Tom Raudonikis

Tough, tenacious ‘Tom Terrific’ never took a backward step on the football field. Originally from Cowra, the dynamic halfback came to Wests from Wagga in 1969 on the recommendation of his country coach, former NZ international centre Graham Kennedy, and the advice of Australian captain-coach Arthur Summons. Despite Wests finishing last in 1970, Raudonikis impressed with his whole-hearted efforts with the Magpies. He first played for NSW in 1971 and toured NZ with the Australian squad that year. He made the first of 20 Test appearances against the Kiwis the following year and won the Rothmans Medal for best and fairest player. Raudonikis terrorised his opponents - halfbacks and forwards alike - with his resolute competitiveness. He was the top Australian halfback during the 1970s and captained Australia in the third and deciding Test against Great Britain on the 1973 Kangaroo tour. Raudonikis also played in two World Cup wins (1975 & 1977), four Ashes series (1973, 1974, 1978 & 1979) and against France (1978) and NZ (1978 & 1980). Testimony to his toughness was the celebrated occasion in 1977 when he was relegated to the reserve bench in an interstate match in favour of a young Steve Mortimer. NSW was losing when Raudonikis took the field late in the second half but quickly instigated a fight with his opposite number Greg Oliphant (who was being treated for an injury on the sideline!) and inspired NSW to a narrow 14-13 win with a great try. The only player to top 200 first grade games with Wests, he shocked everyone in the game when he accepted an offer from John Singleton to play for Newtown in 1980. He captained NSW in the inaugural State of Origin match and toured NZ that year where he made his final Test appearance in Australia's Second Test win in Auckland. One of Raudonikis' greatest matches was in the 1981 grand final but despite scoring a marvellous solo try he could not stave off defeat against the Eels. He spent much of the following season on the sidelines after being sent off in a reserve grade match for his tackle on P’matta hooker Ernie Garland. Suspended for 12 weeks, he left Sydney soon after for a player-coach career with Brisbane Brothers. Raudonikis later coached Brisbane Norths and Ipswich (where a young halfback named Allan Langer emerged in the mid-1980s). Like a blast from the past, and with the Wests club at the crossroads following the resignation of coach Warren Ryan toward the end of the 1994 season, Raudonikis was lured back to the club to take over the coaching reins in 1995. The former champion player quickly instilled spirit back into the ailing club and was rewarded for his efforts with his appointment as NSW State coach in the divided 1997 ARL season. After winning the 1997 State of Origin series, his team was beaten by the Wayne Bennett-coached Maroons in 1998 and with the Wests club facing the possibility of extinction, Raudonikis stood down from his Origin post in 1999. Following Wests’ merger with Balmain at the end of the year, Raudonikis returned to Queensland to live and makes sporadic media forays each year at State of Origin time.