The Poetry of Rugby League

In Maher Cup days many punters penned poetry which ended up published in the local paper.  A sampling of these can be found here.

The following (probably unpublished) verse from 1935 is not about the Maher Cup, but is posted as it reveals much about the casual attitude to the violence of football at the time, and the camaraderie that necessitated that everyone be assigned a nickname.

In 1935 Cootamundra football was in the doldrums after they sacked their imports.   With no regular inter-town competition, it was all about challenge cups. The Maher Cup proved to be out of reach so the focus moved to second division Coota teams, such as the Terrors, the Bing Boys and the DeLaSalle Old Boys who played for the Ellwood Cup. The latter were a particularly promising lot with many members helping a resurgent Cootamundra regain the Maher Cup in 1940.

The poem seems to have been penned at the Ewen household at 23 Cooper Street and recounts a match with Stockinbingal on 1 September 1935 – The Cootamundra Herald’s match report. Most of the men characterised in verse are also in the picture below.

 

Cootamundra De La Salle Old Boys 1934. football talent. At least 10 of these boys plus their coach represented in the Maher Cup: from back left to right: Jack Chapman (trainer), B. Hudson, Hugh Kennedy, Des Ewen, Brother Xavier, Des Kennedy, Jack Ewen, Ray Mangan, Herb Schofield (coach); middle row: F. Barrett, L. Lloyd, Stan Roberts, Ted Faulkner (capt), Jim Quinlan, Jack Walsh, Ted Mangan, Frank Holder, Roy Faulkner, Fred Davis. Photo courtesy Mick Ewen.

Cootamundra De La Salle Old Boys 1934.  At least 10 of these boys plus their coach represented in the Maher Cup: from back left to right: Jack Chapman (trainer), B. Hudson, Hugh Kennedy, Des Ewen, Brother Xavier, Des Kennedy, Jack Ewen, Ray Mangan, Herb Schofield (coach); middle row: F. Barrett, L. Lloyd, Stan Roberts, Ted Faulkner (capt), Jim Quinlan, Jack Walsh, Ted Mangan; front: Frank Holder, Roy Faulkner, Fred Davis. Photo courtesy Mick Ewen.


THE OLD BOYS LAMENT

The Cast:
‘Hefty’ Jack Ewen
‘Whippet’ Ted Faulkner
‘Chopsie’ Frank Holder
‘Three Fingers’ Des Kennedy
‘Streak’ Jim Quinlan
‘Checker’ Hugh Kennedy
‘Chookie’ Charlie Rourke
‘Squatter’ Old Jack Rourke
‘Blat’ Stan Roberts
‘Bluey’ Ray Mangan
‘SP. SP’ Teddy [Mangan?]
‘Picklo’ Roy Faulkner
‘Bruno’ Des Ewen
‘Spot’ Jack Walsh
‘Lizard’ Fred Davis
‘Duke’ Jack Lloyd
‘Skinner’ Austin Davis
‘Chatta’Jack Chapman
‘Schoie’ Herb Schofield
‘Old Xavier’ The Rev. Bro. Xavier (Jack Hayes)

Twas the game at Stockinbingal
for the battered Ellwood Cup
punches flew and blood did too
all in a grand mix up.

There’s one or two on crutches
and several with a twist
for ‘Hefty’s’ eye is blackened
from contact with a fist.

There’s a run of sticking plaster
bandages and lint
broken bones are common
and ‘Whippet’s’ arm’s in splints.

The game had only started
and ‘Chopsie’ though only small
kicked a big six footer
he thought he had the ball.

‘Three Fingers’ burst into the scrum
you bet he’s not a crawler
he’s boxing champion of the towns
of Yeo Yeo and Ballora.

‘Streak’ our mighty hooker
has no call to fame
footy is his pastime
fighting is his game.

‘Checker’ is a pidgeon man
he breeds them by the score
when the fighting started
he laughed and looked for more.

‘Chookie’ is a carrier
he tends to squatter’s trucks
the only time he never shines
is when he’s in the ruck.

‘Blat’ came down from Harden
to fortify our ranks
and when the going got really tough
he always had our thanks.

‘Bluey’ took the ball up
in no uncertain manner
until he stopped dead in his tracks
Kerr hit him with a spanner.

‘SP. SP’ little ‘Teddy’
being dumped don’t make him shirty
but when they kicked him in the shins
oh boy, did he get dirty.

‘Picklo’ playing full back
came flying down the line
until ‘Woodsie’ blew the whistle
and slapped him with a fine.

The ball flew to the centre
‘Bruno’ waiting there
was knocked down with a sapling
and the crowd cried that ain’t fair.

Spot our [unclear]-man
looks so mild and meek
he throws a snappy side step
and looks just like a sheik.

‘Lizard’ is a drinking man
he grogs on all the time
and when the half time Whistle blows
he likes a drop of wine.

‘Duke’ the old boy’s secretary
won’t stand for any trouble
and when the team is one man short
the ‘Duke’ would always double.

‘Skinner’ was our baggage man
he kept us nice and neat
and when we ran out on the field
We really looked a treat.

‘Chatta’ was our trainer
I he rubbed us very well
and if we ever lost a game
he gave us bloody hell.

‘Schoie’ was our coach
he taught us all the tricks
Tuesday night was pay out night
we lined up for his kicks.

Old ‘Xavier’ was our patron
words of wisdom he always spoke
give up the grog and women
and cut down on the smokes.

Source of the poem: Wal Galvin’s collection – provenance unknown]

Many of these men enlisted in the war.  Roy Faulkner and Jim Quinlan died in Thailand and Malaya respectively.

 

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