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Rugby league rookie cup: The class of 1997

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Roar Guru
8th July, 2021
17

The Super League War-ravaged 1997 season gave us the Adelaide Rams, the Hunter Mariners and another crop of rookies to mould into a 17-man line-up.

The class of 1997 boasts a quality core of Kiwi forwards and no shortage of hookers, but you need to be as creative as a Roosters accountant to spread the talent evenly across the team sheet.

Although the real stuff was split across two comps, the Super League and ARL boys join forces here to contest the rugby league rookie cup.

Let’s start with an ARL man who punched well above his weight.

Fullback: Brett Hodgson
Getting rag-dolled by Gorden Tallis is an unfair way to remember Wests’ Brett Hodgson, who’d rather we focused on his integral role in Parramatta’s 2001 campaign, his 308 points in the Tigers’ charge to the 2005 title – the second-highest single-season haul in history – and his 2009 Super League man of steel gong.

Wingers: Marcus Bai and Jason Moodie
Papua New Guinea winger Marcus Bai debuted on the Gold Coast before becoming Melbourne’s first cult hero, joined on the other flank by Newcastle’s Jason Moodie.

Centres: Michael De Vere and Mark Hughes
Like Hodgson, Michael De Vere’s career is overshadowed by a single Origin moment: getting a staple gun jammed in his brow in a toe-curling act of bravery. Accompanying the no-fuss Broncos centre is dual Knights title winner Mark Hughes, who took bravery to another level in retirement throughout his battle with brain cancer.

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Five-eighth: Matt Geyer
Mark Geyer’s little brother spent most of his 268-game career on the wing for the Storm. But his first six games for the Western Reds in 1997, plus a grand final win at five-eighth for Melbourne two years later, qualifies him to wear the No. 6 in this team.

Halfback: Danny Buderus (captain)
Legendary Newcastle hooker Danny Buderus is of course a hooker, but he gets this gig because the class of 1997 isn’t exactly flush with playmakers, and the decorated dummy half did flirt with the No. 7 jersey throughout his career – he played six NRL games at halfback and teamed up with Trent Barrett in the halves for the 1995 Australian Schoolboys. Plus surely some Joey Johns magic dust rubbed off on him.

(Photo by Tony Feder/Getty Images)

Props: Nathan Cayless and Jerry Seuseu
Parramatta’s Nathan Cayless and Auckland’s Jerry Seuseu form a teak-tough front-row combination that played Tests together for New Zealand.

Hooker: Luke Priddis
Hooker is the one position where 1997’s rookie class was spoilt for choice. With Buderus at halfback, 315-game journeyman Luke Priddis, who began his career behind Simon Woolford at Canberra, takes the dummy half duties. Tireless tacklers and premiership winners Richard Swain (Mariners then Storm) and Simon Bonetti (Roosters) are unlucky.

Second row: Bryan Fletcher and Tony Puletua
Alongside Joe Galuvao, Penrith’s Tony Puletua was one half of the ‘hair bears’ back row that powered the Panthers to the 2003 title. Roosters rookie and Fox funnyman Bryan Fletcher has the follicles and the form to match him.

Lock: Logan Swann
The Warriors’ Logan Swann made his debut for the Kiwis in 1996 before he’d even graduated from Auckland’s reserve-grade side, so he’s a walk-up here.

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Bench: Daniel Wagon, David Kidwell, Luke Williamson and Garth Wood
St George’s Daniel Wagon and Adelaide first-gamers David Kidwell and Luke Williamson supply stacks of versatility off the bench.

But this team might cop a few beatings in the rugby league rookie cup, so they need Garth Wood – one of 15 Rabbitohs debutants in 1997 before becoming a professional boxer – to help them at least win the fight.

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Coach: Mal Meninga
Andrew Farrar (Illawarra), Rod Reddy (Adelaide), Frank Endacott (Auckland), Dean Lance (Western Reds) and Steve Bleakley (South Queensland) all picked up a clipboard for the first time in 1997, but Raiders talisman Mal Meninga wins this posting, so long as right-hand man Michael Hagan can take care of all the tactical stuff.

Verdict
With no recognised halves, Big Mal isn’t building any dynasties with this squad.

Will the class of 1998 give them some company near the foot of the ladder?

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