The ARL Team of the Century Trivia Quiz

Answer: Clive Churchill

Born in Newcatle in 1927, Clive Bernard Churchill was a brilliant player even in his school days. His professional footballing days started with a local team in Newcastle but it only took a year before scouts from Sydney spotted his prowess. A contract with the South Sydney Rabbitohs was signed in 1947 and the legend of Clive Churchill, "The Little Master" began. Souths won five premierships with Clive in the team (1950-51, and 1953-55). Clive played 37 games for New South Wales (NSW) after his first selection in 1948. His test career spanned 1948-56, captaining for 24 matches. Clive went on Kangaroo tours in 1948-49, 1952-53, and 1956-57. He captained the Australian rugby league team on his second Kangaroo tour, and also in three test matches during the 1954 World Cup. Retirement from playing didn't stop Clive. He successfully took up coaching, firstly with the Rabbitohs, then Brisbane Norths, Canterbury-Bankstown, and then back to Souths. Clive guided the Rabbitohs to five premierships during his reign as coach. He also coached the Kangaroo team.

Clive was given the nickname of "The Little Master" in recognition of his skills, and his not overly tall stature. At only 5'9" tall and weighing 168lbs, (175cm & 76kg), he wasn't a giant of a man except for his skills. The Clive Churchill Medal has been awarded every year since 1986 to the "Man-of-the-Match" in the NRL (National Rugby League) grand final each year. Clive became Clive Churchill OAM when he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1985. He is one of only six sportsmen to have a stand named after him at the SCG (Sydney Cricket Ground) and there is also plaque in his honour at the Walk of Fame at the SCG. He was also named as one of the first four "Immortals" of the game by the magazine "Rugby League Week" along with Fulton, Gasnier, and Raper. Clive died in 1985 but his legacy lives on.

The other players mentioned were all fullbacks of note having played for the Kangaroos as a fullback or in another back position. They all made their mark on the game playing fullback for their clubs; Eadie for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, Thornett for the Parramatta Eels, and Billy Slater for the Melbourne Storm.

Answer: Brian Bevan

Born in 1924 in Sydney, Brian Eyrl Bevan came from a sporting family. His father Rick played for Eastern Suburbs Roosters and his brother Owen played for St George. Brian started his professional sporting career with Easts in 1942 but his sporting life in Australia was cut short by his enlistment into the navy. After World War II he travelled to England to play rugby league. Brian signed with Warrington and played for them from the 1946-47 season until 1962. In his first season with Warrington he scored 48 tries, besting every other player in the league by at least 15 tries. His career saw him score three or more tries in a match over 100 times! Scoring almost 800 tries in his career saw him take the world record for try scoring.

Brian was never chosen as a Kangaroo but he did play for the Other Nationalities team sixteen times. This was a conglomeration of rugby league players from Wales, Scotland, England, Ireland, South Africa, New Zealand and even Australia. The Other Nationalities team played test matches from 1904 to 1975, with Brian playing between 1949 & 1955. He has been inducted into the British and Australian Rugby League Halls of Fame, the first player to attain such recognition in both countries. Warrington's Halliwell Jones Park has astatue of Bevan, and he was on a British stamp commemorating the centenary of rugby league in Britain. Brian died in Merseyside, England, in 1991, aged 66, but remains a rugby league great of two nations.

All the incorrect answers (Mossop, O'Connor and Thornett) were actually dual-code international players, meaning they represented Australia in test matches playing both rugby league and rugby union. In the first 100 years of rugby league, there were only 48 players who played both codes for Australia.

Answer: Ken Irvine

Born in 1940, Kenneth John Irvine exhibited abilities in baseball and athletics. His sprinting stood him in good stead when he trialled for a position with the Bears. The coach at the time suggested management should "sign that kid up for life." They nearly did, with Ken Irvine playing for Norths from 1958 to 1970. After leaving Norths, he signed with Manly and played with them until 1973, scoring two premiership wins in 1972 and 1973. He barely lost any of his speed over the years. Speed was part of the formula enabling him to score a then record of 212 career tries in the NSWRL (NSW Rugby League) premiership competition. Irvine's record of 33 test tries was beaten by Darren Lockyer in in 2010 but the record had held its own for over forty years.

