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Joe Egan: Last of rugby league's Indomitables (merged threads)

Started by Bedford Roughyed , Dec 01 2012 04:23 PM

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8 replies to this topic

#1 Bedford Roughyed

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Posted 01 December 2012 - 04:23 PM

The story of a unique sporting odyssey has now "almost disappeared from living memory" according to Professor Tony Collins, director of the International Centre for Sports History & Culture at De Montfort University.

Former Great Britain international rugby league player Joe Egan died at the age of 93 in November, closing the book on the story of the remarkable Indomitables' post-war tour to Australia and New Zealand.

http://www.bbc.co.uk...ngland-20542951

Good BBC article.

With the best, thats a good bit of PR, though I would say the Bedford team, theres, like, you know, 13 blokes who can get together at the weekend to have a game together, which doesnt point to expansion of the game. Point, yeah go on!

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#2 flyingking

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Posted 01 December 2012 - 07:28 PM

Read the article, it is superb with lots of fascinating historical content and contains anecdotes featuring Eric Batten and Eddie Waring. It also includes lots of food for thought for those who like to maintain that things were better in the "good old days"

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#3 longboard

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Posted 01 December 2012 - 09:19 PM

I saw this one in the Torygraph.

http://www.telegraph...1/Joe-Egan.html

Moving stuff.

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#4 Odsal Outlaw

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Posted 02 December 2012 - 08:57 AM

Great article, would make a good documentary/film. Not many RL ones about.

Would be great to get some proper tours back again!

Nottingham Outlaws Rugby League
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RLC Midlands Premier Champions 2006 & 2008
East Midlands Challenge Cup Winners 2005, 2006, 2007 & 2008
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#5 keighley

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Posted 02 December 2012 - 10:35 AM

When you read of the difficulties they encountered and the length of the tour coming on the back of a long domestic season and then you read about the Aussies not coming over here this autumn for a three game four nations because of player burnout concerns, it makes me wonder if they were super hard or the present generations are super soft.

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#6 Geoff Lee

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Posted 03 December 2012 - 09:37 AM

Thanks to Colin Thomson, a fan who first visited Odsal in the early Forties, the whole story of that 1946 tour has been well recorded in his book "The Indomitables" and published by London League Publications. www.llpshop.co.uk.

www.geofflee.net for news of my novels, One Winter, One Spring, One Summer and One Autumn, all written against a strong Rugby League background, set in South Lancashire and inspired by the old saying about work: "They could write a book about this place. It would be a best seller".

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#7 Futtocks

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Posted 04 December 2012 - 09:42 AM

Thanks to Colin Thomson, a fan who first visited Odsal in the early Forties, the whole story of that 1946 tour has been well recorded in his book "The Indomitables" and published by London League Publications. www.llpshop.co.uk.

Well worth putting on your Christmas list.

"Journalists are meant to be neutral, for God's sake." - Stephen 'Wiggy' Jones

"Perhaps it would be better that future criticism of sports be made on the narrow basis of what is being discussed, without reference to other sports, unless those sports offer a solution to the problem in hand." - Brian 'Pigface' Moore

"What happens in rugby union? A player takes the ball, moves forward a little and gets tackled. A whole load of players then roll about on the ground. Pheep! The referee gives a penalty." - Simon Barnes

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#8 weloveyouwakefield2

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Posted 05 December 2012 - 04:17 PM

Apologies if this has been posted before but you read the story of the 1946 GB tour here and you think wow!
http://www.bbc.co.uk...ngland-20542951

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#9 Futtocks

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Posted 05 December 2012 - 04:23 PM

Already posted here - http://www.totalrl.c...s-indomitables/

That thread contains a link to a Telegraph article which is also a very good read on the subject.

"Journalists are meant to be neutral, for God's sake." - Stephen 'Wiggy' Jones

"Perhaps it would be better that future criticism of sports be made on the narrow basis of what is being discussed, without reference to other sports, unless those sports offer a solution to the problem in hand." - Brian 'Pigface' Moore

"What happens in rugby union? A player takes the ball, moves forward a little and gets tackled. A whole load of players then roll about on the ground. Pheep! The referee gives a penalty." - Simon Barnes