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Malcolm Reilly, a towering figure in rugby league both on and off the field, is fighting a rare and aggressive spinal cancer at the age of 77.
The former Castleford and Manly Sea Eagles enforcer and Newcastle Knights premiership-winning coach is currently undergoing radiotherapy in an English hospital.
Reilly’s reputation as one of rugby league’s hardest men was forged over decades of battles across two hemispheres. But this latest fight will be his toughest yet.
A proud Yorkshireman born in Barkston Ash in 1948, Reilly’s path to greatness began almost by accident.
‘I’d been playing soccer, but one day the bus didn’t turn up,’ he once recalled. ‘So I got on the rugby bus.’
Eight games later, Castleford signed him, and rugby league was never the same.
Reilly, pictured right, celebrates winning the 1997 ARL Grand Final with the Newcastle Knights
The English hard man brought a steel and resolve to the Knights defensive line that carried them all the way to a premiership against the odds
His early years saw him take on legends like Arthur Beetson, and by 1969, Reilly was lifting the Lance Todd Trophy at Wembley.
A year later, he played a key role in Great Britain’s famous Ashes victory over Australia, a feat the national side hasn’t matched since.
In 1971, Reilly joined the Manly Sea Eagles and quickly became a fan favourite.
He was central to their historic first premiership in 1972 and followed it up with a brutal 1973 grand final victory over Cronulla.
Peter Peters, a Manly teammate, told News Corp: ‘If anyone can beat this, it’s ‘Mooka.’
‘He is the ultimate fighter and still trains most days. He’s tough as nails and always has been.’
Reilly’s playing style was a mixture of force and finesse. He could belt opponents with bone-shaking tackles, but he also brought a level of ball-playing rarely seen at the time.
But his career wasn’t without controversy. Reilly was involved in a violent on-field clash with Souths’ George Piggins in 1973.
NRL Immortal Andrew Johns was in hospital all week leading up to the grand final with three fractured ribs and a punctured lung
Reilly is regarded as a coaching great who managed to extract the best out of his players, including Johns
Many experts think Reilly (pictured in his days with Manly) is the greatest Englishman to make the switch to playing in Australia
‘It’s a clash that I’m not particularly proud about,’ he admitted years later.
Despite carrying a bad-boy image, Reilly’s coaching career showed a different side – tactical, disciplined, and fiercely loyal.
After a stint as player-coach at Castleford, he moved into full-time coaching, guiding Castleford to a Challenge Cup win in 1986.
From 1987 to 1994, he coached the Great Britain national team, leading them to memorable series wins over New Zealand and going agonisingly close in the Ashes and World Cup campaigns of the early 1990s.
In 1995, Reilly returned to Australia to coach the Newcastle Knights. Known for his no-nonsense approach, he demanded better fitness and accountability from his players.
‘I pulled them into the office one by one and went through my expectations,’ he said.
‘If they wanted to achieve anything, they had to improve.’
The results were almost immediate. In his first year, the Knights went from 10th to a preliminary final.
Reilly, pictured centre, receives his British & Irish Lions heritage number in a UK presentation
Reilly was always known for his fitness and he was reportedly training every day until his shattering diagnosis
The Manly Sea Eagles are pictured with the Mal Reilly Trophy, which is contested every year when they play the Newcastle Knights
Two years later, in one of the greatest grand finals ever played, Reilly masterminded Newcastle’s historic 22-16 win over his former club, Manly.
Reilly’s connection with his players was deep.
He knew how to get the best out of complex characters like Andrew Johns.
‘I couldn’t be at loggerheads with the best player,’ he said.
‘I had to get the best out of him, and I did – through his brother and ‘Chief’ [Paul Harragon].’
After leaving Newcastle in 1998, Reilly returned to England, coaching Huddersfield in a challenging period before stepping away from the top level. But his legacy endured.
In 2014, Reilly was inducted into the British Rugby League Hall of Fame and appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
His impact is also celebrated each season through the Mal Reilly Trophy, contested between Manly and Newcastle.
Fan tributes have been pouring in since news of his illness broke.
‘Malcolm has always been a winner and no cancer can ever erase his inspirational legacy,’ one supporter wrote.
Another said, ‘He monstered a quality Souths pack at the SCG. No-one tougher than this bloke.’
REILLY ON WHY ANDREW JOHNS IS THE TOUGHEST PLAYER EVER
Reilly was asked in 2019 who the toughest player was that he had ever coached or played with.
Without hesistation, he nominated NRL legend Andrew Johns and spoke about the incredible effort he went to in order to steer the Knights to their famous 1997 premiership.
During the finals, Johns had cracked three ribs in his side’s major semi final against Manly-Warringah.
Amazingly, he played the next week in the preliminary final against North Sydney, but only until halftime.
Reilly recalled Johns going into the medical room for a painkilling injection before realising something was horribly wrong.
‘The doctor didn’t know just how long the injections would last, to camouflage these three broken ribs,’ Reilly said.
‘So we went into the medical room and I saw him inject Andrew again with the painkillers. I won’t tell you what I said, but I though ‘geez that’s gone in really deep’.
‘I walked out and went to my seat and Andrew didn’t come out. What had happened was the doctor had punctured his lung in two places.
‘So not only had he got three broken ribs, he had got a punctured lung.
‘So they rushed him straight off to hospital. We won the game and it’s the grand final next week.
‘He wanted to play, and I wanted him to play because he was a crucial part of whatever the team can achieve.
‘He had been so instrumental in directing play and such a great defensive player as well.
‘So we decided we were going to play him and we needled him up again. He managed to play the first half and came off. We needled him again.’
With about 20 minutes left to go in the game, Johns told trainer Mark Wright that he needed to come off because he was in too much pain.
‘I said put the headphones on him,’ Reilly said.
‘I said mate, I know you’re in pain, but we really can’t win this game without you.
‘And the kid just turned around and went back out.
‘Matthew Johns, with 10 minutes to go, had hit the upright with a drop goal to seal the game.’
Then came one of the most iconic moments in rugby league history.
‘He told [winger] Darren [Albert] to just stay alive,’ Reilly said.
‘Matthew is ready to drop a goal and all the Manly side was just anticipating that was going to happen.
‘But Andrew read it instantly, shot down the short side … beat the first player and engaged the second [before he] gave Darren the ball under the sticks.
‘And we won with six seconds to go.’
