Once upon a time in Boorowa....

During my search for the life and football times of Wild Bill Brogan I came across a fact that he was captain/coach for a little country town in NSW called Boorowa.

The year was 1935 and Wild Bill was 35 years of age. He had Capt/Coached Wests in 1933 and unfortunately Wests won the wooden spoon that year. On a happier note they won the premiership in 1934.

Back to Boorowa…my mum’s brother Bruce Powderly played for Boorowa between 1947 – 1954



Thats Uncle Bruce second from the top left .

This Southern N.S.W. team beat the great French side of 1951.

The score was 20 to 10 and 4 of the Southern side came from Boorowa.

They were Bruce Powderly, Allan Glover, Len Koch and

Johnny Scott.

Above is the French jumper worn by the famous Puig-Aubert.

(Thanks to Terry Williams from the Rugby League Museum at Moore Park Sydney for this photo).

Just for the record the Frenchmen beat Austalia in 2 Tests.

The photo above was taken from a great Rugby League book called

This book written by Mr Bede Ryan covers the history of Rugby League in Boorowa.

It is the best Rugby League book I have read for a long time and the facts and figures and pics are a must for anyone who loves their Rugby League.

If you would like to order a copy just ring Bede on 63821406 the cost including postage is only

$30.

Just one of many photos in this wonderful book.

The Famous Maher Cup

(Thanks to Terry Williams from the Rugby League Museum at Moore Park Sydney for this photo).

There were a few Wests players who played for Boorowa over the years

they were Frank Clegg, Max Caldwell, Viv Smith and Jim Norman.

Thanks Bede for writing this book and also for making me aware of how good a footballer my

Uncle Bruce Powderly was.

My mum if she was alive would be so proud and happy that her brother was mentioned in your book.

A local lad David Weeden whos parents ran the The Empire Theatre in Boorowa sent me this Ballad he has written about the good old days of Boorowa Rugby League.

The Green and Golds in Group Nine

In the forties and fifties

Boorowa played in Group Nine.

Locals blended with imports

To play with muscle, skill and spine.

Before revenue from TV and pokies

Swelled big city club coffers,

Many city and even representative stars

Were lured by small town offers.

Improbably, small town Boorowa attracted

A sprinkling of top players and coaches,

With jobs, accommodation and payments,

They beat off rival poachers.

City and international stars like Watt,

Hammerton and Hyde,

Orrick, Capewell and Hinton

Led or coached the side.

Their skills and dedication,

Honed against seasoned city enforcers,

Inspired our home grown talent

When they combined to join forces.

They competed for the fabled Maher Cup

Against other star studded teams.

They won the cup four times.

It was the stuff of small town dreams.

In their first successful Cup challenge,

In Nineteen Forty Seven,

Furner Bloody Dwyer played on with a broken neck.

His bloody reward is in heaven.

He coached, but never played again

With the heroes of that day.

Powderly, Scott, Bryce, Ryan, O’Hara,

All still remembered today.

On another famous occasion,

In Nineteen fifty three,

Boorowa snatched the Cup from Cowra

Thrashing them easily.

A defector from the Cherry Pickers,

Bruce Powderly was a star of the team.

Imports from the city declared him

One of the best the country had seen.

He came to Boorowa to work for Herb Smith

A butcher who did his own slaughter.

His decision to stay on was sealed

When he married the boss’s daughter

He resisted all attempts to entice him

To play for clubs in the city.

When, once, he accepted an offer to trial,

He missed the train.  More’s the pity!

His career was brought to an untimely end

Multiple breaks to a leg, to his dread.

They never set properly.  He languished for months,

Counting the weeks in his hospital bed.

Young Johnny Scott, Boorowa born,

Was an early star of the team.

A mercurial five eight and teller of yarns,

He helped the team let off steam.

He told of George Watt’s dubious ploy

Of smearing his jumper with nettles

To sting the eyes of opposing props,

Whose games he would aim to unsettle.

With a limited talent pool to draw on,

Some families were always prominent.

Grocotts, Donohues, Simmons and Ryans

In many years were dominant.

The most common families to play

Read like an Irish census.

With Murphys and Faheys, Corkerys, Dwyers and Corcorans,

There was an unspoken consensus

That, even with its Irish base,

Boorowa’s team was built on inclusion.

No matter what your background

Your skills were a welcome infusion.

No club is successful without the support of

Its officials and volunteers.

Wall Eye Cranston and descendants Jimmy and Ross

Worked tirelessly for the club for years.

The Dwyers, George Quilkey, Jake Thomas,

Keith Martin, Ron Grosvenor and Fred Bardon

Among others contributed mightily.

They expected no beg pardon.

Memories of those long gone days are fading,

As those who remember pass by,

But the deeds of the Boorowa faithful

Are summed up by an unforgettable try.

In a game against favourites Cootamundra,

Bruce Weissel was trapped on the wing

He centre kicked, Mannie Hinton gathering

Scored under the posts, sealing a memorable win.

In 1959 the club folded, never to regain

It’s prized Group Nine position.

But, in subsequent years, the resurrected club

Starred in the Second Divison

Thanks David for your permission to display your great Ballad.

Boorowa First Grade Team 1949