HALF-A-CENTURY ago Harry Bath, the legendary goal-kicking forward for Warrington, Balmain and St George, gave us one of the great sporting quotes in sporting history.
“Those who drink at the well should never forget those who dug the well,” Bath noted.
He was, of course, talking about the pioneers of our game … the fellows who started Rugby League in England in 1895, Down Under in 1907 and France in 1934.
However, he was also alluding to the wonderful stars who had followed in the footsteps of the pioneers such as Albert Baskerville (or Baskiville) and Jean Galia.
Fellows who made sure the well remained in working order.
Sadly, over the interviewing years, far too many of those who earn their living from Rugby League have indeed forgotten the pioneers and those who gave the fans such enjoyment in each passing decade.
Even sadder is the fact that there are many who don’t even recognise the names of our legendary players.
I couldn’t believe it when I picked up the Sydney Sunday Telegraph on the weekend and read a story about Andrew Fifita, the NSW State of Origin prop.
Reporter Matt Logue posed a question for New South Wales’ fans: “Who was the iconic Blues Origin player nicknamed The Brick With Eyes?”
Logue quickly went on to explain: “The answer, of course, is Glenn Lazarus – – the three-time Premiership-wining prop who played 22 games for our proud state.
“Most Blues fans would know ‘Big Lazo’, but current forward Andrew Fifita admits he has zero knowledge of NSW legends like Lazaarus and Brad Clyde.”
The embarrassed Fifita told Logue: “I don’t really know any players, I never grew up watching the game. “I remember I sat there in the last [Origin] camp and [former Test prop Steve] Blocker Roach was talking with us frontrowers at dinner.
“He was naming all these players and I said I had no idea who they were.
“Blocker was saying how I kind of remind him of Artie Beetson and Glenn Lazarus.
“I knew Artie because of all the indigenous links, but I didn’t know Lazarus.
“We even asked for some footage to see how they went.
I asked him if they looked like me or did they have that muscular tone like most props today … because I didn’t know.”
A shocked Logue pointed out how many people who have spent time in the NSW camp during this year’s series aren’t exactly surprised because Fifita isn’t alone when it comes to knowledge of former NSW legends.
“It’s a real concern that has prompted calls for more past players to be involved in the Blues’ camp, moving forward.” Logue wrote.
Ironically, Lazarus, who is unique in having won Grand Finals with three different clubs, Canberra Raiders, Brisbane Broncos and Melbourne Storm (the last as captain), has been in the news for a very different reason during this past couple of weeks.
His brief political career as an Australian senator came to a spectacular end when he was voted out in this month’s Federal Elections after just three years in the job.
And, to rub salt in the wound, he was accused of plagiarism in the wash-up to the counting of votes.
By the way, for the benefit of those drinking at the well, perhaps we should explain about the wily old fox, Harry Bath.
He was, together with his Warrington team-mate Brian Bevan, among the finest Australian players never to have represented his country.
Bath missed his chances when he left Australia to play in England in 1947.
When he returned, ten years later, it seemed the selectors had decided to punish him for deserting the ship and, despite grand performances for St George, he was destined not to wear the green and gold.
However he did go close to playing a Test. After representing Queensland in 1945, the tough second-rower joined Balmain and was one of the stars for New South Wales in the two 1946 matches against his old state.
But then, in the NSW-Great Britain match a week before the First Test, he badly injured a leg (and destroyed his Test selection prospects).
In England he played very briefly for Barrow before transferring to Warrington, where he showed his class not just as a forward but as a goalkicker, too.
In 1952-53 he topped the English goalkicking lists with 173.
And it was his boot which made the difference when Warrington won the famous 1954 Challenge Cup final replay before a then world record crowd of 102,569 at Odsal Stadium in Bradford.
During his second season back in Australia, Bath kicked a Premiership record 108 goals.
This tally has since been topped but only player to have topped the table in both Australia and England.
His 225 points in 1958 were followed by another double-century (205) the following season. It was then that Bath hung up his boots.
He still has the distinction of being the only player in history to win a Premiership in each of the years in which he played in Sydney (1946-47 with Balmain and 1957-59 with the Dragons).
In 1961 Bath began another successful career – that of coach. He steered Balmain to Grand Finals in 1964 and 1966, only to see his sides go down to the mighty St Goerge juggernaut.
In 1968 he took over as Australia’s coach. Under his guidance the national side won two World Cups (1968 and 1970).
Then in 1977 and 1979, Bath took a group of inexperienced St Goerge players dubbed ‘Bath’s Babes’ to Premiership successes.
The water in the well never tasted so sweet.
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