I wonder if anybody knows this guy ?? Pat Walsh had played Rugby Union for Carlton. He represented Newcastle against Great Britain in 1899 & 1904. He played for N.S.W 1903/04/05 and Australia 1904 (3 tests) he also played in the Australian Rules Competition in Johannesburg South Africa in 1905 ( vice capt. Commonwealth team winners.The trophy in Aust. sporting hall of fame at M.C.G.) In 1906/07/08 he played Rugby union in the Auckland Comp.(representing Auckland in 1907) in 1908 he received a cablegram from J J Giltinan re.the 1908/09 Kangaroo tour.He returned to Australia and played his first Rugby League Match for Queensland in 1908, the first Interstate series.He played for Newcastle in 1908 & went to England on a 2nd ship (the Salamis) taking the Kangaroo Mascot with him. He played in 29 games including the 3 tests & scored 9 tries on the tour.He was signed by Huddersfield 1909-1911(Team of all Talents). In 1911 he returned to Australia,& captained The Newcastle & Hunter Tour of Qld. His team defeating the Qld. State team in all 3 games. In Feb 1915 he enlisted in 12th Light Horse Serving at Galipolli,Palestine & Egypt. He was mentioned in Despatches by General Allenby. During the war he contracted a paralysis to his legs & thereafter had to walk on crutches. J.J.Giltinan 'considered him the Finest forward in the northern Union'. (Huddersfield Rugby News 10th April 1909) Dally Messenger listed him in his favourite team & he was listed in W.A."Billy"Cann's Best Alltime team in 1938. Unfortunately his achievements have been long forgotten & it appears he can not get into the top 100 list compiled by the so called "Rugby League Historians" for the Rugby League Centenary Celebrations.
Pat 'Nimmo' Walsh - Newcastle's Pioneer Kangaroo http://www.rl1908.com/Legends/pat-walsh.htm http://rugby-pioneers.blogs.com/rugby/2009/03/have-you-ever-been-to-huddersfield-in-1910.html
Dare I suggest that if he turned his back on the Rugby League and enlisted in the AIF he wouldn't be well remembered in RL circles? The NSWRL was struggling to make sure that it survived in 1914, and didn't encourage its players to join the colours. Gareth
Really ?? ........... that's a little unusual when everybody else was trying to get sportsmans battalions etc together !
It's all a bit complex, and the details have been [I suspect] deliberately forgotten. In essence, in 1914 Australia was a more sectarian country than than it is now. Rugby Union was seen by some as the game of the old pro-British Empire section of Society, while Rugby League was more of an anti-establishment enterprise. League was also coloured by a shade of pro-Irish independence, which is one of the reasons why League became the popular game in Catholic schools, other than those at the top end of the market. Here we have to remember that some 25% of the then Australian population was of Irish stock, many descended from convicts, who weren't going to rush to defend the Empire. Added to the above is the concern of the NSWRL that if their players emulated their RU contemporaries, and joined up in mass, then the League would be devastated. Hence, the League encouraged its players to stay out of the Army and was able to keep playing during the War, while the NSWRU suspended fixtures. After the Armistice, the RL still had a viable competition, while Union had to build again from almost nothing - in Queensland, Union died away for a decade. It's more complicated than my brief summary, but I think that you'll get the picture. Perhaps needless to say, the RL attitude doesn't get too much publicity today. For a better explanation, see Michael McKernan's The Australian People and the Great War; ISBN 0 17 005765 8. Gareth
Interesting ! ....... his Grandson also named Pat Walsh - has done a lot of research both on the Rugby side and also the war service side ! ... did he ever write a book do you know ?
Thought you might like to look here !! http://rugby-pioneers.blogs.com/rugby/2006/05/pat_nimmo_walsh.html
