Paul Miller’s still got it, that was one thing abundantly clear to the whopping crowd on hand for the Classic Wallabies’ clash with the Central West Barbarians at Endeavour Oval on Saturday.
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Producing a masterclass in the centres for the Blue Bulls legends, Miller proved he’s not lost much, if any, of the ability that took him to the top of Central West and NSW Country Rugby Union during his long, glittering career as a Bathurst Bulldog.
The former Bulldogs enforcer seemingly made breaks for fun against a Classic Wallabies side boasting almost 400 Test caps combined, directly setting up two of his side’s three tries as well.
Making that all the more impressive is the fact he’d flown from Brisbane to play – Miller’s based even further north than that now, at Yeppoon – and had no idea what to expect from the clash.
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“I think I did pretty well in three-minute spurts. There were some things I did really well, but I wasn’t fit enough to do enough of it,” Miller said after his side’s 44-21 defeat to the Australian side.
“I thought it might be like a Golden Oldies game but as I arrived I realised it was a bit more serious. It was good, I didn’t really know who was playing (for the Classic Wallabies) until [Friday].”
Miller was one of countless Central West, and Cockatoos, legends that turned out in the exhibition clash, which provided a reunion of sorts for several generations of Blue Bulls.
“It was great to catch up with a lot of blokes who I played with and against for so long,” Miller said.
“To be able to come back and catch up with them and play against some really good footballers was great, and it was played in really good spirits as well.
“I’d heard the idea had been floated at the awards night earlier in the year. I don’t live around here anymore, so it just timed really well that ... I could get back.
“The guys who played in the Central West team are a talented bunch of footballers. We’ve seen some people play at our standard and go on and play Super Rugby. [The Classic Wallabies] are all very talented but we knew we could at least match with them for bits and pieces.”
Saturday’s clash also provided a homecoming for another of the Central West Barbarians’ guns in Mark Daley, who led Orange Emus around the paddock and won a number of premierships in the bottle green.
“I haven’t been back here for a while, it was good to come back (and see) a lot of good friends. (There) was a lot of heckling from the sidelines as well. It was a really good experience,” Daley said.
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“I haven’t played for a long time. I did a little bit of coaching when I moved up to Tamworth but I haven’t had anything to do with football for a long time. That’s about the first time I’ve touched a football in about four years.
“I could have been a bit fitter but it was alright.
“I think [the Classic Wallabies] sort of did what they had to do and weren’t too harsh on us.
“I think for me the jumper means a lot and obviously to some of those guys who were involved when I was playing, it means a lot.”
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Matt Findlay
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