Ken Irvine played for Australia on Kangaroo tours in 1959-60, 1963-64 and 1967-68, in the World Cup in 1960, and Australian representative tours of New Zealand in 1961 and 1965. Remembered as a good bloke as well as a brilliant winger, Kenny Irvine died in 1990 of leukemia, aged a mere fifty years.

Ray Branighan was a back playing for Souths and the Sea Eagles in the 1960s & 1970s. Ray Stehr was a Roosters great from the 1930s & 1940s, while Justin Hodges is a back who has played for the Brisbane Broncos and the Roosters.

Answer: Reg Gasnier

Reginald William Gasnier was born in Sydney in 1939. He was a skilled athlete in several sports including athletics, baseball, cricket and rugby league. In 1952, aged thirteen, he played for the NSW Schoolboy Rugby League team. By the time he left high school he was playing in the junior state squads in both rugby league and cricket. Focussing on rugby league, Reg signed with St George for the 1958 season. By 1959, Reg was a member of both the NSW and Australian teams. Success continued for Reg, captaining Australia in a test match at the young age of 23, a record at the time. Puff took part in three Kangaroo tours and won the premiership with the Dragons eight times. This was during the incredible streak of premiership victories St George enjoyed from 1956-66. Reg's dazzling career came to an abrupt end when he broke his leg playing a minor match while on tour in Europe.

After retirement Reg became a commentator, displaying a knowledge and insight to the game that could only have come from playing it. Awarded an Order of Australia Medal, he has been inducted into the Australian Sporting, and Rugby League Halls of Fame, and he was one of the first four "Immortals" of the game as selected in 1985. He is a life member of the SCG, has a plaque in the Walk of Honour, and if you'd like to see Reg, there is a bronze statue of him in the SCG grounds too. Reg passed away in 2014, one day before he would have turned 75.

Bob McCarthy is one of the legends of the Rabbitohs playing in the forwards. Steve Rogers and Andrew Ettingshausen were backs for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the 1970s and 1990s respectively.

Answer: Mal Meninga

Born in Bundaberg,Queensland in 1960, Malcolm Norman Meninga hasn't left too many things to do in the world of Australian rugby league. Starting his career in Brisbane with Souths Magpies in 1979, the following year saw him play for his state in the inaugural State of Origin clash, the first of 32 games for Mal. He stayed with the Magpies until 1986 saw him move to Canberra to play with the Raiders in the NSWRL competition. Canberra won their first premiership with Mal as captain in 1989. He was selected for the Kangaroo tours in 1982, 1986, 1990, and 1994, the final two tours as captain. Amongst other records Mal set were the 272 points he scored in test matches for his country, and the most goals kicked in test matches (96).

If that wasn't enough, coaching soon followed his playing career. In 1997 he began coaching the Raiders with moderate results. The highlight of his coaching career has to be the success he's had coaching Queensland to seven consecutive wins in the State of Origin series (2006 to 2012). *weep*
The accolades keep coming. In Canberra at the home of the Raiders, the grandstand is named after Mal Meninga. The Raiders honour their player of the year with the Mal Meninga Medal. Standing close to a statue of Laurie Daley at the stadium is a bronze statue of Mal Meninga. Mal has been chosen for the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame, the Queensland Rugby League's Team of the Century, and has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia.

Brad Fittler (Penrith and Easts), Brett Kenny (Parramatta), and Alfie Langer (Brisbane) were all backs who played for Australia.

Answer: Wally Lewis

There is no one else to pick other than "The King", Wally Lewis. Even New South Welshman recognised his genius as he played for Queensland. The ultimate accolade for Wally may be the statue of him outside Suncorp Stadium, home to so many Queensland victories in the State of Origin series.

Walter James Lewis was born in Queensland in 1959, the son of a first grade footballer. He played both union and league as a youngster, making the Australian Schoolboys rugby union side, playing with some of the future greats of the sport such as Mark Ella. On returning home to Australia he chose to play league and signed with Fortitude Valley in 1978, winning a premiership in his second year with Valley. Wally also played for Wynnum-Manly in Brisbane, the Brisbane Broncos when they entered the NRL competition, and the Gold Coast Seagulls before retiring in 1993. His representative career is quite astonishing. He played in thirty State of Origin matches (including the first match in 1980) and attained Man of the Match eight times. Captaincy of both Queensland and Australia ensued, with Wally captaining 23 times in the 33 tests he played in. Perhaps the ultimate praise comes from Arthur Beetson, former Australian player and coach, and Wally's childhood hero, who said of him: "Lewis is the greatest player at representative level I've seen - and I've seen some great players, I was there when Gas and Chook were at the end of their careers." [Quote courtesy of Wikipedia]

Terry Lamb and Steve Mortimer (both Bulldogs players), and Billy Smith (Dragons) have all played in the backs for Australia.

