851
Well-known member
@cqtiger said in [RIP Tommy Raudonikis](/post/1330848) said:
He said he didn't want to leave, but the money Singo offered him he couldn't refuse, he was always Wests mate
RIP Tommy Raudonikis
- Thread starter Wounded_magpie
- Start date
He said he didn't want to leave, but the money Singo offered him he couldn't refuse, he was always Wests mate
The Wests Tigers will wear their Magpies-inspired black jerseys as a mark of respect for the late, great Tommy Raudonikis for Sunday’s home clash against North Queensland.
The Tigers had planned to wear their orange regalia for the Leichhardt Oval encounter, but will switch strips to honour the legendary halfback. Black armbands will also be worn, while a minute’s silence will be observed at all NRL matches during round five.
Via Sydney Morning Herald.
The Tigers had planned to wear their orange regalia for the Leichhardt Oval encounter, but will switch strips to honour the legendary halfback. Black armbands will also be worn, while a minute’s silence will be observed at all NRL matches during round five.
Via Sydney Morning Herald.
Spud_Murphy
New member
I only heard this news when I came home from work tonight, I don’t mind saying I shed a tear or two. Such a great guy and character, Tommy you will be so missed 😢
240z
Well-known member
I was lucky enough as a 10 year old to see Tommy's first game for Wests at Lidcombe oval. From that time on he became my all time favourite player and still is. I met Tommy when I was a young man and many times later in life. My mum and Tommy's mum sat together during most games at Lidcombe oval and became friends. Tommy was not a perfect man like all of us but he loved the Magpies and his team mates.
He was great player, a good club man and a legend bigger than life and without him football will never seem the same. I will admit that I feel that I have lost a friend and a part of my youth with his passing and I shed a tear on hearing of his death.
As an old great West player and coach (Jack Gibson) would have said "Played hard, did well"
I was lucky enough as a 10 year old to see Tommy's first game for Wests at Lidcombe oval. From that time on he became my all time favourite player and still is. I met Tommy when I was a young man and many times later in life. My mum and Tommy's mum sat together during most games at Lidcombe oval and became friends. Tommy was not a perfect man like all of us but he loved the Magpies and his team mates.
He was great player, a good club man and a legend bigger than life and without him football will never seem the same. I will admit that I feel that I have lost a friend and a part of my youth with his passing and I shed a tear on hearing of his death.
As an old great West player and coach (Jack Gibson) would have said "Played hard, did well"
bathursttiger1
Well-known member
@851 said in [RIP Tommy Raudonikis](/post/1330880) said:
In some footage from the Footy show Tommy talks about getting a Brown paper bag from Singo, have a look it was really funny.
It can be found on the SMH website.
cochise
Well-known member
So many thought running through my head about this, really hard to know what to say but it is probably best not to say too much as if I was to truly dedicate a post to Tommy it would totally destroy the swearing guidelines of this forum in only the manner that Tommy could.
I won't say Rest in Peace because that was clearly not Tommy's style and will just say farewell to one of the last true characters of our game!
I won't say Rest in Peace because that was clearly not Tommy's style and will just say farewell to one of the last true characters of our game!
davey_farrell
Well-known member
well said Lidcome_magpie
rip Tommy
rip Tommy
851
Well-known member
@bathursttiger1 said in [RIP Tommy Raudonikis](/post/1330914) said:
When I saw Tommy on the speaking circuit, he mentioned that Singo wrote a figure on a piece of paper, he said the number was so high he had to take it
happy_tiger
Well-known member
Got my poo back together .....just hadn't heard anything about him going backwards again
I guess throwing out a few of my fav memories ...sitting on his lounge room floor reading a scrapbook his Mum had kept at either a pre or post season BBQ .....the oxen's heart on the dressing room door ...we thought he was going to ask us to take a bite from it lol ......swimming the surf up at Alex to win a bet with a surf livesaver .....he had cancer at the time ......selling drinks off the back of his truck to raise money for the Jets ...and nailing his blue folder to the wooden bench ....he hit the roof ...we thought we were get the boot ... he put Jimmy Landy up to acting like we were gone ...Jimmy couldn't lie to save himself lol
See you on the flip side Tom Terrific ...say G'day to One ton Tonner for us
I guess throwing out a few of my fav memories ...sitting on his lounge room floor reading a scrapbook his Mum had kept at either a pre or post season BBQ .....the oxen's heart on the dressing room door ...we thought he was going to ask us to take a bite from it lol ......swimming the surf up at Alex to win a bet with a surf livesaver .....he had cancer at the time ......selling drinks off the back of his truck to raise money for the Jets ...and nailing his blue folder to the wooden bench ....he hit the roof ...we thought we were get the boot ... he put Jimmy Landy up to acting like we were gone ...Jimmy couldn't lie to save himself lol
See you on the flip side Tom Terrific ...say G'day to One ton Tonner for us
cochise
Well-known member
@happy_tiger said in [RIP Tommy Raudonikis](/post/1330928) said:
Hey mate, condolences sent your way, you obviously knew him well. If you have the desire and/or the time I would be interested in reading a few of your Tommy stories in a bit more detail. Totally up to you but just thought I would throw it out there.
