Bob Mccarthy recollecting
the O'Neill send offs of 1971.
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Bob Mccarthy recollecting
the O'Neill send offs of 1971.
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South Sydney
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1971
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12/04/2006
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courtesy of Tony Adams great book
The Hitmen - A tribute to League's tough guys.
Long-time team mate of John O'Neill, Bob McCarthy has vivid
memories of O'Neill's suspensions which made headlines back
in 1971.
"Whenever I think of Lurch, it's the first thing that comes
to mind," McCarthy says. "Against St George, he kneed
Beath in the face and was sent straight off. I can see Bath
lying there, unconscious on the ground, the blood dropping down
from his forehead and forming little pools in his closed eyes.
He was really gone; they had to cart him off.
"Then against Parramatta, he flattened Bob O'Reilly the
same way and couldn't believe it when the ref Keith Holman,
sent him off again.
"You're kidding, big Lurch protested.
"Just look at what you've done to O'Reilly, said Holman
in reply, pointing to the prone figure of the giant Parramatta
forward.
Lurch just shook his head as he walked off, screaming "Whats
the game coming to?"
"That was typical of Lurch; he's just about maimed two
blokes but couldn't understand what all the fuss was about.
He was a genuine hard man who dished out plenty on the field
but never complained when it was handed back to him. It was
a different era in the game and he played for keeps.
(This entry has been posted in Refs Call also)
Appears in the following pages ....P102_Keith HOLMAN, P47_John O'NEILL
Date of posting ... 12-May-2006
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