Johnny Raper

Johnny Raper was one of the greatest rugby league players of all time, who played as a lock-forward for Newtown, St George, New South Wales and Australia. He was renowned for his skillful ball-handling, relentless tackling and leadership qualities. He was part of the legendary St George team that won eight consecutive premierships from 1959 to 1966, and captained Australia on eight occasions from 1967 to 1968. He also played in six World Cup games and was named as the best player of the 1960 tournament. He was awarded an MBE in 1970 for his services to rugby league. Raper was born in Camperdown and grew up in Revesby in a working-class family with nine boys. He played his junior rugby league for the Camperdown Dragons before representing Newtown's President's Cup side in 1956. He made his first grade debut for Newtown in 1957 as an eighteen-year-old and played two seasons with the Bluebags as a five-eighth. In 1959, he joined St George as a lock forward and became an international rugby league star. His legendary cover defence and ball skills saw him acknowledged during his playing career as the best loose-forward the world had ever seen. Raper was an automatic selection for New South Wales, pulling on the sky blue jersey on 31 occasions and was often at his best in the representative arena, especially for Australia. In 39 Test matches (and 35 tour games) for his country, Raper's play was nothing short of remarkable. Veteran broadcaster Frank Hyde rated Raper's performance in the infamous "Swinton Massacre", a 50-12 victory over Great Britain in the second game of the 1963-64 Ashes series that secured an Australian victory on British soil for the first time in 50 years, as the greatest 80 minutes a footballer had ever played. "When Johnny Raper was born, they not only destroyed the mould, they pulped it. I rate him the finest footballer I have seen," Hyde said. Raper attributed his success to a training discipline and fitness fanaticism that was ahead of its time. While St George's early adoption of circuit training in the late 1950s was a major contributing factor in their eleven-year premiership run, Raper's own commitment to additional running and weights every day and often alone, enabled him to achieve a personal goal of being the fittest player in the fittest team in the competition. Raper retired from playing in 1974 after stints with Western Suburbs Rosellas in Newcastle and Kurri Kurri. He then became a coach for St George, Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, Newtown Jets and various country teams. He also served as a selector for New South Wales and Australia. Raper was one of the first celebrity footballers in Australia, making a record, appearing in ads for a tyre company and the Liberal Party, and being a sought-after speaker and guest on radio and TV talk shows. He was also involved in charity work and supported various causes. Raper married Caryl Raper in 1961 and they had three sons: Stuart, Aaron and Kurt. Stuart and Aaron followed their father's footsteps and became professional rugby league players and coaches. Kurt became a successful businessman. Raper was diagnosed with dementia in 2016 and spent his final years at Lark Ellen Aged Care Home in Caringbah. He died on February 9, 2022 at the age of 82. He was farewelled at a state funeral at the Sydney Cricket Ground on February 28, 2022. He is survived by his wife, sons, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Raper was one of the inaugural inductees of the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame in 1981 and was named as one of the four original Immortals of rugby league, alongside Reg Gasnier, Clive Churchill and Bob Fulton. He was also named as the lock forward in the Australian rugby league team of the century in 2008. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players and characters in the history of the game.