Reg Gasnier passed away on Sunday. He was 74. Gasnier was the greatest centre of his generation.
When he retired, at the relatively young age of 28, he had won seven premierships and scored 125 tries in 127 games for St George, 15 tries in 16 games for New South Wales and 26 tries in 39 games for Australia.
Former ARL chairman Bill Buckley once said, “In his day, he was the greatest rugby league player I have ever seen. Gasnier had an amazing change of pace and great anticipation. He was also particularly unselfish. He was without peer.”
Gasnier produced so many great performances, but which ones were his best?
May 24, 1959: St George: 47 v Western Suburbs: 17
In front of 30,500 fans at Henson Park, rookie Reg Gasnier completely outplayed Harry Wells, the incumbent Test centre and premiership winning player. Gasnier scored four tries, a feat he would achieve four times in his career.
Gasnier scored two of his tries over 75-yards and 45-yards as St George posted a record score against Wests. Wells and Gasnier would later play 12 Tests together for Australia.
June 28, 1959: Australia: 38 v New Zealand: 10
Australia sneaked home in the first Test by 9-8, despite being outscored two tries to one. The second Test was played at the Brisbane Exhibition Ground and Australia produced a fabulous performance to win by a record score. Australia would improve upon the margin in 1995 when they beat New Zealand 46-10.
Gasnier and Ian Moir scored three tries each as Australia’s speed on the flanks left New Zealand is disarray.
New Zealand won the third Test by 28-12 and Gasnier scored two tries. Ian Moir scored 119 tries in 138 first grade games, including a hat-trick in the 1953 Grand Final for Souths against St George!
August 1, 1959: St George: 35 v Western Suburbs: 25
In front of 42,347 fans at the SCG, 20-year-old Gasnier played a starring role in propelling St George into the Grand Final. In the first half, he beat the first line of defence and sent Eddie Lumsden on a 40-yard sprint to the try line. Gasnier then scored from halfway to tie the scores 15-all at the break.
In the second-half, Gasnier scored his second try and was involved in a try scored by Johnny Riley that was described by the Sunday Mirror’s Jim Mathers as “champagne football.”
St George beat Manly 20-0 in the Grand Final a fortnight later. Eddie Lumsden scored three tries and St George completed the season unbeaten. They scored 135 tries in 20 games! Gasnier scored 13 tries in 12 games during the 1959 season. Eddie Lumsden scored 137 tries in 162 games during his stellar career.
October 17, 1959: Australia: 22 v Great Britain: 14
It had been 30 years since Australia had won the opening test in England, but in his Ashes debut Gasnier dazzled by scoring a hat-trick at Swinton’s Station Road. However the try he laid on for winger Brian Carlson in that same match was described by former Australian forward Arthur Clues as the best try he had ever seen!
Unfortunately Australia didn’t win the series, losing the next two Tests by narrow margins. However, that didn’t stop Gasnier’s brilliance. He created a try for Carlson late in the second Test which Carlson failed to convert, Australia lost by one point! In the third test Gasnier dashed from his own 25-yard line to create another try for Carlson.
August 6, 1960: St George: 13 v Balmain: 9
The 1960 NSWRL premiership season was one of the closest on record. St George won the minor premiership by three games, but four teams were tied for second place, requiring a playoff to split them.
In wet, cold conditions at the SCG, Balman – one of the four teams eventually involved in the playoff – could have avoided it altogether by beating St George in the last round, something they were on target to achieve when leading 4-0 at halftime.
However, Gasnier scored three second-half tries with great positioning, acceleration and hands as St George won an often dour contest by four points.
September 3, 1960: St George: 31 v Eastern Suburbs: 6
In his first grand final Gainer was a standout. He scored two of the Dragons seven tries. In the first-half Gasnier scored one of the most memorable tries in Grand Final history when halfback Brian Clay sent Gasnier on a breathtaking 50-yard dash to line.
The 1960 Grand Final was the biggest win St George enjoyed in their sequence of 11 premierships in row between 1956 and 1966. In that period the Dragons won 183 out of 222 games and scored 5,109 points!
September 1, 1962: St George: 30 v Newtown: 9
Newtown had beaten St George in their previous meeting, but in the semi-final, Gasnier ensured no repeat by scoring three tries. Gasnier created the first try for Johnny King (143 tries in 191 games) before scoring himself after a 70-yard burst. Gasnier beat several defenders while scoring his second try.
In the Grand Final St George beat Western Suburbs, 9-6.
July 2, 1963: St George: 22 v New Zealand: 7
The Daily Mirror wrote, “A crowd of 19,160 saw Reg Gasnier do things that history records the legendary Dally Messenger as having done in the early days of league.”
Gasnier scored three tires and kicked five goals as St George became the first Sydney team to defeat an international touring team. The Kiwis led 7-4 at halftime! Johnny King scored a try on his 21st birthday.
August 17, 1963: St George: 12 v Parramatta: 7
Gasnier’s two tries propelled St George into the Grand Final. He scored a try, running 25 yards up the touchline in the first half, but his second try when the scores were tied 7-all was crucial. With four minutes to go, Gasnier side-stepped past several tired defenders to prove his match-winning prowess again.
November 9, 1963: Australia: 50 v Great Britain: 12
The ‘Swinton Massacre’ saw Australia become the first Kangaroos team in ten attempts to capture the Ashes in England. Australia scored 12 tries in arguably the greatest performance by any Australia side.
Gasnier scored a try, Ken Irvine bagged three and Graham Langlands scored a record 20 points. Australia won the first match of a three test series by 28-2, as Gasnier scored two tries.
The following year Gasnier was captain of the first Australian team to defeat France in a home series. He scored a hat-trick in the second of the three Tests.
August 3, 1964: St George: 26 v Manly: 2
Gasnier scored a hat-trick in this Round 15 clash to bring up a century of tries in 86 games! Only Harold Horder, who scored 152 tries in 127 games, accomplished that feat quicker.
Gasnier scored the only tries of the second half, while his first score was a dramatic effort which featured a sudden change of direction to fool the Manly defence.
In the next three seasons Gasnier struggled with injures and only played 21 games.
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