'They'll kill you': Old school league's brutal reality

1 year ago 64

John Sattler was rugby league's reluctant hard antheral - a gentle elephantine who wanted thing to bash with the crippled for overmuch of his aboriginal life.

Sattler died connected Monday, aged 80, and the rugby league satellite is poorer for his passing - a legendary fig connected the tract and a existent man disconnected it.

But Sattler, who was calved successful Kurri adjacent Newcastle, did thing to debar playing shot passim his childhood.

"I was much funny successful horses and worldly similar that," Sattler told maine respective years ago.

"I utilized to look astatine league and think, 'Gosh, that is simply a unsmooth game'. They tried to marque maine play it astatine schoolhouse but I was excessively astute for them. As soon arsenic the luncheon doorbell went, I'd bolt retired the beforehand door, drawback the autobus location and play with the horses.

"One time erstwhile I was astir 16, I was breaking successful a equine erstwhile a neighbour told maine to articulation successful a section crippled of touch. So I tied up the equine and joined successful - jeans, riding boots and all. I recovered I really enjoyed it, and it each started from there."

Sattler rapidly developed a reputation, and by 1964, was signed by Souths.

Burgess' tribute to Sattler

But rival forwards were speedy to prime connected the caller boy.

"My archetypal game, against Parramatta, I ended up successful the infirmary getting a clump of stitches successful a chopped supra my oculus from a punch," helium said.

"My dada was usually a quiescent bloke but helium was shocked erstwhile helium saw the authorities of my face. 'You can't instrumentality this benignant of happening each week; you're going to person to springiness immoderate backmost to these blokes oregon they volition termination you.'

"I followed his advice… but I astir apt did it to the extreme."

Gould, Gallen wage tribute to John Sattler

Sattler became a renowned deed antheral - but developed into a league fable due to the fact that of a vicious battle connected him disconnected the shot by Manly's John Bucknall successful the 1970 expansive final.

Sattler played implicit fractional the lucifer with his jaw breached successful 3 places, spending 2 weeks successful infirmary afterwards portion surgeons reconstructed his jaw.

Although a benignant antheral disconnected the field, helium ne'er forgave his assailant.

"Bucknall was fundamentally a little grader who lone got into their squad due to the fact that a mates of different blokes were retired injured," Sattler said.

"I deliberation helium conscionable went retired determination looking for immoderate casual pickings. We were moving past each other, acold from the ball, erstwhile helium deed maine with the champion forearm jolt you volition ever see. I was down connected 1 genu but got up, and helium belted maine again."

Sattler led Souths to a convincing triumph implicit Manly, 1 of his six expansive last appearances, earlier moving up to the Gold Coast and finishing his vocation arsenic Queensland captain.

For each his ferocity connected the field, friends retrieve him arsenic a benignant and generous psyche who volition spell down arsenic 1 of the game's existent champions.

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