'There'd be up 5k people when the three clubs played': 'Spud' Spurway reflects on Group 10 in the 1970s

Spurway, who retired last year after selling Bathurst Heritage Motor Inn, represented Railway in Group 10 first grade, where he and his side built up a 'healthy' rivalry with city rivals St Patrick's and Charlestons, as well as Cowra.

He remembers a time when the local derby was the main attraction in Bathurst on a Sunday.

"Everyone turned up on the Sunday morning and parked their cars early and they'd go from there," he remembered.

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"They'd read the paper, they'd have their cars on the fence and there'd be up to 5000 people when the three clubs played there on the one day.

"It was the in thing to do at the time. It did depend on what year it was. Some teams were better than others.

"We had great rivalry with Cowra too, with Greg Fearnley. St Pat's too."

And there was no doubting the quality of the Group 10 first grade competition, Spurway likening the competition to just a level below reserve grade in Sydney.

"It was only a grade behind reserve grade in Sydney. Some would go on to play first grade down there," he said.

"Paul Hope went straight into North Sydney first grade and play there for four years. His mate John Chapman from Blayney went to St George. He played rugby union before league.

"You had blokes like Paul Dunn, who played for the Roosters and Australia. We had Australian coaches like Albert Paul. He was a second-rower. Bob Heffernan he coached Eastern Suburbs and came here in the 1960s."

While it may be the same sport, Spurway said you can't compare the rugby league played today to that played 50 years ago.

"Group 10 in those days were tough, hard football. There were no easy games," he said.

"A lot of people did physical work back then. Today it's different, they go to the gym. It was a different game. Much tougher than what it was back then.

"When they played Great Britain at Wade Park in 1974, it was like a battle. You'll never see it again. The referee was told to throw the game their way but we were all over them. We were leading at half-time.

"I played against them in 1970. I watched the first Test in Sydney, which they won. Western Division played them a day after they had just won the series and they all turned up here pissed. We had three Railway blokes in that team."

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