Pirates' Plea Fails In Game Of Snakes And Ladders

Sydney Morning Herald

Friday August 10, 2001

Phil Wilkins

Life does not get worse for a football coach than it did last night for West Harbour's Brian Melrose and Joe Barakat.

Transparently, a death in a family is of significantly greater importance. Rugby is only a game. But for everyone at Wests, from the two first-year coaches through to the humblest colt at the 101-year-old foundation club, it felt as if their hearts were cut out.

Emotional eyewash? Not if you were near Waratah Stadium. The Pirates were devastated to learn their appeal against a deduction of 19 points for fielding too many ``overseas players" had been rejected by NSW Rugby's special executive committee.

Last Sunday, a star appeared beside Wests' name on the competition table, indicating that their 54 points were subject to an appeal. Soon after 5pm yesterday, the asterisk became a falling star.

Wests plummeted from fifth position, level on 54 points with Warringah, to eighth position on 35 points. The minor premiership ends tomorrow after 18 rounds with Wests to play Randwick at Waratah Stadium. Their ambition of their first premiership since 1929 is over.

Originally, Wests listed five-eighth Faolua Muliaina, fullback Marshall Milroy and winger Ieu Tuiavi'i as ``overseas players", only two of whom could play first grade at a time. Last month, NSWR decided front-rowers Malaga Leota and Alisi Leao were also overseas players.

NSWR executive director Matt Carroll said his committee ``took no joy in imposing the penalty" and ``remained sympathetic to the disappointment of the players".

However, he pointed out that clubs ``which abided by the rules should not be disadvantaged by clubs which breached the rules".

Brian Melrose began in grade football in 1982. He was 18 when he broke into first grade later that year with Parramatta, the club which Test brother Tony and big second-row brother ``Tiny" served with distinction.

Melrose also played first grade for Wests and Eastwood, but as the tide ran out for Parramatta, he returned to captain and coach the club.

After his 200th first-grade game, ``Billy" spoke of a shadow entering his life, the taboo subject: retirement.

``Football plays such an important role in my life, and my family's life," he said. ``It's so much of an obsession, I want to keep playing indefinitely. I honestly cannot even think about not playing, about not being able to to play rugby."

Melrose retired from football in 1999 after 240 first grade games because of ``arthritis, and not wanting to finish as a stumble-bum but as a player who could have a bearing on a first-grade game".

He teamed up with Barakat this season, Melrose a former first-grade back, Barakat an ex-St George first-grade breakaway and assistant coach at Southern Districts.

Neither had representative experience but better rugby men never accepted the job. If rugby wasn't their life, it was certainly their blood brother.

Both were passionate about the game. Barakat coached NSW Schools to national championships in 1998-99 but was too fervent for the genteel environment of schools' football, and went into grade.

Barakat recalled yesterday how a Wests fan remarked to him recently how important football was to the Pirates community, many of them Islanders, how it instilled discipline in the players and how it ``kept them off the streets".

``Football trains them, provides them with objectives, gives them an arena instead of a back alley," Barakat said. ``They do not feel threatened. If they feel challenged, it is in a healthy sense. They do not have a fear of losing their lives in gang warfare."

For the first time since he tore a hamstring muscle, former Wallaby back-rower Fili Finau is back, training the house down. He rang Barakat at 9.30 on Wednesday night to learn if there was any news.

Brian Melrose went home last night, feeling sick. Worse than addressing his players, he had to face his eight-year-old son, Ben, a ballboy since he could tuck the pigskin under his arm.

``That'll be the hardest part," Melrose said. ``Football is Ben's life. He told me the other night: `Dad, if we don't keep the points, I'm going to write to John Howard."'

© 2001 Sydney Morning Herald

Back to News Index | Back to Home