In 1959 the fullback represented Country and New South Wales before being selected as a non-playing reserve in the test series against New Zealand.

But his time came later in the year when he left with the Kangaroos for England.

He was away on a five-month long tour and during this time he got a hunger for international and club football at the highest level.

Don Parish didn’t play in a test match on that tour but in 12 other games scored 55 points with seven tries and 17 goals.

His time for test football came the next year against New Zealand.

Parish was one of many former international players who were in Dubbo this week to celebrate the Centenary of Rugby League and 100 years of the game which the Macquarie was a part of.

RUGBY LEAGUE

By BARRY HILDEBRANDT

At 70 years of age Don Parish is a living legend of Dubbo rugby league.

This week he returned to his 1937 place of birth to be part of the Centenary of Rugby League celebrations and took the opportunity to meet many friends and others - and to talk about what a great game it has been and still is.

Ironically one of his first jobs was delivering the now called Daily Liberal newspapers for the late Leo Armati.

And while he later forged a long career with the old PMG as an engineer, it was rugby league that he became a ‘local legend.’

“My work took me around different places and I played most of my football with Dubbo but also at Wellington,” Parish said.

“I went to Wests in Sydney in 1957 and played a few games with the Wests Magpies before coming back to Dubbo.

“Then the highlight of my career then was making the Kangaroos tour to England in 1959-60 and although I didn’t play in a test match, I was involved in 12 other games.

“It was on that tour that I became very good friends with Harry Bath and that led me to going back to Sydney the next year with Wests.

“Sadly two of my biggest disappointments was playing losing grand finals against St George in 1961 and 1963 and I would have to say there is no more hollow a feeling than being in a beaten team at the Sydney Cricket Ground. You just feel so deflated and beaten.

“But in 1961 I had the honour of playing in my first test match on the tour of New Zealand.

“In our first test loss in Auckland I became the first fullback to score a try in a test match, so that was something to look back on.”

The history books tell us that Parish played three test matches for Australia, seven games for NSW and 65 club matches before moving down to coach Wollongong Wests and then come back to coach Wests in Sydney from 1972-76.

He was Coach of the Year in 1974 when the team made the final but his two years at Penrith (1977-78) were without success.

“These days I’m semi-retired but still do some importing,” Parish said this week.

“I cherish the memories and particularly the friendships I made over the many years and from that first tour to England we still get together every year. I mean, it was a five month tour so we got to be very good friends.”

According to Don Parish, the modern day game has a few problems, particularly with non-contested scrums and the play the balls are what he calls “a joke.”

“As well, the video replays we see now of stripping the ball are unnecessary stoppages.” he said.

“Sadly the game now is designed to fit in with television and in turn they have changed a lot of rules to suit.”

Parish, who now lives on the Central Coast, was in good company in Dubbo this week for the centenary celebrations. Mixing with the likes of test greats Johnny Raper, Ian Walsh, Graeme Langlands, Reg Gasnier and some of the more modern day internationals including David Gillespie, Les Davidson and many others.

To Don Parish, thanks for the memories.