WINGHAM hardman Jake Kennett is now a member of Group Three Rugby League’s most exclusive club.
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Jake was inducted into the Group Three Hall of Fame at a function held at the Wingham Services Club, Group Three’s official sponsor.
Joe White from Gloucester, Wauchope’s Robert ‘Rocky’ Laurie and the late Lloyd Hudson from Kempsey were the other inductees.
They join Kevin Hardy (Taree), Warren Kimberley (Wauchope), Wally Sneedon (Taree-Wauchope) and Tony Paskins (inaugurated 2013); Garry McQuillan (Forster-Tuncurry) and Errol Ruprecht (2014); Harry Smith (Wingham), Bruce ‘Porky’ Slater (Wingham) (2015) and Tony Hinton (Taree), Pat Cudmore (Port Macquarie), Kevin Everitt (Gloucester) 2016.
A crowd of nearly 200 attended the evening, with a strong contingent of Jake’s old team-mates and players he coached helping swell the attendance.
Jake played 208 first grade games for the Wingham Tigers from 1958 to 1972. He started as a centre but was switched to the front row by coach Harry Hooson.
“We’d run out of front rowers,’’ he told the Chronicle last week.
On the representative scene Jake was a regular member of Group 18 teams while he played for North Coast on four occasions, once as captain.
He was renowned as one of the toughest players in what was a tough and at times brutal era of rugby league.
Jake was interviewed by Marshall Loadsman during the evening, where he recounted some of his playing career, particularly the epic struggles against the powerful Gloucester sides in the 1960s.
“They were a good side,’’ he said of the Magpies.
“They had a lot of good players. We had some great games against them.’’
Unfortunately for Jake and the Tigers, Gloucester generally managed to come out on top in the matches that counted – grand finals. On four occasions (1960, 63, 64 and 66) Gloucester emerged as premiers, beating Wingham on each occasion.
The Tigers were able to do the lap of honour in 1961 and 62 – the 62 success being the club’s last until 1989.
However, Jake said that during his time all the teams were generally evenly matched. He said it was rare for there to be an easy game.
After retiring Jake coached extensively in the Wingham junior league as well as Wingham under 18s and in the former Group Three Saturday League.
Wingham junior Mick Sullivan was the guest speaker at the function. His career included stints with the Northern Eagles, Cronulla, the English Super League and Canterbury. He is now a highly successful captain-coach with Orange CYMS.