Elderslie_Tiger
Well-known member
@happy_tiger said in [RIP Tommy Raudonikis](/post/1330844) said:
I would say your not the only one
StarswithStripes
Well-known member
Tommy drew me to follow the Maggie’s when I was a kid. Dead set fair dinkum hard a#sed breed of player. Showed more grit than some playing now. I hope our boys do it for Tommy this weekend!
happy_tiger
Well-known member
@cochise said in [RIP Tommy Raudonikis](/post/1330934) said:
Yeah quite happy to throw a few stories and laughs out there
I guess from a personal side ....it was quite daunting at first to have your hero start saying you were pretty good .....being a Maggie supporter and wearing Wests apparel to training ...I think he took me and the Walters boys under his wing a bit along with Steve Nance who had been our PE teacher at IGS ..which was strange ...we were the silvertails lol ...GPS school
I guess from the footy conversations I did have with him was to simplify things ...use your brains .....give 110 % for your self , club , teammates (He had footy smarts .....I always got the feeling he didn't want people to know he had footy smarts ) Work hard at whatever you wanted to do in life
He was a tough son of a gun ...but you knew he loved ya ....it was usually not shown in the typical way ...like when I started getting right ups and mentioned around the traps .....he'd tell you to ignore the wraps and keep focussing on getting better and working hard
Our home ground was very similar to Lidcombe ...we had an area known as the Pig Pen .....remember the furore when someone grabbed Wally Lewis after he was sent to the bin
But back to Tommy he'd back you to the hilt .....didn't give a rats for reputations ...didn't care if what he said put him in bad light as long as his boys got an even crack
I guess the most memorable story was Alfie .....the post season previous Mark Murray ex Qld half an NRL coach had an accident with Greg Conescu and Murray partially lost his vision
Qld for the 1st time held a trial game with Qld Residents and Qld NSWRL players ....Spina really gave it to Alfie and outplayed him ...Lewis had come out and said he prefer playing with Spina ....Bennett was leaning towards Spina .....Tommy gave it to Wally ...gave it to Bennett in the press told them to shut up and stop trying to influence the selectors ...well Tommy won that battle and was 100% right
As for the after hours hi jinx .....Tommy was probably in his mid to late 30's then ...going on 19 lol ......he didn't really mind if you played up ...as long as you aimed up at training or game day .....he flog you if you didn't
All the fighting stories you guys all heard of on the tours with the Ipswich boys ....Raceview Tavern and it was on .....we had some real hard asses as well Big Bob Kellaway had played Origin from memory (or maybe for Qld pre Origin .....Glenn Haggath played for the Bulldogs
Great days ...great memories really regretted leaving after the fall out with the club / Dud over reneged back paid match payments ...and often wonder .....don't go to Brisbane Wests ...don't bugger Achilles .....poo happens I guess
sheer64
Well-known member
Champion bloke who played the game the way he wanted to. Loved you Tommy and you will always be remembered. RIP.
cochise
Well-known member
@happy_tiger said in [RIP Tommy Raudonikis](/post/1330966) said:
Mate thanks for that, I really enjoyed reading that. Being a little younger than you, I don't have a lot of memories of him playing and remember him more as a coach. Thanks for the small insight into such an important character of our great game.
happy_tiger
Well-known member
@cochise said in [RIP Tommy Raudonikis](/post/1331031) said:
Probably a few stories I've forgotten ....was just watching NRL 360 and watching Spud ........
