Few rugby league players have battled as hard in their life as Joe Reaiche, who will be laid to rest in Sydney this week after dying aged just 66.
Reaiche played rugby league in the late 1970s and early 1980s, primarily as a fullback and winger.
He player for teams including the Eastern Suburbs Roosters, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, and South Sydney Rabbitohs in the New South Wales Rugby League, which would later become the NRL.
But his toughness on the footy field was bookended by heartbreak no human should ever suffer, losing his best friend to war and his family to religion.
Reaiche had been estranged from his family for nearly 20 years due to his excommunication from the Church of Scientology.
He was the father of Hollywood stars Allana and Jordan Masterson, and the stepfather of actor Danny Masterson, who was recently sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for rape, along with his brother Christopher Masterson.
Reaiche’s involvement with Scientology began in the 1980s, leading to his estrangement after he became a whistleblower against the church in 2005.
His family, including his children with ex-wife Carol Masterson, severed ties with him following his declaration as a suppressive person by the church.
Former rugby league star Joe Reaiche will be laid to rest in Sydney this week after a life full of heartbreak
Reaiche died after 20 years of not speaking to his former wife Carol or his children, including stepson Danny Masterson (second from right) who was convicted of rape
Despite his efforts to expose Scientology’s practices, Reaiche died without reconciling with his family.
‘I got out and I am one of the lucky ones,’ he said. ‘But once I was out I tried to contact my kids, who are still in the church, and they cut me off.
‘When I realised what had happened, I cried. I haven’t spoken to them in years… that’s the cruellest punishment of all. You don’t do that to a parent.’
Reaiche’s official cause of death was kidney failure, but his brother told veteran journalist Tony Adams – better known as The Mole – that the sadness was what claimed his life in the end.
‘The official cause is kidney failure, but I know Joe died of a broken heart because of what the church did to him,’ he said.
Veteran journalist Tony Adams (left) AKA The Mole was a longtime friend of Reaiche
Reaiche grew up in Sydney next to the bright lights of Redfern and wanted to be a footy player from a young age.
However when he was 14, his family made the decision to return to their home country just before war broke out.
The Lebanese Civil War, spanning from 1975 to 1990, involved various factions such as Christian, Muslim, and Druze militias, alongside foreign interventions from Syria and Israel.
The conflict, driven by political and religious tensions and the presence of Palestinian refugees, resulted in approximately 120,000 fatalities and displaced hundreds of thousands of people.
Reaiche had little choice but to become a child soldier.
‘Law and order were non-existent and street justice was common – I saw people shot all the time,’ he says. ‘I soon had guns myself – an old M1-6 rifle, an AK-47 machine gun and a pistol, not to mention a knife,’ he told Adams.
‘The city was divided into Christians and Muslims. There were street gangs that would shoot people on the spot. I was still a kid – but you grow up quickly in that situation.
‘Even at school, kids were hacking each other to death with machetes – it was brutal.
‘I took part in the fighting, but I think my catholic school upbringing in Sydney kicked in a little. I didn’t see the sense in slaughter and thankfully, I never killed anyone, but I came close.
‘The Bible spoke about hell and if there was a hell on earth, I knew I was in it.’
Reaiche officially died of kidney failure while on a recent business trip, but his brother Tony said he died of a broken heart
Fortunately for Reaiche, his family decided to send him back to Australia where he could pursue his footy career, but not before the greatest tragedy of all.
‘We had a group of mates and my closest buddy was this kid, Michael,’ Reaiche told Adams.
‘After five years my dad decided it was time to send me back to Australia and just before I left, I went to say goodbye to Michael.
‘He was sad I was leaving but knew it would give me my chance to follow my dream and play rugby league.
‘We hugged and went our separate ways and as I walked off, I saw a big Mercedes charging towards the shop where Michael was. Seconds later there was a massive blast.
‘It was a suicide bomber, I ran over, the building was in ruins… I got to Michael and he died in my arms. Part of me died with him that moment.’
The Sydney Roosters recently paid tribute to Reaiche after learning of his death.
‘He was a very popular team mate and friend to so many in the Roosters family and he will be sorely missed,’ the club posted.
Reaiche’s funeral is in Sydney on Wednesday.