Widnes him and a guy by the name of Mick Addams lined up at a scrum. Castleford was the opponants on the wrong end of it all. As the scrum packe the young up and comin Half Back for Cas walked over. Mick only been small told him that every time he touched the ball him and Vinty where gunna kill him.

A bit cocky and a bit green around the ears the said cheeky boy replyed "Yer! And whos this Vinty then?" Just the he stood up out the back of the scrum.

The young number 7 lernt qucikly that day and said he bairly touched it all day.

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Fraser, his elbow ballooning to three times normal size, landed a goal to put the game out of reach. Later he, Karalius, Challinor and Prescott joined Bolton in the emergency ward at Brisbane General.

From Memorable Match No 17 - Click here to read more

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