Saints Immortals invite you to send in stories about past games or players that are special memories

Email the Immortals at

immortals@bestlegenz.com.au.

 

 

2005


I just thought I would share this story of how and why my best friend's father became the biggest St George Fan. I wish I knew what year it happened, he did tell me at the time but I just can't remember it now, but it would have been at least 40 or 50 years ago.
My best friend's father, George Fadel, first came to Australia about 40 or 50 years ago, leaving his homeland Lebanon for a better life in Australia. Shortly after arriving, he became a St George fan and his passion for St George was so overwhelming that it infected his four sons and me too. All of us have become huge St George fans.
About three years ago, I asked him how he first became a St George fan? He told me the first year he was here in Australia, he bought a house in the suburb of Earlwood where he lived with his wife and his first born child, Raymond.
They used to do most of their grocery shopping in Marrickville. One day, when coming out of Marrickville station, he heard the faint roar of thousands of people cheering. Intrigued, he tried to follow the sounds of the crowd until it got louder and louder, he was walking up and down Marrickville trying to find where the sound was coming from eventually it lead him to Henson Park, the home ground of Newtown Jets.
That day Newtown was playing St George and George Fadel was just in awe of how the people were reacting to this game, so he stayed there and watched the crowd and the remainder of the game. One gentlemen asked him, 'Who are you going for?' George could only reply in his broken English, 'The red and white team.'
The reason he chose the red and white team was because the colours of St George were the same as the colours on the Lebanese flag, so to him, at that time, it was Lebanon vs the blue team. Later he was told that the team was called St George and he felt it was a blessing in disguise. The team was red and white and the name of the team had his name in it, and as George was a dedicated catholic, the Saint in front of it made it the perfect team for him.
After that day he went to many games and watched players like Graeme Langlands, Johnny Raper and his all time favourite, Reg Gasnier. As a matter of fact, he loved to watch Reg play so much that he called his next born son 'Reg' Fadel.
To this day he still has that the same passion for St George as he has had for years since that great day at Henson Park. By the way St George did win that day. He still loves to go to the game when he can and I try and take him to the games as often as I can because he has just got a great view and talent as to what is happening in the game. He goes to the ground early so he can watch the younger grades first because he loves to watch the up and comers and he can just tell you who is going to become a great player or not. I don’t know how he does it but he has never been wrong. If it wasn’t for his broken English he would be a great coach or recruitment officer for Rugby League.
I have been best friends with his 3rd born son Robin Fadel for many years, 29 years to be exact, and his father has been like a father to me during that whole period, I have got the utmost respect for him and love watching St George play with him!
 
Go George's Red and Whites!!
 
Tony Carnuccio

 

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I was 15 years old and went to watch my first ever grand final — the Changa led St George team playing Artie Beetson's Easts. I wasn't worried when the first penalty kick for touch came askew off Chaga's boots as the same thing had happened in the preliminary final when we'd beaten Easts to get into the grand final. Even the half-time score didn't worry me, but goodness, the second half was hard.
 
I watched as Easts ran in try after try, and the mighty Saints seemed powerless to halt the flow. I remember crying, standing there in the Red V as Changa limped off, helped a bit by Artie. The bloke in front of me had taken off his Saints Guernsey and slunk away, and, to this day, I remember my pride in the Saints, who had never given up, despite the caning they received, and tears streaming down my face.
 
Of course, it made the 1977 and 1979 Grand Final wins all the sweeter, as I'd followed the growth of the under-21s from about 1973/74, who made up a great deal of the 1977/79 teams.
 
Carl

Robert Stone, who, as an 18-year-old, played in the second row for Sain in the 1975 Grand Final says,

We got beaten by a side the was always going to beat us. Easts were the best side, the best drilled side I've seen. They were very flamboyant, they just threw the ball over their shoulders and as soon as it got 5 points in front, 10 points in front, I thought here they go — they were that sort of team. Teddy [Teddy Goodwin, one of Saint's centres] got clobbered and was concussed as well, and that compounded the fact that Graeme couldn't run real well. They just came through the centres — that was the natural pathway for them to go.

Extract from Larrikin and Saint: Graeme 'Changa' Langlands p.112. fot Robert Stone's comments on the 1977 Grand Final refer to: Billy Smith: A Saint From Head to Toe.

What he did was maybe tough or maybe stupid but to a 10 year-old Saints supporter he was my hero

Probably my strongest memory is of 1971 sitting in my dad's car listening to the radio call of the Saints v Manly final in which Saints came from behind to overpower the Sea Eagles due to the world class combination of Smith and Langlands. Chang scored two second half tries and Smithy set up both, but as a kid what really amazed me was how Changa played on even though the commentator said that Langlands nose was that badly broken he had to hang a sponge out of his shorts just to catch the blood. What he did was maybe tough or maybe stupid but to a 10 year-old Saints supporter he was my hero.

Billy Dale

At half-time Graeme had to have four stitches for a deep gash across the bridge of his nose from Lindsay Drake's boot. His nose was broken again during the game. He played with cracked ribs, and at some stage during the game he wrenched his back. Despite all this, he gave a colossal effort, did not miss a tackle, and was responsible for crippling many promising Manly raids.

Extract from Larrikin and Saint: Graeme 'Changa' Langlands p. 89

My Favourite Memory

One of my favourite St George memories would have to be the round 7 clash against Canberra where we won 44-2. Anthony Mundine and Nathan Blacklock ran amok. There wouldn't have been a side that could have stopped us that day

Christopher A.

A new generation is born

I've always enjoyed listening to my father's stories about Reg Gasnier racing up the field with his head backscoring heaps of tries for Saints. He very proudly says he was there and remembers his first game.

I was fortunate enough to be at Marathon Stadium when the injury to Matt Cooper led to Waite picking Mark Gasnier on the bench. I know he let in a try but soon came back to go over for the first of his many awesome tries. The Dragons need him on the park and one day Išll be able to tell my son the same sort of stories thatmy father told me and that I was there for his debut game in first grade. 2000

Lachlan S

Mighty Magic

I recently hired out Winfield Cup 200 Magic Memories Volume 2, and I saw one of the best come backs I've ever seen.

I take you back to 1986 at Brookvale Oval—Saints versus Manly. It was 6–4 to Manly with 10 minutes to go when the ever consistent Des Hassler (Manly) crossed for another opportunist try and Manly lead 14-4.

St George got back into the match through O'Conner's boot and Morris' top try. He carried three Manly players over the line like weightless dummies to score his second of try of the match bringing the score to 14–all just minutes before fulltime.

Manly appeared to have won after a field goal, but were denied victory right on the bell when O'Conner kicked another penalty goal which brought the Dragons home 16–15.

Trevor Spiteri

 

One memorable Dragon moment I can remember was on a breezy Sunday afternoon in '93 and it was finals time for the Dragons. The minor premiers Canterbury, were bedazzled by the Dragons' finals ability.

An amazing array of skill by the Dragons doused the Bulldogs 27–12. Mark Coyne had a truly inspiring match and Ray 'Rabs' Warren called him Houdini after his magical display of footwork and passing sent the 'Raging Bull' Gorden Tallis over the line. More brilliant tries from Scott Gourley and Ricky Walford bulleted the Red V's into the prelims and put a stop to the Bulldogs run.

Dragons supporter Luke H.