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Neville's playing stats from his years with Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs
Neville HORNERY
Career: 1970-72

Career Record with Doggies
Season - Games - Tries - Goals - F-Goals - Points
1970 ____ 20 ____ 3 ____ 0 _____ 0 ______ 9 __

1971 ____ 13 ____ 2 ____ 0 _____ 5 ______ 11 _

1972 ____ 12 ____ 1 ____ 0 _____ 1 _______ 4 _

Total ____ 45 ____ 6 ____ 0 _____ 6 ______ 24 _

I was talking to a young mate of mine ---- at the time --- who faced up to neville hornery in the twilight of his career with wynnum brisbane.

when i asked him what was that like he explained that when he first saw him approaching he yelled at top voice ---- HELP MUM HELP --- he said not only was he tough,but he used to roll his eyes --- just like many madmen do!!!

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Hornery was a classic. A true 'mad as a cut snake' character.

He and legendary Brisbane coach Henry Holloway are the only 2 people ever to have had their applications for membership refused to be accepted at the (Name censored here) club .....

there was good reason for this ....

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Hornery once got one weeks suspension for every punch he threw in one scrum: total 9 weeks

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Neville Hornery
I saw him make his first grade debut - in 1967 for Wests against the touring France World Cup team.

He was brought in to replace the injured Jim Cody.

The game ended in an 11-all draw.

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I had followed the Hornet's career with great interest over the years, oved his style and was a huge fan.

I was excited to find myself lining up against him at the very twilight of his career in the Ipswich competition.

It was Nev's first game (for Swifts I think) and he was playing lock. I was a young, reasonably quick winger and early on in the match was put away, beat the fullback and thought I was over for a ripping 50 meter try.

Next thing I looked up and saw Nev's head coming straight at me.

The crafty so and so had been playing about 20 metres behind the ruck.

The look on his face would have scared the devil and he hit me in the ribs with his head and put me about 10 metres over the side line.

The crowd loved it, my ribs were cracked and I left the field soon after.

I don't think he did much else that season but all my old team mates still remember the incident and take great delight in reminding me of it at reunions.

I felt like telling him I was a fan but I don't think it would have made much difference to the Hornet.

Great to see he is still going strong.

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The game for which Nev received his "week per punch" suspension was Wests v Easts at Lidcombe Oval.

The story behind the incident was that the Easts hooker Peter Moscatt was rubbing his beard
up and down the face of the Maggies hooker, Kenny Stonestreet. Nebo, as he was known to some, had no skin left on his face.

Of all people to mention this to, he asked Nev to sort him out.

The next scrum which was packed down in the SW corner, saw Moscatt's head come flying out of the scrum as if detatched from the rest of his body.

Ron Casey on the next Ch.9 sport show,spliced the film a number of times and it showed Moscatt's head going in and out of the scrum about 20 times due to the way the film had been doctored.

Nev is also the only person I know that has been in trouble for "reverse ROAD RAGE." I heard about this at a "Changa" function about 5yr ago.

Ask the young hoon that ran him off the road and called "Get out of the car, OLD MAN" what reverse road rage is.

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1975 World Cup in Australia.

Great Britain was split into England and Wales for this one and England played Brisbane in a mid week "friendly" under lights at Lang Park.

The QRL put on a fireworks display at the start (rare in those days), but it was the Poms who were really fired up. I don't think I can recall personally having seen a rougher match.

English centre Les Dyl made no attempt to tackle his opposite number, Redcliffe strongman Peter Leis, but instead grabbed Leis by his long frizzy locks and threw him over his shoulder.

Brisbane's flashy fullback Gary Thomas (Bris Wests and formerly Parramatta) was particularly hard dealt with and the forward encounters could only be described as brutal.

Then Nev Hornery (Wynnum Manly and ex-Canterbury legendary hothead) came on and, given his reputation, everyone expected him to explode and give the Poms plenty.

Not sure if packing down alongside the disciplined Des Morris helped, but Hornery never threw a punch, just soaked up the head highs and niggle, and it was largely this type of composure that saw the Brisbane boys keep their heads and go on to cause an upset win.

There was an exception though: halfback Ross Strudwick (Valleys and ex-St George) was flattened by English props, the brothers Chisnall.

Referee Bernie Pramberg called them out and while they argued, the runner hit Struddy with the smelling salts and he came to, got up, picked up the ball which was heavy with the evening due and sweat, and walked up and threw it as hard as he could into one of the Chisnall's face!

The big Pommy prop roared, then set about chasing Strudwick around and around Pramberg, who was left spinning on the spot, blowing his whistle madly like a traffic cop on points duty, but with no one taking any notice! As far as I recall, Chisnall never caught the fleet footed Strudwick, which was probably just as well.

What a night! What a game!

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When John Sattler moved to brisbane I think he went to Wests, and they played wynnum at lang park, the scrum erupted and the wynnum forward pack was bashing Sattler then sattler wound up and started into them , his first punch went to Nev Honery then someone else then Hornery then someone else then Honery, well you can see how it went, Honery was mad he kept standing there and egging his pack on, any normal person would have quite while the going was good not Nev!!!!

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Dear League Fanatics,I was playing my 100 th game for the Goodna AND DISTRICTS R.L.F.C. in the Ipswich comp against Booval Swifts.

Neville Hornery had signed to play for Swifts, but on the day of my 100th game, he refused to play unless he was paid, after much debate, the committee found the money to pay him, as Nev would not take to the field unless he was paid prior to the match.

We were leading 10 -5 at half time, when Nev took the field after the break.

He was playing five/eight, when i made a break from dummy half, and took the ball up to Hornery. He hit me that hard my ear was ringing like the lunch time bell,it took NEV 5 MINUTES TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE GAME AND WE WERE THRASHED 36-10.

Swifts went on to win the 1978 final with Nev Hornery getting man of the match.

Toughest man i ever played against.

L.REED

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