Questions Answers

No 15

Date:

20/12/05

Ques

Topic: -- Whereabouts of Dave Bolton.

From

Brian Jessop

Club Followed

Sydney

Email

boru20@yahoo.com

hi there, great website.
I hope you can help.

I'm trying to track down a video or DVD of the Great Britain 1970 Ashes
tour of Australia, either the second or third test.

My Dad, Dennis Hartley, was the prop for Britain and I'm trying to get a copy for him.

I notice there's one or two stories about him on your site.

Any information would be much appreciated. All the best, Richard Hartley.

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I am compiling a book about all the matches that Oldham have played against the Australian and NZ touring teams.
If anyone has any relavent photos they would be much appreciated.

Also someone was asking about Frank Foster who had a spell with Oldham.

I can e-mail a photo if required.

Yours in RL Mike Turner.

PS. Frank Foster would be a good nominee for your hardman catagory.

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Does anyone know the whereabouts of veteran League caller John
O'Reilly?.
O'Reilly used to call the Saturday game for ABC TV during the mid-late
seventies. He later resurfaced as an around the grounds reporter for
ABC Radio during the 1980s.

Any information would be much appreciated.

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I would like to meet other fans who may have videos/footage from this period.
i am looking for any games from 1977- 1982 especially wests

can you help?
thanks chris

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Does anyone know where Horrie Hastings is these
days and whether he's contactable for an interview?

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I am trying to find info about a prop who came from Griffith Waratahs ( group 20, NSW) Lenny Bertoldo.He played for country and NSW in the late 70's. He was as tough as nails and was apparently nick-named the wheel-barrow breaker when working as a brickies labourer filled the barrow with too many bricks and the handles broke !!!!

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Have been reading your site with great enjoyment and noting how 'Cement' Gillespie only had nine fingers.

Well back in the late '70's early 80's there was a Wests player going round in 2nd grade with only one arm. I kid you not his right arm from the elbow down was missing.

He played on the right wing so his good left arm was infield. He caught, passed and tackled and I saw him do it. I don't know his name but I'm sure Wests can confirm the accuracy of what I say.

If anyone can help Alan out with his enquiry then just let us know. Ive referred him to Tony Lewis's great old Magpies website below - Tony should help him out. Let us know also Tony.

REPLY TO QUESTION: 29/4/2005
From Tony Lewis.....Quigs, that one arm Wests player from the 1970s name is Kerry Gibson. I hope to have more info next week. Tony Lewis (thanks Tony)

FURTHER FROM Alan Hanson, London. (Posted Original Question) 30/04/2005

G'Day Quiggs thought I'd let you know that I have been in touch with Wests and the one armed player I referred you to was Kerry Gibson.

I often think of this bloke. I'm in the UK at the moment and like many of us am persuing the game of life. I have a bit of a physical handicap myself that may (or may not) keep me from reaching the top. But if I stick with it who knows maybe I'll play 2nd grade.

As long as you you're on the paddock and doing your best there is always the chance of promotion.

Keep up the good work.

Up the MAGGIES
Alan

I was hoping you had something on Jeff Brooks.

He played in the earlier 80's for the jets and was grabbed by the dogs.

Any help would be great...sorry i really don't have much information but he is my dad and I wanted to try and find a picture,write up or magazine of him for his birthday.

Reply : Ive posted this information in the Newtown and Bulldogs threads of League Unlimited. see what happens.

Hi Quigs, Is there any information, or photographs
about a player Ray Burgess, who played for West's around 1949 -1950.
Thanks for whatever you can come up with. Kate.

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kylie-jane conaghan
____________________________________________

I would like to know where I could get photos of a
Parramatta player called Paul Mares from the 1983 season grandfinal.

From Quigs - "Can anyone out there help Kylie Jane get hold of her pics of Paul Mares? or suggest where she can find them

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A COLLEAGUE OF MINE AT WORK SAYS THAT PETER BANNER(EX SALFORD)SIGNED FOR LEEDS SOMETIME DURING THE SEVENTIES. CAN YOU CONFIRM THIS AS I NEVER REMEMBER HIM PLAYING FOR LEEDS

Many thanks

MIKE HOWLAND

Reply : Quigs here, Received this from Peter Banner Himself, "thanks Peter"
Peter Banner
A question was asked, when did Peter Banner sign for Leeds. August 11th 1976 from Featherstone Rovers, just 9 months after joining them from Salford.

I left Leeds on March 31st 1977 to play for 6 years in Newcastle Australia.

After playing in every round of the 1977 Challenge Cup Final I could not return to play because of an RL ruling.