Answer: Andrew Johns

Andrew Gary "Joey" Johns grew up in the town of Cessnock, near Newcastle which later became the home of the Newcastle Knights rugby league team. Born in 1974, he grew up playing football with his older brother Matthew. Both Matthew and Joey played for the Newcastle Knights, with Joey making his first grade debut in 1993. Two years later, Johns made his debut at both state and international levels with great success.

Joey won close to every prize and title available. He won the Dally M Player of the Year three times, the first person to do so. He won the Clive Churchill Medal once, and the Golden Boot (for the best player in the world) twice. Premiership victories were had twice by Joey, the second time as captain of the Knights. In 2006 Joey took Mick Cronin's record for points scored for the one team in the NRL competition. Joey smashed Cronin's record, scoring a total of 2,176 points in his career with the Knights. That was also the highest total points scored in the NRL until surpassed by Hazim El Mazri. Joey retired due to a neck injury in 2007 after playing 23 State of Origin matches, 21 test matches, winning two premierships, and accruing some amazing point scoring records and statistics. Some have called him the greatest player ever to play rugby league, many agree that he's the best halfback ever to play the game.

Tommy Raudonikis and Peter Sterling are both halfbacks who have played for Australia. Raudonikis is most associated with the Western Suburbs Magpies while Sterlo was an Eel. Paul Harrogan was a teammate of Joey's at Newcastle, but he played in the forwards rather than in the backs.

Answer: Johnny Raper

John William Raper, known often as "Chook", was born in Sydney in 1939. One of nine boys in the family, Johnny garnered the most success through football but four of his brothers also played grade football at various levels. He was earmarked for success early on with the Newtown Jets selecting him in 1957. St George noticed the young Raper and by 1959, he was playing for the Dragons. He played in eight of the Dragons' streak of eleven premiership victories (1956 to 1966), playing with the likes of Reg Gasnier and Norm Provan.

Johnny was known for his endurance brought about by enthusiastic training and fitness regimens. He was also known as a larrikin and was fond of a beer, but it somehow never interfered with his football. His tackling was legendary and his ability to get the ball into a favourable position was astonishing. Chook played in 31 NSW games, 33 test matches (including three Kangaroo tours) and six World Cup games (four as captain).

Johnny took on the role of captain-coach at St George for his final year there in 1969. Captain-coaching then took him to Newcastle while playing for a team in the local league, and then to Kurri Kurri to see his playing career out. Coaching brought him back to Sydney to assist Cronulla-Sutherland in their quest for premiership victory, and then the Jets. Johnny Raper has been awarded an MBE (Member of the British Empire) for his services to sport, and has been chosen as one of the first four "Immortals" of Australian rugby league.

Brian Clay, Col Rasmussen, and Ian Walsh were all teammates of Johnny Raper's at St George over the years. Brian Clay and Ian Walsh both made the top 100 players of the century list.

Answer: Ron Coote

Ron Coote was born a South Sydney junior in 1944, the son of an Easts forward, Jack Coote. His early football career was with Souths from 1964 to 1971. He then switched to Easts, playing for them from 1972-78. Such is the respect Ron Coote is held in, that the teams play for the Ron Coote Cup every year. Between 1965 and 1975 Ron played in nine grand finals, his team winning six times. His natural playing position was as a lock, playing this position for both teams. When it came to representative football however, that position was owned by Johnny Raper. It didn't matter as Coote's skills in defence and attack were good enough to see him play in the second-row, and good enough there to make the Team of the Century. Ron played in thirteen test matches and ten World Cup matches, playing three of them as captain.

