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Best of British: Pom greats team up for Tigers' big night
June 27, 2012
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Garry Schofield, Ellery Hanley and Gareth Ellis share an unbreakable bond after flying south for a shot at the NRL, writes Greg Prichard.
The bond between English players who came and conquered the Australian game is something special.
The Herald enjoyed the warmth of it up close yesterday, at a relaxed lunch with three of the greatest - Ellery Hanley, Garry Schofield and Gareth Ellis.
This was old school, around a table at Barbarz Italian Kitchen in Wests Tigers country at Concord, along with Tigers chief executive Stephen Humphreys and media manager Wayne Cousins.
Hanley and Schofield each played for Balmain and Western Suburbs a generation ago, and are back in the country for tomorrow night's Wests Tigers dinner at Curzon Hall, Marsfield, when their time with Balmain will be honoured.
The two greats are full of fabulous stories and strong opinions built from a lifetime of experience in the game. The playing career of Ellis is still in progress, but he will farewell the Tigers at the end of the season before returning to England to play out his career.
But the age gap between the veterans and the current player means nothing. They are inextricably linked by having come from one side of the world to the other to prove themselves in the game's toughest competition.
''This really is a brotherhood,'' Ellis said. ''These two guys are legends of the game, and someone like me looks at them in awe, really. To meet them, properly, and share things is just fantastic.
''What guys like Ellery and Garry did, and Adrian Morley after them, inspired me to come over here and play. I didn't realise how well regarded Ellery and Garry were over here until I got here, and I think it's fantastic.''
Hanley and Schofield will be inducted into the hall of fame for the Tigers, and they say tomorrow night will be an emotional time.
''It will bring back a lot of memories,'' Hanley said. ''It's a special occasion when you get a phone call asking you to come 12,000 miles to be a guest. That says everything to me about the Tigers - the respect with which they treat you, and how they treat us all as family.
Schofield added: ''I had three excellent years at Balmain. My wife, Adele, had three great years out here as well, but she passed away 13 years ago with breast cancer, so it will be a quite emotional night for me.
''But, at the same time, it will be very enjoyable, because most of the players from my era are going to be there and I can't wait to have a chat with them and reminisce about the good days.''
Schofield said the people running the game in England only want to embrace the period from 1996, when Super League began, and have no time for those who came before.
''Back home, we don't get the respect we deserve,'' he said. ''We get more respect here than we do back home.
''I've mentioned to a few people since I've been here that's it's big news over here that Ellery and I are being inducted into a hall of fame, which I'm so proud of and so delighted to be a part of, but back home it's not even getting a mention. It's disrespectful.''
The current Tigers players have embraced Hanley and Schofield, to the extent that personal bonds are being formed. Hanley and Tigers captain and NSW hooker Robbie Farah, whose mother, Sonia, died 10 days ago, are an example of that.
''Robbie was with his teammates when I walked into the NSW dressing room after the second State of Origin game, and he immediately came up to me and had a chat,'' Hanley said.
''He said to me, 'Ellery, it's an absolute honour to have met you, and to be speaking with you', and I thought to myself, 'that tells you everything about Robbie Farah'. He's not just a great footballer, but a great human being as well.''
Limited tickets for tomorrow night's function are still available on 8741 3316\. It promises to be one of the great nights in Tiger town.
June 27, 2012
\
\
Garry Schofield, Ellery Hanley and Gareth Ellis share an unbreakable bond after flying south for a shot at the NRL, writes Greg Prichard.
The bond between English players who came and conquered the Australian game is something special.
The Herald enjoyed the warmth of it up close yesterday, at a relaxed lunch with three of the greatest - Ellery Hanley, Garry Schofield and Gareth Ellis.
This was old school, around a table at Barbarz Italian Kitchen in Wests Tigers country at Concord, along with Tigers chief executive Stephen Humphreys and media manager Wayne Cousins.
Hanley and Schofield each played for Balmain and Western Suburbs a generation ago, and are back in the country for tomorrow night's Wests Tigers dinner at Curzon Hall, Marsfield, when their time with Balmain will be honoured.
The two greats are full of fabulous stories and strong opinions built from a lifetime of experience in the game. The playing career of Ellis is still in progress, but he will farewell the Tigers at the end of the season before returning to England to play out his career.
But the age gap between the veterans and the current player means nothing. They are inextricably linked by having come from one side of the world to the other to prove themselves in the game's toughest competition.
''This really is a brotherhood,'' Ellis said. ''These two guys are legends of the game, and someone like me looks at them in awe, really. To meet them, properly, and share things is just fantastic.
''What guys like Ellery and Garry did, and Adrian Morley after them, inspired me to come over here and play. I didn't realise how well regarded Ellery and Garry were over here until I got here, and I think it's fantastic.''
Hanley and Schofield will be inducted into the hall of fame for the Tigers, and they say tomorrow night will be an emotional time.
''It will bring back a lot of memories,'' Hanley said. ''It's a special occasion when you get a phone call asking you to come 12,000 miles to be a guest. That says everything to me about the Tigers - the respect with which they treat you, and how they treat us all as family.
Schofield added: ''I had three excellent years at Balmain. My wife, Adele, had three great years out here as well, but she passed away 13 years ago with breast cancer, so it will be a quite emotional night for me.
''But, at the same time, it will be very enjoyable, because most of the players from my era are going to be there and I can't wait to have a chat with them and reminisce about the good days.''
Schofield said the people running the game in England only want to embrace the period from 1996, when Super League began, and have no time for those who came before.
''Back home, we don't get the respect we deserve,'' he said. ''We get more respect here than we do back home.
''I've mentioned to a few people since I've been here that's it's big news over here that Ellery and I are being inducted into a hall of fame, which I'm so proud of and so delighted to be a part of, but back home it's not even getting a mention. It's disrespectful.''
The current Tigers players have embraced Hanley and Schofield, to the extent that personal bonds are being formed. Hanley and Tigers captain and NSW hooker Robbie Farah, whose mother, Sonia, died 10 days ago, are an example of that.
''Robbie was with his teammates when I walked into the NSW dressing room after the second State of Origin game, and he immediately came up to me and had a chat,'' Hanley said.
''He said to me, 'Ellery, it's an absolute honour to have met you, and to be speaking with you', and I thought to myself, 'that tells you everything about Robbie Farah'. He's not just a great footballer, but a great human being as well.''
Limited tickets for tomorrow night's function are still available on 8741 3316\. It promises to be one of the great nights in Tiger town.
