Manly Marlins Rugby

21 hours ago

Four of Manly rugby's greatest and most loyal servants were awarded life membership at our recent AGM.

(From left to right) Damien Cummins, Rob Gallacher, Geoff Riddington and David Begg were all bestowed the honour by club president Matt Curll amid emotional scenes.

None of the four knew life membership was coming their way, joining an illustrious list of men and women to have gone before them during the club's 141-year history.

Their achievements and contributions are too long to list here, but "Turtle" Cummins and Gals were members of our 1997 premiership-winning team and have been involved with the club for well over 30 years in on and off field roles.

Beggy was our president from 2012-16 - one of the lengthiest tenures in our history - and a longtime board member, as well as refereeing in the Shute Shield and serving as president of the Sydney Rugby Union.

Riddo has been with us since 1973 - as a player, coach, administrator, committee member, volunteer and supporter. He continues to bleed red and blue.

Please join us in congratulating (and thanking) these four outstanding men #boomboom ... See MoreSee Less

Manly Marlins Rugby

3 days ago

We’re in need of accommodation to house players for the 2025 season! If you’re in the Northern Beaches and have a place that needs to be rented out, get in touch 🏠 ... See MoreSee Less

Manly Marlins Rugby

1 week ago

Tizza, Manly Rugby Coach and Player, brain given up for science. FitzSimonds who wrote this in 2014 is speaking at 6.30pm Mosman Art Gallery 4th November 2024

Great impact: Barry ''Tizza'' Taylor as Manly rugby coach. Photo: Fairfax Archives

It was 2014 when FitzSimons published this piece.

Around about the time you are likely reading this, a skilled surgeon is delicately cutting out and removing the brain of former NSW Waratahs coach Barry ''Tizza'' Taylor. By the time of his funeral on Friday afternoon at Manly, that brain will be in ice and on its way to Boston University. Now those who knew Tizza and who were as fond of him as I was may be forgiven for registering some surprise that - ahem - his, of all Australian brains, is the first to be preserved for medical science in this manner. But therein lies a story …

From the age of 10, Tizza was a strong, willing rugby player. Not a world-beater, true, but he never saw a tackle he didn't want to make, never saw a scrap he didn't want to be part of, never backed down to a bigger man. In all of his long career, playing to the age of 33, he never wanted to come off when he'd been hit - even hard - never wanted to sit out a game if ever he could take the field.

And yet, while like all rugby players of his generation he knew that concussion was no big deal, for Tizza that cavalier approach was a point of honour. As the son of Dudley Taylor - the undefeated middleweight boxer and prize fighter in the pubs around Glebe during the Depression - he was a second-generation star graduate of the School of Hard Knocks, and knew that it wasn't how hard you hit, it was how hard you could get hit and keep coming back for more. In the words of his wife Enid, ''Tizza was concussed many, many times, and just played through it.''

In pure rugby terms, this approach earned him great respect as he formed lifelong friendships, played 235 games at breakaway for his beloved Manly, and learnt enough about the game and the motivations of young men to become a successful Australian under 21s and NSW Waratahs coach (teams that I had the honour to play in under his fine stewardship.)

But did all those concussions all those years ago have a long-term effect on him? It is to answer that question that Tizza's brain is on its way to Boston.

What we do know is that at the comparatively young age of 57 years, back in 1993, Tizza was already showing early signs of dementia. Short-term memory loss was one of the first signs, as was erratic behaviour and odd outbursts of anger from this usually even-tempered and loving family man. At first they thought he was just turning into a ''cranky old man'', and even though by his 60th birthday he was, in the words of his son Steven, ''already quite dotty'', still they thought it was just Tizza being Tizza … only more so. But then his condition worsened, particularly with his loss of memory and inability to control his anger.

''He couldn't remember what he had for breakfast,'' Steven says, ''yet could recall things from 60 years ago with the most minute detail. His condition would decline, then it would plateau for a while, then we'd notice another slip, followed by a plateau, etc, until finally he just wasn't there at all. It's been probably three years since he recognised any of us.''

When Tizza died late last Wednesday afternoon, it was a mercy, for the Tizza we all knew and loved was actually long gone.

In a conversation I had on Thursday morning with his grieving widow Enid, she talked with love but despair of her experience with him over the past two decades. She mentioned that she had seen the story I did for Channel Seven's Sunday Night earlier this year focusing on the study being done by Boston University on the brains of deceased former NFL and ice hockey players, whereby they test for a condition known as CTE - chronic traumatic encephalopathy - very broadly, a degenerative brain disease frequently resulting in early dementia, caused by repeated concussions and sub concussive hits. It is like bruising on the brain that doesn't go away, and gets worse with age.

Enid mentioned the symptoms displayed by those players sounded remarkably familiar and, with her blessing and encouragement, I called Christopher Nowinski of Boston University. Gentle calls to Enid and Steven were made in return, and the Taylor family has very generously allowed Tizza's brain to be harvested for their brain bank. The family thinks, as I do, that he would have enjoyed the enormous fuss he has caused even after he has gone, and the old Tizza would have laughed himself silly at the thought that, at long last, his really was the most studied Australian rugby brain of the lot. (And would still be, Tizza, years after your death!)