Life after football took Ron in several directions. He became a businessman, and he was a member of the NSWRL judiciary committee. One of the best things he has been involved in is the Men of League programme. Founded in 1980 by Ron, it assists former players and officials of the game who haven't had the success he has. The programme aids people in various ways such as providing financial assistance for medical problems, mentoring players before they retire so they have a real future after football, and promoting rugby league in country areas. Like many others in the Team of the Century, Ron is a life member of the SCG, has a plaque in the Walk of Honour, and is a Member of the Order of Australia.

John Sattler, Ray Price, and Dave Brown were all forwards and all selected in the top 100 players of the century. Brown played in the 1930s, Sattler in the 1960s, and Price in the 1970s & 1980s.

Answer: Norm Provan

Norman Douglas Sommerville Provan was born near Wagga Wagga in 1931. His family moved to Sydney when he was a child and his junior football was played in the Sutherland area. One of the taller players to play rugby league, he stood at 193cm (6'4") and weighed 98kg (216lb) during his playing days. His energy never faded during a game and his will to win was legendary. He was part of the winning Dragons team in every grand final from 1956-65, the last four as captain-coach. Life after playing took Norm down a business route but he also coached St George and Parramatta for a year each, and the Sharks for two years. Representative honours also fell Norm's way with him playing 25 games for NSW, 14 tests, and four World Cup matches.

Norm wasn't the only sporting talent in his family. One of his brothers, Peter, played with him in the 1958 and 1959 grand finals. Peter went on to captain the Balmain team which won the 1969 grand final. Peter and Norm are the first two brothers who have captained different teams to a win in the rugby league grand final.

All the incorrect answers were Dragons forwards. Harry Bath played in the 1950s, Barry Beath in the 1960s and 1970s, while Steve Edge played in the 1970s.

Answer: Artie Beetson

Arthur Henry Beetson was born in Roma, Queensland in 1945. His professional sporting career started in Brisbane, playing for Redcliffe. He moved to Sydney in 1966 to play with the Balmain Tigers, then Hull Kingston Rovers (UK), Eastern Suburbs and finally the Parramatta Eels before finishing his playing career back in Redcliffe. A powerful figure weighing 105kg (231lb) and standing 188cm (6'2"), he was imposing when defending. The genius of Artie though was his ability to offload the ball in tight situations, to suddenly sprint up the field in a way that wasn't expected of forwards prior to Artie, and to control the play. He changed the way forwards were expected to play. It wasn't enough to just be a defender, a forward had to develop more skills to play in the modern game.

Artie's record book features winning the Brisbane premiership with Redcliffe and captaining Eastern Suburbs to victory in the NSWRL competition. He was the captain for Queensland in the first State of Origin game in 1980. Artie played fourteen test matches for his country including two as the first Aboriginal to captain his country in any sport. There were also fourteen World Cup matches with six as captain. Artie was the NSW Sports Star of the Year (1975), named in the Queensland and Indigenous Australian rugby league Teams of the Century, named an "Immortal" of the game by "Rugby League Week" and he was the recipient of the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM). Artie also has a plaque in the SCG's Walk of Honour memorialising his success in rugby league. Sadly, Arthur Beetson died in December, 2011.

All of the incorrect answers were rugby league players with Aboriginal ancestry who have represented NSW and Australia during their careers. Larry Corowa played for the Tigers, Laurie Daley for the Raiders, and Cliffy Lyons played for the Bears for a year before playing for the Sea Eagles for fourteen years.

Answer: Duncan Hall

Wally Lewis was the most famous player in Queensland rugby league in the 1980s. In the 1950s it was Duncan Hall. Growing up in rural Queensland after his birth in 1925, Duncan Hall started his professional league career in Rockhampton before moving to Brisbane in 1948 to play for Brisbane Valleys. He also played for Home Hill, Newtown (Toowoomba), and Brisbane Wests. Representative football saw Duncan play 22 test matches for his country including two Kangaroo tours. His skills ranged from tough defence to ball distribution. He was a forward but had a great turn of speed when needed and a brilliant football brain which could read the play very well.

Duncan's business interests included being a publican and a bookmaker, and later in life he worked at the Broncos Leagues Club for a time. One of his sons, Duncan Hall Jr, has played fifteen tests as a Wallaby (rugby union). Since 2007, the Queensland Rugby League has awarded the Duncan Hall Medal to the best and fairest player in the grand final. Duncan Hall (senior) passed away in 2011 after suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

Dan Dempsey, Tom Gorman and Gene Miles are all Queenslanders named in rugby league's best 100 players of the century. Dempsey and Miles were forwards while Gorman was a centre.

