Rugby League
Your Stories

Pic shows Dane Sorensen and Greg Pearce taking out Les Boyd (I believe) whilst Referee Jack Danzey (a former Balmain and Shark player) looks on. Steve Kneen is airborne, taking out Bob Cooper from memory...Kneen got 15 weeks for this tackle. You might enjoy reading Yarn of the Month #15 - Click Here.

Stats available from 1976 on -

CRONULLA SUTHERLAND DREAMTEAM ANNOUNCED July 2006

Fullback ... David Peachey
Winger ... Mat Rogers
Centre ... Steve Rogers
Centre ... Andrew Ettingshausen
Winger ... Ray Corcoran
5/8 ... Chris Wellman
Half ... Tommy Bishop
Lock ... Greg Pierce
S/r ... Gavin Miller
S/R ... Ken Maddison
Prop ... Cliff Watson
Prop ... Jason Stevens
Hooker ... Ron Turner
Reserve .... Dane Sorensen
Reserve ... Steve Kneen
Reserve ... Brett Kimmorley
Reserve ... Mark McGaw

The game took place in the mid 80's, and the coach in charge of Leeds at the time was former GB and Bradford coach, Peter Fox.

Leeds had been told by the Great Britain management to 'soften' up the Kiwis for the first ten minutes so that they would be carrying a few cracks into the upcoming test match with GB the next weekend.

Well, to be fair, Leeds actually started it and started it with some silly high shots. The problem was that New Zealands pack consisted of some VERY hard players, the likes of Sorenson, Tamati, Graeme West, et al.

Leeds were playing in their change strip, which was white, and not one player came off the field without blood on his shirt. Seven players were stretchered from the field that day, and Keith Rayne, Leeds ex GB prop suffered a broken nose and broken fingers, yet still refused to leave the field.

It was only when he recieved six broken ribs through knees in the tackle that he was forced from the field. Things got so bad that the Leeds directors made Peter Fox attempt to take his players from the field of play, and yet everyone refused. Leeds lost the game 14-11, if I remember correctly, and finished with 11 men.

Many thanks to GHOUT, UK for submitting this game

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We were named after you guys.

Kurt 10

Dane 8

You guys were great!!!!

Can we get a photo?

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Not exactly a rugby story but memorable anyway.

September '72

My family finally got to visit our Kiwi relatives during a three year stit down-under. One cool afternoon we went to visit the Sorensen family. I got to meet uncle Peter and cousins Dane and Kurt for the first time.

Being a rather skinny 14 year old (55kg) these two guys were HUGE - even cousin Ken was on the skinny side in comparison. He's made up for it in later years though...

To pass the time Dane propsed a quiet softball game in the back yard. No worries, at least I would avoid any painful physical contact. First to bat; Kurt (a 15-stone 14 year old with no real understanding of his own strength).

First swing at the ball - crack - the bat breaks in two and goes flying into the neighbours back yard. "You stupid B-rd" Dane comments. An intense wrestling match insues and Ken joins in. I quietly fade into the background....

The story continues some 30 years later when I got to play a game of touch with the 'Gators. Ken and Kurt gave me a quick resume of the rules and off we went. First time on the pitch Kurt sets me up beutifully and I scored my first try in 30 years..,

Cousin Peter (Sweden)

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Cronulla without the Sorensens is like the movie 'Jaws' without the shark - tame and boring.

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1985 - The Sorensens had both returned to Cronulla that year, after spending 1984 at Easts following the club's financial crisis.

Kurt Sorensen left Australian football at the end of 1985, heading to England to play for Widnes.

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