His funeral will be held at St Brigid's Catholic Church at 12pm followed by interment in Western Districts Memorial Park.

Many of Peter's former rugby league team-mates and friends are expected to pay their final respects today.

Even when he was playing junior league at school and with St John's, Peter Walkom was destined to make it in the game.

He went through the grades with tremendous success before playing under Mick Wilson and Tom Nelson with CYMS in under-18s and also representative teams.

Nelson yesterday recalled some of Peter's feats as a centre.

"Peter went from under-18s straight into first grade with Ken McMullen and immediately cemented his place in the top side," Nelson said. "He was also in the Western Division side that won the Amco Cup in 1974 and later went away and had a couple of seasons with Taree.

"It was while Peter was there that he represented Northern Rivers in the Country Divisional Championships and played for Country Firsts, which was a great achievement."

"Peter then returned home to Dubbo and played in my first grade side.

"He was always very fit, could run and tackle and hardly missed a game through injury.

"I remember one time he had a hand injury so I sent him down to see Doctor Geoff Chapman who rang and said Peter had a broken knuckle.

"When I told Peter he would not be fit to play on the Sunday, he wasn't very happy about missing the game. He loved his rugby league and wanted to play at every opportunity.

"Years after he finished playing Peter was involved with our Group 11 junior league committee and looked after the finances.

"He went about that job with little fanfare but we always knew the job was in good hands.

"Peter Walkom will be missed and I extend my sympathy to his family."

According to Col Parkes, Peter Walkom was one of the toughest centres he had played with or against.

"If he couldn't run around you he would run over you, he was that sort of player," Parkes said yesterday.

"Fortunately I played a lot of football in the same side as Peter but I remember in a Western Division possibles versus probables trial we were in different sides.

"I tried to tackle him but he palmed me off and I finished up with blood running down my face.

"Peter could tackle and tackle hard and was just as effective running the ball. He had the knack of reading the game and was a very good positional player.

"Unfortunately Peter Walkom died too young, 50 is too young, he didn't deserve that."

Besides his seasons with CYMS and Taree, Peter also played a year at Dunedoo with Col Parkes under the coaching of Neil Musgrave.

And it wasn't only rugby league he was good at. He could play all sports and was a gifted cricketer as well.

I remember playing cricket with Peter in a CYMS Pinnington Cup team before the club ever went into first grade.

One match that comes to mind was against Macquarie on the glazed concrete at the riverbank with an outfield that was devoid of grass.

We needed something like 300 runs in the 40-overs match and Peter and Greg Vane got them with overs to spare.

Peter Walkom got more than half of those runs.

He made a lot of friends out of sport, he won a lot of games but he couldn't beat cancer; that is very sad.

Chief mourners at his funeral today will be his wife Rhonda, his children Mark, Julie, Alison and Chris and his family.