Answer: Noel Kelly

Born in Ispwich in 1936, Noel "Ned" Kelly started playing for Ispwich Christian Brothers in 1958. The longest playing stint of his career was with Western Suburbs Magpies from 1961 to 1969. Playing in three grand finals during his time with the Magpies, the team lost every time to the seemingly omnipotent St George Dragons. Ned made three Kangaroo tours, the first in only his second season playing first grade rugby league in 1959. During his 25 test matches he played either hooker or prop during a time considered to be rugby league's roughest and toughest. He also played three World Cup matches. Natural leadership skills saw Noel become Wests' captain-coach between 1966 and 1969. His playing career finished up with a one year contract playing for Wollongong in 1970. Coaching for three years with the North Sydney Bears followed his playing life, and then the television work for which many people remember him.

Noel has been involved in the Men of League Foundation as a board member and ambassador. The Wests Tigers award the Noel Kelly Medal to the team's best forward of the year, given in honour of possibly their greatest player.

Vic Armbruster, Bradley Clyde and Steve Walters were all forwards who were all named in the top 100 players of the century. Armbruster played in Queensland in the 1920s and 1930s. Clyde and Walters both played in the 1980s and 1990s.

Answer: Bob Fulton

Robert "Bozo" Fulton is the only member of the Team of the Century who wasn't born in Australia. He was born in Warrington, England in 1947, moving to NSW with his family when aged four. His talent was apparent early on and he signed with Manly-Warringah (the Sea Eagles) in 1966, played for NSW in 1967, and in 1968 he debuted for Australia. He played for Manly for ten years, departing for Eastern Suburbs (the Roosters) in 1976. Premierships were won with the Sea Eagles in 1972, 1973 and 1976. A chronic knee injury meant retirement in 1979 but this gave him the chance to coach.

He became the Roosters coach in 1980-82, then Manly's between the years 1983-1988, and 1993-1999. During these periods the Sea Eagles won the premiership twice. The Kangaroos won 82% of their matches while Bob coached them. He became a selector for the NSW and Australian teams, and a media career ensued. Bob Fulton was crowned as one of the first four "Immortals". He is a Member of the Order of Australia and has received the Australian Sports Medal. Already a member of the Rugby League Hall of Fame, he also is a life member of the SCG and has a plaque in the Walk of Honour.

Frank Burge was born in 1894 in Sydney. He set a career try scoring record for forwards that took over eighty years to surpass. Herbert "Dally" Messenger was born in 1883 and became the first person to play international games in both rugby league and union. His skills were so legendary that 21 years after his death in 1959, a best and fairest award for the entire season was instituted by a media group and voted on by league experts through the season. The Dally M award is now the most prestigious award in the NRL. Graeme Langlands, born in Wollongong in 1941, was a Dragons stalwart playing with them from 1963-76. He was also the captain-coach of the Kangaroos between 1972 and 1975. All three were the other reserves selected in the Team of the Century.

Answer: Jack Gibson

Jack Arthur Gibson was born in Kiama, NSW, in 1929. Jack played first grade cricket in the summer while playing rugby league as a prop or hooker in the winter. His coaching career started with Easts, then St George, the teams often making the finals. Returning to Easts in 1973, the first two grand finals his teams won were in 1974 and 1975. Jack had travelled to the USA to study coaching methods and he brought back some modern techniques. He was a fan of Vince Lombardi's coaching style in particular. These techniques gave Easts the edge over other teams for those two years until other teams narrowed the gap. The Eels hired Jack with great success, winning the premiership in 1981, 1982 and 1983. Part of his brilliance was seeing things in players that other selectors didn't, allowing him to form great and unexpected player combinations. He also coached the NSW State of Origin team to a win in 1990.

Jack's awards include the Medal of the Order of Australia, and the Australian Sport Medal. The Eels and Roosters play for the Jack Gibson Cup every year. He worked tirelessly for charities, often donating the proceeds of books and appearance monies he received. He frequently did this quietly without any publicity. Jack passed away in 2008 from Alzheimer's disease a mere ninety minutes before the kick-off in the Centenary Test Match.

The incorrect answers (Bennett, Sheens and Stuart) have all coached rugby league in the NRL competition and at a national level.