I retired in 1985 after 19 years as a professional player.

All the best for this years cup Final, Peter

Did tommy raudonikis hail from the coalfields. if
not can anyone tell me who his junior team was.
for family debate! thanks

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Can anyone supply me with the words to the
parramatta team song eg:what they sing in the shed after the game --- thanks
in advance

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Inquiry about Nat Silcock - my step son is nat's grandson, just wondering if
you can tell me more about him, I know he was the skipper for widnes and
scored a try in a 1937 final, he played for warrington from 1958/61

"Anyone out there help Mark out, get back to me" Quigs

Reply : 21/06/05 Great Reply from Phil of Widnes...... Thanks Phil. Quigs.

nat silcock from widnes vikings fan found question from era of the biff hope this helps a little.

a little gift from a widnes fan to a wire even though we are the greatest of rivals cheers. When you talk about great forwards who have pulled on the famous black and white jersey, the man on top of the list is bound to be Nat Silcock.

Nat, who lost count of the number of appearances he made for Lancashire, was one of the few forwards to go on two tours Down Under while on the Naughton Park staff.

He toured 1932 and 1936 and was later followed by Jim Mills and Mick Adams who is the only forward to have appeared in more Test matches. Nat, a mountain of a man, who had tremendous power and pace, played 12 Tests from 1932-37. Adams had 13 appearances but two of these were as a substitute, so perhaps Nat could claim some sort of record as the 'most' capped Widnes forward. In those days of course, there were not the number of Tests that we have today. France weren't playing Rugby League then and there was no Papua New Guinea either.

Nat played two Tests each against New Zealand and Australia in the 1932 tour; all three when the Kangaroos came here a year later, all three in Australia in 1936 - when he was accompanied on the tour by the great Tommy McCue - and two in 1937. He was on a losing side on only two occassions. But the 1936 tour probably resulted in the big man missing out on perhaps the most coveted medal of all. In the days of a championship play-off, Widnes lost to Hull while Silcock and McCue were on tour. "If we had been playing in the final I'm sure Widnes would have won the title for the first time," he said.

It was, however, against the Australians in 1929 that Nat pulled off a feat which many old timers talk about today. As the 1930 Wembley souvenir put it in his pen picture: "Combining weight with speed, Silcock has distinguished himself in the new style of forward play. He has some spectacular tries to his credit and the wonderful way in which he overtook speedy Australian wing threequarter (Finch) will long be remembered."

Silcock played in the second row in that Wembley Challenge Cup final against St. Helens. It was the first time Chemics had even been in the final but they pulled off what is regarded in RL history as one of the greatest Wembley shocks with a 10-3 triumph. The Widnes team of local lads - only South African Van Rooyen was an outsider - beat a star-studded Saints side 10-3, all the points coming in the first half.

Four years later Silcock had moved up to the front row, but his second Wembley trip ended in disappointment as Widnes lost 11-5 to a Hunslet side who played with 12 men for half the game because of a shoulder injury to Morrell, sustained as he scored a try. Nat had only three years to wait for another Wembley trip. This time he went as captain and led Widnes to a great 18-5 win over Keighley and put the icing on the cake by getting the fourth try.

Nat regarded that as possibly the greatest moment of his career. It was a career which started in 1922/23 and ended suddenly in the 1938/39 season.

"I woke up one morning before a Warrington match with pains in my chest. The doctor said that I had an internal problem and that my career was over". Unfortunately in later life he suffered badly from arthritis. Sadly he reflected: "The conditions we played in were terrible at times. You couldn't get a proper bath and often in cold water. There are times when I wished I had never played the game".

Thankfully Widnes followers of the 20's and 30's were glad he did - one of the greatest players of all time. A giant if ever there was one.

ANOTHER REPLY TO THE QUESTION POSTED ABOVE ABOUT NAT SILCOCK....
Received 14/8/2005

From Karl.N.D.SILCOCK,

Club I support: WIDNES

In answer to the question about Nat silcock I
think they made a miscalculation on which Nat they were asking about ,
there were two my father Nat or my grandfather also Nat . I think they are
probably after info on Nat the younger who infact never played for his
home town of Widnes .
He did infact play for Wigan (9 seasons ) , St Helens ( 2 seasons ) ,
Warrington (2 seasons ) , Newcastle Souths player coach ( 2 seasons )
and I believe Sydney souths for a season also as player coach . Aswell
as the above listed clubs he was in the 1954 Lions tourist squad . The
two Australian clubs I believe were in the begging of the 60's .
Hope this can be added to the question and may even clear up any
misunderstandings .

.

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