Jack Rayner “He Tackles Too Hard”
The year is 1948. The place is England. Australia has sent a rugby league team to tour ‘The Mother Country’. English rugby league players are tough. They are used to having it tough through work and play. ‘Rugger’ games on the weekend are not for the fainthearted. Bill Buckley, the Australian Rugby League Team’s manager, however, receives an official complaint about an Australian player’s tackling. They make it clear that the player’s tackling is scrupulously fair, but gee, could you ask him to be a little softer. The forwards in English teams are a bit sore.
Bill Buckley laughed at them. The player’s name? South Sydney captain Jack Rayner.
Early Life
Jack Rayner was born in Coraki near Lismore on the 11th of April, 1921. As a young bloke he enjoyed playing the game of hockey. Like most young men, Jack answered his country’s call in time of war and served in Bougainville Island and New Guinea. While there, he played rugby league for the army as there was no other sport. An old Souths player, Eric Lewis, saw him and made him promise to try out with Souths if he came through the war OK.
Joined Souths
In 1946, life for the South Sydney club was anything but rosy. In fact, for the only time, they did not win ONE game in the season. One bright point was, however, when a certain Jack Rayner kept his promise and tried out for the team. It did not take long for Jack to be playing first grade. In 1947 he became captain.
As mentioned above, he was one of four Souths players chosen in the Australian side to tour in 1948-49. The following year he was chosen to tour N.Z. This tour was notable in the fact that Jack was very much in love. Everywhere he went the photo of his girl was displayed prominently beside his bed.
Captain Coach
1950 was the year Jack rose to new heights. He was appointed not only captain but also coach. Over the next six years while Jack was in charge, South Sydney won five premierships and were runners-up the other year. In 1950 they beat Wests; 1951 they crushed Manly; 1953 Souths easily beat Saints and subsequently accounted for Newtown in 1954. 1955 was probably the closest they came to defeat. The season started horribly but the team came home with a wet sail to snatch the Grand Final from Newtown. Jack, however, was bitter about the loss in 1952. He claimed they were not allowed to win and even though he lived close to the referee on that day he never spoke to him again.
A Popular Player
Jack Rayner was a popular player with his teammates and the footballing public. Evidence of this is found in the number of times Jack features in articles in the many sporting magazines that were around in those days.
Examples of these are SPORTING LIFE and SPORTS NOVELS. It was easy for me to research information for this article and find pictures. His level of popularity was very similar to John Sattler. Both Sattler and Rayner were terrors on the field but thorough gentlemen off the field. One article, however, had Souths winning seven premierships in eight years under Jack’s leadership. Just a slight exaggeration!
A Respected Policeman
Outside football Jack Rayner forged a successful career as a policeman. He commanded respect wherever he went. It was quite common for football players to become policeman. He once had the honor to be the Police Pipe Band’s standard bearer at an ANZAC Day ceremony. This had something to do with his 6’2” 14st.10lb. frame. (For those of you who are you who are young- that is 188cms and 93Kgs!)
After Souths
Jack retired from Football in 1957 with 201 games, just shy of Benny Wearing’s record. He tried his hand at coaching with Parramatta but unfortunately had little success. Jack kept a close connection to the South Sydney club and featured in the ‘History of Souths’ video in 1987. He died on the 17th May 2008.
Rayner won 5 premierships as captain coach of South Sydney. This is one more than Alf Blair and the recently departed, well respected Johnny Sattler.
Jack Rayner is certainly worthy of a place of honor in the ‘Remembering a Rabbito’ section.
Jack Rayner
By Mark Emery for Bunnies TV.
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