The story that probably covers Tommy to a tee is the bet with the surf livesaver .....We'd all had a few and probably should have put 2+2 together when Steve Nance was trying to talk him out of it (Nancy knew he had cancer and was the only one at the club ) ...but the conditions on the beach were terrible ...they were closing the beach
Didn't bother him .....someone had said it couldn't be done ( and he could get a few bob out of it lol ) and he did it ...he looked horrible when he came out ....he had that grey look .....that look I saw later in life in family members who were about to pass .....
cochise
Well-known member
Just looking through some of Tommy's career stats and found it interesting that he coached one game in 1976 when Don Parish was ill. Does anyone know anymore about that?
Balmainbred
Active member
RIP Tom condolences to your family and friends see ya cattle dog
Saint Peter Orders A Pallet Of Tooheys New Cans, Puts An Extra Bouncer On In The TAB Upstairs
The venue manager at the pearly gates has today rushed to get everything in order for the arrival of one of rugby leagues great characters.
Western Sydney icon Tommy Raudonikis has died at the age of 70, following a lengthy battle with cancer – one that lasted much longer than anyone thought it would.
Born in 1950 to a Swiss mother and Lithuanian father in the Bathurst Migrant Camp, Raudonikis made up the early wave of New Australians to take up rugby league over soccer.
After school he spent three years with the RAAF in Wagga before signing with the Western Suburbs magpies, a rugby league club that would go on to become synonymous with his own name after 202 matches.
Known for his on-field toughness and working class fighting spirit, Raudonikis was recognised in the game as a revolutionary player and coach. He led New South Wales as captain in the inaugural State of Origin game in 1980 – playing against his good mate, the late inaugural Queensland captain Artie Beetson.
While Raudonikis is remembered as an icon of NSW rugby league, he also holds a special place in the hearts of South-West Queensland – after playing a pivotal role in the early careers of Alfie Langer and the Walters brothers, in his coaching role at the Ipswich Jets.
Today, as he hits the change rooms for the last time, it is understood that Tommy Terrific will be given a heroes welcome at the leagues club upstairs.
A pallet of Tooheys New has been ordered to time with his arrival, as Saint Peter puts an extra security guard on duty in the TAB.
Artie will be waiting for him at the early bird seafood buffet.
Vale Tommy Raudonikis. 1950-2021.
The venue manager at the pearly gates has today rushed to get everything in order for the arrival of one of rugby leagues great characters.
Western Sydney icon Tommy Raudonikis has died at the age of 70, following a lengthy battle with cancer – one that lasted much longer than anyone thought it would.
Born in 1950 to a Swiss mother and Lithuanian father in the Bathurst Migrant Camp, Raudonikis made up the early wave of New Australians to take up rugby league over soccer.
After school he spent three years with the RAAF in Wagga before signing with the Western Suburbs magpies, a rugby league club that would go on to become synonymous with his own name after 202 matches.
Known for his on-field toughness and working class fighting spirit, Raudonikis was recognised in the game as a revolutionary player and coach. He led New South Wales as captain in the inaugural State of Origin game in 1980 – playing against his good mate, the late inaugural Queensland captain Artie Beetson.
While Raudonikis is remembered as an icon of NSW rugby league, he also holds a special place in the hearts of South-West Queensland – after playing a pivotal role in the early careers of Alfie Langer and the Walters brothers, in his coaching role at the Ipswich Jets.
Today, as he hits the change rooms for the last time, it is understood that Tommy Terrific will be given a heroes welcome at the leagues club upstairs.
A pallet of Tooheys New has been ordered to time with his arrival, as Saint Peter puts an extra security guard on duty in the TAB.
Artie will be waiting for him at the early bird seafood buffet.
Vale Tommy Raudonikis. 1950-2021.
innsaneink
Well-known member
Not often RL icons who pass get mentions by the prime minister, NSW & QLD premiers, Skando, Hodgo, wayne bennet etc etc
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