It’s Round 12 of the Intrust Super Premiership (or NSW’s contribution to the NRL’s reserve grade, for those who want to be brutally honest and old-school about it). The inform Magpies are a feeder club for the NRL’s Wests Tigers, while Newtown has a similar deal with the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.

Lidcombe Oval was home to Western Suburbs between 1967 and 1986. Today is a special occasion: the Magpies’ Return To Lidcombe event. It’s old boys day. It’s giant Wests Magpies flags. It’s brand new Magpies’ merch. It’s Victa jerseys. It’s cans. It’s Tommy. It’s the vibe. It’s suburban rugby league, just as us old fogies love it.

Shortly after kick-off, your author gets a call from former Maggies forward Mick Liubinskas, who appeared in the black and white, and a few times for Balmain, between 1974 and ’79. Liubinskas, these days a Wests Tigers board member and chair of the Magpies, organised Raudonikis’ appearance at Lidcombe and keeps his promise to let me know when the great man has arrived.

Raudokinis’s playing career spanned the late ‘60s till the early ‘80s. He was a rough and tough, no holds barred player and one of the most ferocious halfbacks of his era. During his time with the two clubs on show at Lidcombe today, Raudonikis helped transform Wests and Newtown from also-rans to serious title contenders.

Inside Sport finds Raudonikis, for those who know Lidcombe Oval, at the top of the hill roughly halfway between the visitors’ sheds and the main grandstand. In good spirits following a recent victory against a health setback, he’s already in catch-up mode with former team-mates and long-time Magpies’ fans.

(IMAGE AT TOP - from left: Ray Brown, Warren Boland, Graeme O’Grady, Tommy Raudonikis, Les Boyd and Don Moseley. (Image courtesy of Wests Archives; as appeared in the book Clouds Of Dust, Buckets Of Blood, author Gary Lester)

The 20-Test veteran for the Kangaroos and two-time captain of Australia steals a green plastic Bunnings-esque outdoor dining chair and plants himself down next to a landrover and beside ad-man and long-time suburban league supporter John Singleton.

“Being back here, with a big crowd, brings back some great memories; I had 11 years here. It was just fantastic. A great journey, you know?” he beams.

“When I finished playing down here with Newtown, I went to Brisbane to coach. Then came back here and coached Western Suburbs and New South Wales, and now I’ve moved back to the Gold Coast.”

After a few minutes chewing the fat, we bring up Inside Sport’s recent chat with legendary coach Roy Masters. For that piece, Masters took us through his famous “Fibros vs Silvertails” philosophy. We were keen to know, then, what it was about that whole approach that appealed to Raudonikis so easily.

“Roy Masters was our coach; I got along terrifically with Roy,” Raudonikis shares. “The reason his coaching style with us appealed to me was that this is a working-class area; I’m only a batter, my parents were always battlers … I fitted in just like that. It suited me and I loved every minute of it.

“It’s good to see Victa back on board with the Magpies, too. We wore that Victa jersey with a lot of pride back in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. I have a big soft spot for that strip.”

During our chat, Wests Tigers coach Ivan Cleary, at the ground to watch the Tigers’ up and comers in action, drops past to say G’day to the champion 68-year-old Bathurst native, and halfback for New South Wales in the first-ever State of Origin back in 1980.

Other groups he greets with “Boys! How yas goin?” or a “hello darlin”. They love him and he loves them. If Wally owns the Cauldron, then Lidcombe Oval certainly worships Tommy Terrific.

Raudonikis won the Rothman’s Medal in 1972. He also coached the Blues in 1997 and 1998. His love of the modern game remains, but he wishes the sport’s authorities would ease up on the constant rule changes. “As long as they … we don’t need any more changes,” he offers. “Leave the game as it is. I think it’s getting too soft. I’m happy with the way it is, but no more changes.”

(Image via YouTube)

In his playing days Raudonikis, who stood at 170cm tall and tipped the scales at 73kg, was quick off the mark, could create scoring opportunities at will and had a deadly short kicking game. As mentioned in the YouTube video featured in this post. He was also a skilled defender who could bring down opponents of any size with his copybook tackles. He fondly recalls the Gladiators of his era while worshipping the hard men of today’s NRL.

“Probably Arthur Beetson and Terry Randall … they were tough, hard bastards, yeah. I’ll tell you who I do like from the modern game, that bloke at the Wests Tigers, the front rower who came over from St George, Russell Packer.”

Before too long we thank Tommy for his time and let him get back to his adoring fans and former team-mates. There are no doubt a lot of tales and lies from yesteryear to be told before the day’s out … In the meantime, you know what would look good out the front of those famous Lidcombe Oval gates? There’d be more than enough space. It’s only fair … Wally has one!

Deep in the heart of Lidcombe. (Photo by James Smith)