Sir Peter Leitch’s Mad Butcher Club AT MT SMART STADIUM, HOME OF THE MIGHTY VODAFONE WARRIORS 7 May 2015 Newsletter #71 To subscribe or unsubscribe email: [email protected] Kiwis Triumph over the Aussies New Zealand: 26 Australia: 12 Kiwi boys celebrating their historic win! O say I have been living the Tdream is something of an understatement. I have been involved in rugby league for more than 50 years and in that time I have had some highlights. Shaun Johnson lifts the trophy. Isaac Luke leads a Haka in honour of the fans after the game. The mighty Mangere East Hawks in the Fox Memorial, managing the Kiwis when we beat Australia 24-0 in 2005, and plenty with the Vodafone Warriors, two grand finals for a start. But Sunday’s 26-12 win over Aus- tralia was the best ever. Manu Vatuvei loves scoring tries. Shuan Johnson gets it over the line. Photos courtesy of www.photosport.co.nz Proud To Be A Kiwi Thanks For Your Support What can you say? Beating Aus- The week in Brisbane was fantastic tralia three times in a row has not and I must say I owe a big thank happened since 1953, so I am as you to those who sent emails in proud as I can be to be a Kiwis support of the Kiwis. I asked for supporter. your support, and I got it, with emails even coming in from Prime It was a fantastic game, built on Minister John Key, Minister of solid defence, and all credit to the Sport Jonathan Coleman, the Gov- NZRL and coach Stephen Kearney ernor-General, and Victoria Cross and his team. winner Willie Apiata. Boy did it rain. Photo Dexter and I under our courtesy of www.photo- Kiwis umbrellas. sport.co.nz How the tide has turned, and the But thousands of ordinary Kiwis Kiwis will now go to England on like you also sent a message, and Dexter And I Go Into Camp their end of year tour with the aim even though I tried to reply to of becoming the world’s number them, I know I will have missed Me and my mate Dexter owe the one rated side. some of you, so my apologies. NZRL and Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney a huge vote of thanks for An absolute league legend in “The I always say the greatest gift you letting us be involved with the King” Wally Lewis, was might- can give anyone is your time, and Kiwis in camp. I do not take the ily impressed with what he saw, so many of you gave it freely for privilege for granted that is for telling me that Shaun Johnson the Kiwis. So thank you all. sure, but we had a terrific time and had a fine game. But more than the players and Kiwis staff were that, he said, every team goes into Never Seen Rain Like It great to us. a test knowing the game plan of their opponents, and the fact that And for the record, the decision to Luggage Might Have Been A Bit Australia were not good enough to call the game off on Friday night Over counter it, let alone stop the Kiwis, because of the weather was entire- was the difference. ly correct. When we checked in to fly to Bris- bane it is fair to say I might have The Kiwis win was the icing on the There was no option. The fans had a bit of excess baggage. cake and I can tell you we had a could not have got there because Included were nine cartons of terrific night on the Sunday. the transport systems were down, Lewis Rd Creamery chocolate and the ground was awash in milk. Big Manu Vatuvei was named water, which causes real safety player of the match, picking up the problems for the players. I wanted to arrive with a treat for Charles Savory Medal, named in the boys, and I tell you what, I honour of the New Zealand inter- Some people actually said on would not stand between hook- national who died at Gallipoli. Facebook that our Anzacs fought er Isaac Luke and a bottle of this in any weather. But I have to say I stuff, because you’d get trampled I really hope the NZRL does found that offensive. Quite apart in the rush. He loves it. something to build on this because from the fact they were fighting It put a smile on a lot of faces and it has been a long time coming. for their lives and had no choice, made the effort well worthwhile. using it to justify going ahead Every dog has its day, and we with a footy match is just tasteless Loading the haven’t had one since 1953, so I’m when we are respecting those who Lewis Road going to enjoy it. gave their lives in the Great War. Creamery milk into the Thank you the Mighty Kiwis. And let’s not forget that four peo- trusty Toyota. ple actually died in the storm on Friday night, so it was entirely the right decision. Mad Butcher Club Newsletter Page 2 I’ll Let You In On A Secret late Stephen Kearney for that. He Veteran Meets Both Sides and his team keep the players very Young Dallin Watene-Zelezniak grounded, and that is probably not On the Wednesday the Kiwis was meant to me make his debut surprising when Stephen and his joined the Kangaroos at a lunch to last year and was injured. And assistant David Kidwell are both hear a very special guest speaker. then he was picked again but got also such humble guys. Damien Thomlinson joined the suspended. Australian Defence Force and at Test Dinner A First the age of 24 became a Comman- If there is a finer young man in the do. Kiwis I’ll be surprised. Before a ball had been kicked his- tory was being made by the NZRL. While serving in Afghanistan, He was in the camp when the boys The Kiwis, Junior Kiwis and Kiwi Damien lost both legs to a Taliban went to the Queen St mall in Bris- Ferns were all together for a test bomb. bane to do a signing session with dinner ahead of their respective kit sponsors BLK. test matches. The handing out of Giving up is clearly not in his na- test jerseys is something treated ture and he taught himself to walk Along came a young lad with an with great respect, and in what is with prosthetic legs. intellectual disability. Dallin asked obviously a first, the Junior Kiwis him if he had anything that he and Kiwi Ferns both had their jer- He has since participated in a wanted the Kiwis to sign butt the seys presented by the Kiwi player classic car rally, walked the Koko- young fellah said he didn’t. wearing the same number in the da Trail, taken up snowboarding, Anzac Test. and competed with four other Then I witnessed one of the most ADF members in the US Marine kind and remarkable things I have Former Vodafone Warrior and Corps Paralympic Trials. seen in a long while. Kiwi Clinton Toopi, who is based in Queensland now and does all Today, he uses his experiences, Dallin got out of his seat and went sorts of good work with the indig- passion for life and journey to and bought a jersey – paying full enous community, handed out the inspire and motivate others, and it price mind, he didn’t just get it for Kiwis jerseys. was an honour to be there to hear nothing. him talk about the Anzac spirit. NZRL boss Phil Holden gave a Then he got all the boys to sign terrific speech, which talked about Damien later presented the test it and presented it to this young Gallipoli and the war, and it was jerseys to the Kangaroos. man. spot on. You could see it hit home with the players,. Support our sponsors as they help If you could have seen him smile, make the newsletter possible. it was magnificent. I believe all these little influences played a big part in our success. It And what it made it so special for really is a team effort, and Dexter me was that there was no press and I saw that first hand, with there, no radio stations, no TV many people playing a part. cameras. This young man just got up and did it because he wanted to But you can’t take it away from do something for someone a little Stephen Kearney, the main man, less fortunate than him. and the boys who go out and do the job on the field. Good on you Dallin. You didn’t just make that young boy’s day, you made mine. The way the Kiwis played on the field and performed off it, they did us proud. And I want to congratu- Mad Butcher Club Newsletter Page 3 Brisbane Paper Less Than Sydney Paper Blames League Lunch Will Be A Ripper Impressed Queensland I am planning a big league lunch, The only thing worse than a bad Meanwhile over in Sydney, the as you know, at the Ellerslie Event loser is a bad winner, but I still Daily Telegraph’s Paul Kent knew Centre in June. have to say I enjoyed the piece in who was to blame – Queensland. the Courier Mail from Brisbane, He argued the ageing nature of Well it just got even bigger for after the Anzac Test about the plan the Kangaroos was pretty much to obvious reasons.