- Johnny Mayes played for Roosters and Sea Eagles
- Halfback won ARL premierships at both clubs
Footy legend Johnny Mayes only has weeks to live after a recent MRI scan revealed a ‘very aggressive brain tumour’.
Mayes, 78, was the halfback in Jack Gibson’s Roosters team who won back-to-back premierships in 1974 and 1975.
The local junior earlier defected to Manly in 1973 for one season, where he won a title before returning to the Tricolours.
The playmaker also represented Australia in the 1975 World Cup – and on Wednesday, former Manly teammate Peter ‘Zorba’ Peters paid tribute to Mayes.
‘Little Monkey had a heart bigger than himself,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.
‘He replaced Dennis Ward from our 1972 inaugural premiership winning side after switching to Manly from Easts.
Footy legend Johnny Mayes (pictured middle, playing for the Roosters) only has weeks to live after a recent MRI scan revealed a ‘very aggressive brain tumour’
Mayes (pictured right, with current coach Trent Robinson) was the halfback in Jack Gibson’s Roosters team who won back-to-back premierships in 1974-75
Mayes also won a premiership with Manly in 1973 – and teammate Peter ‘Zorba’ Peters described the playmaker as ‘always a threat to the opposition defence’
‘Johnny was a brilliant running halfback and always a threat to the opposition defence. ‘At Manly, he was conscious of his lethal outside backs with Bob Fulton and Ray Branighan in the centres and Ken Irvine and Max Brown on the wings.
‘Mayes’ job along with his five-eighth Ian Martin was to give them opportunities which they always did.
‘Johnny was a team player through and through and a very popular person where ever he played.’
Mayes’ son Glen labelled the brain tumour diagnosis a ‘big shock to the family.’
‘It is a very aggressive brain tumour. The doctors tell us his time is limited,’ he told Wide World of Sports.
‘Maybe a few weeks….if we are lucky a couple of months. ‘The fortunate thing is that he is in no pain.
‘He has paralysis down the left side of body and is also suffering from dementia. ‘All we can do is try to make the most of the time he has left.’
On the Silvertails supporters website, footy fans passed on their best wishes.
‘A shrewd recruit who made Manly great,’ posted one.
‘Very sad news….lovely fella – thoughts with him,’ said another.
‘Used to love watching him play, even when he was at the Roosters as well,’ a third added.
