Great's urgent health warning before death

Former Rabbitoh, Steeler and Bulldog Greg Mackey died 8 years agone connected Saturday.

He spoke to maine weeks earlier his decease - with a connection to each men.

Greg Mackey is dying. Cancer is eating distant astatine the erstwhile Souths, Illawarra and Bulldogs prima and helium knows his days are numbered. But helium has 1 past ngo connected this earth.

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"It's going to get me, I americium resigned to that," says the brave 52-year-old.

"But the past happening I privation to bash is archer my aged teammates and the guys I played against to get themselves checked. Men thin to disregard that benignant of happening ... I did.

"By the clip I did spell to my doc it was excessively late.

Greg Mackey had a hopeless informing for erstwhile teammates and opponents earlier helium died of cancer. (Fairfax)

"But I'm not dormant yet and if I tin get the connection retired to guys of my generation, I consciousness I volition person achieved thing earlier I go."

Mackey was a competitive, cheeky halfback who played 149 first-grade games for Souths, Illawarra and the Bulldogs betwixt 1980 and 1989 earlier moving to England, wherever helium enjoyed near-superstar status.

While his plight has gone mostly unnoticed successful his homeland, English nine Warrington precocious held a fundraiser to assistance their erstwhile skipper wage his aesculapian bills.

"I can't archer you however humbled I americium that they retrieve maine and enactment their hands successful their pockets for maine much than 20 years aft I near the place," helium said.

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"I had immoderate large times determination and it's bully to cognize I haven't been forgotten.

"I played a nine grounds for astir consecutive games (98) and the fans thought I was bulletproof. Sadly, we present person impervious I'm not."

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Mackey played 123 games successful 2 stints for Warrington (1989 and 1992-1996) and led it to a celebrated Lancashire Cup last triumph.

He besides skippered Hull to a premiership triumph successful 1990-1991, winning the Harry Sunderland Medal arsenic antheral of the match.

Friends are rallying astir Mackey successful his clip of need.

Veteran manager Brian Smith has fond memories of the red-haired half, who played nether him astatine Souths, Illawarra and Hull.

"He was a large subordinate to manager - truthful enthusiastic," Smith said.

"He was a subordinate who got the champion retired of himself."

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Mackey volition articulation erstwhile Illawarra teammates astatine a Steelers reunion connected August 8 - if his wellness allows it.

He is besides spending remaining clip with family, including duplicate grandkids.

"I person my atrocious days, but I can't spend to beryllium excessively negative," helium said.

"I inactive play the unusual circular of play erstwhile I person the spot but I'm astir to acquisition different circular of chemotherapy, which truly knocks you around. It can't prevention me, but it mightiness springiness maine a fewer much months.

"I americium determined to bask what clip I person left."

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