VALE Brian Lockwood - Tiger #667

[TonyTiger]

Someone needs to get this to Benji, I’d love to see us pull this off this year.

It was Gold at the time and even better seeing it again - Neil Pringle was a cut above

 

[TonyTiger]

I was about 9 or 10 when Neil came to Balmain, so just starting to understand the game properly, and his line running is a major reason why Pringle remains my all-time favourite.

I remember Neil Pringle chasing down John Gibbs at Beookvake Oval - Gibbs had a sizeable head start and Pringle descended from the clouds to smash him oval the sideline an inch from the try line!!! With his NEVER SAY DIE attitude

 

[lauriefromleichhardt]

Vale Brian Lockwood

Wests Tigers are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Balmain Tigers Player #667, Brian Lockwood.

www.weststigers.com.au

Thanks mate for posting this sad news. Both Lockwood and Dave Bolton are now deceased. My father often comments his ball skills were exceptional. Many coaches today would not permit this type of passing, preferring a more robotic style with one of our former coaches in particular coming to mind.

Here is an interesting fact about Lockwood -

Brian Lockwood, a member of a famous rugby league family, entered the Guinness Book of Records as, at the time, the only player to have appeared at Wembley on six occasions, where he never lost.

And his story

In a league of his own: The Brian Lockwood Story - rugbyleaguebooks.com

Brian Lockwood is indisputably one of the finest rugby league players, indeed sportsmen, of the last 60 years. Superb skills as a ball-playing forward, with the rugby intelligence to make maximum use of his talents – and, crucially, of those of the men around him – helped him famously create the...

rugbyleaguebooks.com

Not to forget Dave Bolton

Balmain’s English hero passes on – Total Rugby League

www.totalrl.com

Loved watching both of these great poms. Bolton masterminded that 1969 win.

 

[Tim Sheens]

I remember Neil Pringle chasing down John Gibbs at Beookvake Oval - Gibbs had a sizeable head start and Pringle descended from the clouds to smash him oval the sideline an inch from the try line!!! With his NEVER SAY DIE attitude

I missed that as I never attended Brookvale until the 1983 season, having gotten my P plates on the first business day of that year, but got to watch him and Lockwood play for Balmain a bunch of times with dad at Leichhardt.

Great memories, including the unmistakable running style of Gibbs.

 

[TonyTiger]

I missed that as I never attended Brookvale until the 1983 season, having gotten my P plates on the first business day of that year, but got to watch him and Lockwood play for Balmain a bunch of times with dad at Leichhardt.

Great memories, including the unmistakable running style of Gibbs.

Gibbs’ running style was begging for a coat hanger 😀

 

[AmericanHistoryX]

Thank you Brian for the memories. Mission accomplished planet earth.

 

[BunganHead Tiger]

What may not be known about the famous Lockwood/Pringle move was that Lockwood actually brought the flick pass deception ploy over with him from England. Brian played with the Berries in 1974 under Malcolm Clift prior to joining the Tigers in 1975. Graeme Hughes claims that Lockwood revealed the play at training but coach Clift thought it was a risky play and told Lockwood not to use it in a game.

When Lockwood joined the Tigers the following year he ran the play ay training with Neil Pringle. It fooled everyone and coach Paul Broughton agreed to use it in games, often with second rower Trevor Ryan running as decoy on the outside. The rest is history.

Another little known fact about Brian Lockwood was that he was a very very good exponent of the 'Liverpool Kiss'. Lockwood arrived at his first training session at Leichardt to meet his new team mates. A reserve grade forward with a chip on his shoulder was playing a fool and acting disruptively. Lockwood called him over. The youngster sidled up before Brian. As he did so Brian hit him with a cracking head butt, breaking him open and sending him falling to the turf. As he stood over him Brian said, ''you'll not be doing that anymore whilst I'm around here!'' There were no more problems at training after that.

 

[Halbrowne61]

Loved watching both of these great poms. Bolton masterminded that 1969 win.

Was at LO the night we won the Amco Cup and will never forget Lockwoods flick pass to Bing.
And Bolton was a genius, played a big part in the 1969 GF win, both playing and coaching. Was there as well, sitting 3 rows back from the fence on the Paddo hill where Syd Williams scored the only
try.
Magic memories !!!!.

 

[mctiger]

Was it Bing Pringle who told Junior Pearce if you are going to make a covering tackle at Leichhardt, do it on the western touch line? Pearce apparently thought it was because of the downhill slope of the ground toward that touch line. Pringle said no if you are going to make a spectacular tackle, you want the most applause and that will be from the Latchem Robinson stand.

He also told him to roll the player when doing the tackle so they can see your number!