None of this is to say that Tizza's dementia was definitely caused by his long rugby career and refusal to bow to repeated concussions. But we will all know more soon.

Vale, Tizza - you dinkum were a one-off, and will long be fondly remembered in rugby, surf-lifesaving and wider Manly circles. You made an impact on rugby, mate, and we just want to know what true impact rugby had on you.

trybooking.com/CVRUH

Mosman Council 9978 4128 or

Email community.care@mosman.nsw.gov.au ... See MoreSee Less

Manly Marlins Rugby

3 weeks ago

A couple of mini mahs and the Adonis having a hit out yesterday! Congrats to @joe__dillon representing the @brumbiesrugby U19 and @tomkklem and @davekennett representing @nswwaratahs U19 💙❤️ ... See MoreSee Less

Manly Marlins Rugby

3 weeks ago

The Manly Marlins Rugby Club are saddened to hear the recent passing of JON MITCHELL - one of the toughest back rowers the club has ever produced.

The following tribute is by his former coach, 'Moose' Lane.

In the 1974 second grade grand final against Gordon, at 37 years of age, he played part of the match with a compound fracture of his finger and refused to leave the field until trainers and I forced him off.

He was a tenacious back rower with outstanding speed, strength and stamina. A crushing defender too. He was simply a fearsome competitor who played for the whole 80 minutes.

He was also without a doubt, one of the fittest players I had ever come across in all the years of coaching at Manly. He spent countless hours training under fitness legend George Daldry at the famous Tattersalls gym in the city.

Jon would later become a selector, administrator and board member but most players in the 1980s will remember him as one of the most demanding trainers of all time.

His gym in Campbell Parade, Manly Vale was nick named 'Changi' and open to all players on the proviso, "Work out properly or don't turn up at all !"

I also believe Jon played a key role in the club's resurgence from 1974 and eventually led to the club's 1983 First Grade Premiership.

He personally took the late Ollie Hall under his wing and resurrected his rugby career by making him super fit and winning the premiership and gaining Wallaby selection later that year at the age of 36.

Jon was also a keen member of the Manly SLSC, featuring strongly in swim events and R and R. He also loved boats and sailed out of Pittwater with Bob Miller (later known as Ben Lexcen of America's cup fame) and won Australian Titles and international events.

As a career, Jon was a very successful architect. One of his most notable achievements was the design of the AMP building at Circular Quay.

In later years he was a successful developer, entrepreneur and commercial property owner. Like his rugby career, he was a very tough businessman and didn't take too kindly to fools. But those that worked for him, said they learnt a lot.

RIP Jon 'Wallaby' Mitchell.

FUNERAL DETAILS:
10.30 am Thursday October 24
St Mary's Catholic Church
Raglan Street, Manly

CELEBRATION OF HIS LIFE
2 - 5 pm
Manly Skiff Club ... See MoreSee Less

Manly Marlins Rugby

4 weeks ago

We are on the hunt for Strength & Conditioning coaches for the 2025 season to fill the following positions:

♦️Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach - Grade
♦️Strength & Conditioning Coach - Internship

If you’re looking to gain experience with a great bunch of lads and get mentored by the Manly Adonis and @rcvri_au King @davekennett please get in touch.

#UpTheMahs #Strength #Conditioning #Coach ... See MoreSee Less

Manly Marlins Rugby

2 months ago

The Mahs welcome Manly Rugby legend Sam Lane as the 1st Grade Head Coach in 2025 🙌🏽

Sam has been around Manly rugby since his family moved to the area in 1997 after dad – and former Wallaby – Tim was appointed head coach.

He was a six-year-old boy watching from the stands the day the Marlins won that year’s premiership, going on to play in the juniors before eventually making his way through to the senior ranks and carving out an excellent first grade career.

Moving into coaching was almost inevitable given his bloodlines, and success came almost instantly, with Sam joining forces with Harry Bergelin to guide second grade to the premiership late last month.

Nearly three decades after his father’s arrival, Sam has now been handed the keys to the first-grade team.

“It’s a real privilege and honour to be given the chance to coach the first-grade team.”

It’s been 27 years since the Marlins last won the Shute Shield and nine years since we last played in a grand final. Will Sam help the Mahs break the drought?

The clubs excited to have you on board and the boys are ready to rip in this pre-season 🔥

#UpTheMahs ... See MoreSee Less

Manly Marlins Rugby

2 months ago

On behalf of the Mahs rugby community we’d like to thank @cdsportshub for his services, as he steps down as Head Coach to take up the position as @wallaroosrugby Assistant Coach.

In his two years at the helm, Manly Rugby made the finals in all seven grades (seniors and colts) in 2023 and six of seven grades this year.

In addition, Chris played a great supporting role to Sam Lane and Harry Bergelin as second grade came from sixth to win the premiership last month.

All the best mate, hope to see you dancing down at the oval soon 💙❤️

#UpTheMahs ... See MoreSee Less