Almanac Rugby League: Vale Johnny ‘Chook’ Raper

 

Johnny Raper, one of the four original Immortals of rugby league, has passed away at the age of 82 after a long illness. Affectionately know as ‘Chook’, Raper is regarded as the greatest ever lock forward to play the game. He revolutionised the way the position was played and paved the way for the likes of Ron Coote, Ray Price, Wayne Pearce and Bob Lindner in later years.

 

Raper began his career with Newtown (2 seasons) before joining the mighty St George Dragons in 1959 where he  became an integral part of their legendary premiership team of that era and played in eight winning Grand Finals. In all he played 215 first grade matches and scored 57 tries. Raper represented NSW 24 times and played 39 Tests for the Kangaroos as well as 6 World Cup matches and was chosen in the ARL’s Team of the Century.

 

Raper was best known for developing the art of cover defence and his scything tackling style but he also possessed great ball skills, determination and a tremendous work-rate based on a level of fitness which few, if any, of his contemporaries could match. He was not the biggest or fastest player on the field but he made up for it with an insightful football brain and a capacity to read the game well so that he was in the right spot at the right time. The revered commentator Frank Hyde was quoted as saying, ‘When Johnny Raper was born, they not only destroyed the mould, they pulped it. I rate him the finest footballer I have seen’.

 

Some argue that Raper’s greatest moment came in the Second Test of the 1963-4 Ashes Tour when he dominated the match in both attack and defence, playing a role in many of Australia’s dozen tries as the Kangaroos demolished Great Britain by 50-12 in the so-called ‘Swinton Massacre’.

 

Raper was also known as a larrikin and mischief-maker off the field with the ‘bowler hat’ incident on the 1967-8 Kangaroo Tour the standout story. Unfortunately the facts get in the way of a good yarn as the player involved was not Raper. However, the man himself did little to discourage the furphy and used the notion for his biography, The Man in the Bowler Hat.

 

 

 

A larger than life character, Raper has been the subject of a myriad of stories over the decades. It’s hard to know which are true and which are fanciful. You can never be sure. But you can be sure that John William Raper was one of the greatest players ever to lace up a pair of footy boots.

 

To see a summary of Johnny Raper’s career on rugbyleagueproject.org click here.

 

To read The Guardian’s tribute to Johnny Raper click here.

 

To read Martin Lenehan’s tribute to Johnny Raper on nrl.com click here.

 

 

RIP Johnny ‘Chook’ Raper.

 

To return to our Footy Almanac home page click HERE.

 

Our writers are independent contributors. The opinions expressed in their articles are their own. They are not the views, nor do they reflect the views, of Malarkey Publications.

 

Do you enjoy the Almanac concept?

And want to ensure it continues in its current form, and better? To help things keep ticking over please consider making your own contribution.

 

Become an Almanac (annual) member – CLICK HERE.