Johnny Mayes

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Johnny Mayes (born April 28, 1947) is an Australian former rugby league halfback who represented Australia in the 1975 World Series and played in three consecutive premiership-winning teams from 1973 to 1975, the first for Manly and the latter two for Eastern Suburbs. His feat of playing in three consecutive premiership sides for different clubs is comparable only with Glenn Lazarus in the early 1990s for Canberra and the Brisbane Broncos, who played in four premiership sides between 1989 and 1993.

Mayes had a slow start to his career with Eastern Suburbs owing to competition from established half Kevin Junee. He first played first grade in 1968, but was still mostly in reserve grade for several years. When Junee was injured in the years after winning the Rothmans Medal in 1970, Mayes spent a considerable amount of time in first grade and for part of 1972 actually relegated Junee to the reserves - though by finals time Junee had displaced him again.

Being a similar type of halfback to Junee, Mayes naturally sought another club to be sure of a first grade berth and Manly, with Dennis Ward dropping out, picked him up for the 1973 season. Mayes' growth as a player that year was remarkable. He scored sixteen tries - four in one match against Penrith - and won Rugby League Week's Player of the Year award. He was freely tipped to go on the Kangaroo tour but was not chosen, and was, remarkably, swapped for Junee so he could return to Easts the following year.

This rather unusual swap was surprisingly beneficial, for with Manly Junee was the 1974 season's leading try-scorer, whilst Mayes' corageous defence and frequent darting runs helped Easts develop a powerful attack and solid defence that ensured the team dropped only seven games under Jack Gibson in 1974 and 1975. In the 1975 grand final Mayes scored a brilliant try after an arcing run cross-field by winger Bruce Pickett and another one after running through a gaping hole, whist he scored four tries for the second time against Canterbury.

However, with Junee's return to Easts and especially the unexpected emergence of the unknown Kevin Hastings, Mayes spent much of 1976 in reserve grade again. With Junee gone for good, he fought with Hastings for a first grade spot in 1977 before returning to Newcastle where he captained teh city to a win over New Zealand in 1978.

In all Mayes played 131 first grade games for 71 tries and three field goals (two two-point and one one-point). In 1975 he was the leading try-scorer with sixteen.

[edit] References

Whiticker, Alan and Hudson, Glen; The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players. ISBN 1875169768

v • d • e Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles squad - 1973 NSWRFL Premiers (2nd Title)

1 Graham Eadie • 2 Ken Irvine • 3 Ray Branighan • 4 Bob Fulton • 5 Max Brown • 6 Ian Martin • 7 John Mayes • 8 Bill Hamilton • 9 Fred Jones (c) • 10 John O'Neill • 11 Peter Peters • 12 Terry Randall • 13 Malcolm Reilly • 14 John Bucknall • Coach: Ron Willey

v • d • e Eastern Suburbs Roosters squad - 1974 NSWRFL Premiers (10th Title)

1 Russell Fairfax • 2 Jim Porter • 3 John Brass • 4 Mark Harris • 5 Bill Mullins • 6 John Peard • 7 Johnny Mayes • 8 Ian McKay • 9 Elwyn Walters • 10 Ken Jones • 11 Arthur Beetson (c) • 12 Bunny Reilly • 13 Ron Coote • Coach: Jack Gibson

v • d • e Eastern Suburbs Roosters squad - 1975 NSWRFL Premiers (11th Title)

1 Ian Schubert • 2 Bruce Pickett • 3 John Brass • 4 John Rheinberger • 5 Bill Mullins • 6 John Peard • 7 Johnny Mayes • 8 Ian McKay • 9 Elwyn Walters • 10 Grant Hedger • 11 Arthur Beetson (c) • 12 Ron Coote • 13 Kevin Stevens • 14 Bunny Reilly • 15 Des O'Reilly • Coach: Jack Gibson

v • d • e

National Rugby League top try scorers

1908 Horrie Miller • 1909 Tommy Anderson • 1910 Arthur McCabe • 1911 Dave Garlick • 1912 Roy Algie • 1913 Harold Horder • 1914 Harold Horder • 1915 Frank Burge • 1916 Frank Burge • 1917 Harold Horder • 1918 Frank Burge • 1919 Gordon Wright • 1920 Gordon Wright • 1921 Gordon Wright • 1922 Cecil Blinkhorn • 1923 Herman Peters • 1924 Tommy Kennedy • 1925 Benny Wearing • 1926 Benny Wearing • 1927 Benny Wearing • 1928 Tony Redmond • 1929 Alan Brady • 1930 Morrie Boyle • 1931 Jack Lynch • 1932 Alan Ridley • 1933 Jack Gray-Spence • 1934 Dave Brown, Fred Gardner & Vic Hey • 1935 Dave Brown • 1936 Fred Tottey • 1937 Fred Tottey • 1938 Don Manson • 1939 Sid Goodwin • 1940 Jack Lindwall • 1941 Percy Dermond & Sel Lisle • 1942 Jack Lindwall • 1943 C "Kelly" McMahon • 1944 Sid Goodwin • 1945 Chicka Cahill & Jack Snare • 1946 Jack Lindwall • 1947 Bob Lulham • 1948 Norm Jacobson • 1949 Ron Roberts • 1950 Jack Troy • 1951 John Graves • 1952 Peter O'Brien • 1953 Ian Moir • 1954 Ray Preston • 1955 Brian Allsop & Ian Moir • 1956 Tommy Ryan • 1957 Tommy Ryan • 1958 Eddie Lumsden • 1959 Ken Irvine • 1960 Reg Gasnier • 1961 Johnny King • 1962 Eddie Lumsden • 1963 Reg Gasnier • 1964 Reg Gasnier • 1965 Johnny King • 1966 Ken Irvine • 1967 Les Hanigan • 1968 Stan Gorton • 1969 Ken Irvine • 1970 Ken Irvine • 1971 Paul Cross • 1972 Bob Fulton • 1973 Bob Fulton • 1974 Kevin Junee & Bill Mullins • 1975 Johnny Mayes • 1976 Bob Fulton • 1977 Russel Gartner • 1978 Larry Corowa • 1979 Mitch Brennan & Tom Mooney • 1980 John Ribot & Wayne Wigham • 1981 Terry Fahey • 1982 Steve Ella • 1983 Phil Blake • 1984 Terry Lamb & Steve Morris • 1985 Steve Linnane • 1986 Phil Blake & Garry Schofield • 1987 Terry Lamb • 1988 John Ferguson • 1989 Gary Belcher • 1990 Mal Meninga • 1991 Alan McIndoe • 1992 Mark Bell & Tim Brasher • 1993 Noa Nadruku • 1994 Steve Renouf • 1995 Steven Menzies • 1996 Noa Nadruku • 1997 Terry Hill & Mathew Ryan • 1998 Darren Smith • 1999 Nathan Blacklock • 2000 Nathan Blacklock • 2001 Nathan Blacklock • 2002 Nigel Vagana • 2003 Rhys Wesser • 2004 Amos Roberts • 2005 Matt Bowen • 2006 Nathan Merritt • 2007 Matt Bowen