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Roarer ‘Ret’ posed an interesting question in my salute to the late, great Reg Gasnier last Monday.
He wondered who would be similar to Reg since he retired.
To answer the question I would have to name one who was pure poetry in motion with the ability to beat a man, virtually from a standing start.
I’ve only seen two in 50 years. They were Ken Irvine, a New South Wales and Kangaroo teammate of Reg’s, and Michael O’Connor.
Irvine was just like Reg Gasnier in so many ways. Not only was he a joy a watch in full flight, but his try-scoring ability to beat a man was extraordinary.
There can be no greater testimony than that he scored 171 tries in 11 seasons for North Sydney when the Bears were a lowly side.
How’s this for season-long, try-scoring consistency in a losing side: 19, 16, 17, 15, 16, 15, 13, 13, 14, 17, and 16.
Six times in those 11 seasons, Irvine scored four tries in a game.
Six times.
There was almost a riot when Ken decided he’d had enough of keeping the Bears afloat and went to Manly for the last three seasons of his career. At the Eagles, he scored 15, 13, and 13.
All up that’s 212 tries from 236 games. He still leads the career try-scorers list in the code, even though he retired 41 years ago.
Add the 24 tries from 30 games for NSW and 31 tries from 33 Tests, as well as being an automatic selection in rugby league’s Team of the Century, and there was one helluva footballer.
So it defies description he wasn’t named an Immortal in 1981 with the original inductees Clive Churchill, Reg Gasnier, Bobby Fulton and Johnny Raper.
And he still isn’t an Immortal which doesn’t say much for the selectors.
Michael O’Connor was no Ken Irvine, nor was he a Reg Gasnier, but he was the most perfectly balanced and gifted athlete who just glided over the turf at speed.
When he switched from rugby after a glittering 13-Test career, he signed with Reg’s club St George in 1983. The Dragon fans immediately warmed to him as another ‘Puff’.
O’Connor spent four years with the Dragons before signing with Manly for two years, then St Helens for another two. He came back to Manly to see out his career from 1989 to 1992.
But his most memorable moment was State of Origin in 1991 when he landed a conversion from touch at the SFS in bucketing rain to beat Queensland 14-12.
O’Connor played 19 Origins and 18 Tests and was a classic dual international.
So that’s what made Reg Gasnier so special – that only two played like him in the last 50 years.
And thanks ‘Ret’ for the question.