On the 1 May 2013 Northern Sydney Men of League Welfare Officers Fred Jackson and Ken Vessey paid a surprise visit to see Men of League Member Warwick Warlters at the New Horizons Nursing Home, North Ryde. We had been told by Warwick’s good mate Kevin Price that Warwick enjoyed a good laugh and had many classic stories about rugby league and especially of his wool classing days with his close friend the late Laurie Nichols the “Number One Fan” of the Balmain Tigers.
In no time at all we were talking about rugby league and Warwick shared many stories including that he was a “North Sydney Bear” from early days having played his junior rugby league with the Mosman Rugby League Football Club where he was a member of the victorious B Grade team in 1956; upon being graded with the North Sydney District Rugby League Football Club he played a few matches in 1st grade and 80 games in reserve / 3rd games before retiring in 1963; in 1959 he played and scored the match sealing try in the Grand Final winning 3rd grade team which included Alan Odgers, Mick Maher and the coach was John Sullivan (brother of Bobby Sullivan).After retiring from grade rugby league Warwick played for the Crows Nest Rugby League Football Club A Grade team and coached teams with the Denistone Rugby League Football Club.
On behalf of the Men of League Foundation we presented Warwick with a Men of League polo shirt and cap in appreciation for his contributions to rugby league and wished him a recovery and improvement in his health.
Warwick thanked us for our visit and wished the Men of League Foundation continued success in their endeavors.