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Roy Masters (rugby league)

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Roy Masters
Personal information
Full nameRoydon John Masters
Born(1941-10-15)15 October 1941(age 82)
Newtown, New South Wales,Australia
Coaching information
Club
Years Team Gms W D L W%
1978–81 Wests Magpies 94 56 2 36 60
1982–87 St. George Dragons 156 86 8 62 55
Total 250 142 10 98 57
Source:RLP

Roydon John MastersAM(born 15 October 1941) is an Australian sports journalist and formerrugby leaguefootball coach. He is a sports columnist for theSydney Morning Herald.He was a school teacher with an interest in team psychology who enjoyed some success as a schoolboy coach before embarking on a professional coaching career in theNSWRFL Premiership.

Family and early life[edit]

Roy was the eldest of seven children to author and journalistOlga Mastersand her school teacher husband. His siblings include current affairs journalistChris Masters,Ian Masters,a Los Angeles radio show host, Quentin Masters, a London-based film producer,Sue Masterstelevision Producer and Deb Masters.[1]

Coaching[edit]

Masters had little experience as a professionalrugby leaguefootballer having played country football as ahookerof, "only average ability"[2]during his early teaching years at Tweed River High. He qualified as a teacher in 1963 and following posts at Tweed River and Armidale, Masters taught atTamworth High Schooland coached their rugby league side to victory in the prestigious University Shield schoolboys competition. In 1972 he was selected as coach of the inauguralAustralian Schoolboys representative sidewhich featured such future stars asIan Schubert,Craig Young,Les BoydandRoyce Ayliffe.The side toured Great Britain, going undefeated on the tour and scoring 108 tries in their 11 games to their opponents one.[1]

Masters' senior coaching career in theNSWRLcommenced with a minor role with thePenrith Panthersin 1974 as one of five members of the coaching panel. At the time he was still a social science teacher at Doonside High School.[2]In 1976 he shifted to theWestern Suburbs Magpiesto coach their under 23s side whenDon Parishwas the head coach.

"People say that Roy was a motivator and not a tactical coach, but that is very wrong. He was both, but he was the best motivator I played under. He was one of us. He was like a father to us all."

−Tommy Raudonikis[3]

In 1978 he was appointed as head coach largely due to the support of senior playersTommy RaudonikisandLes Boyd.Masters re-built the Magpies, who had been in decline since suffering three successivegrand finallosses toSt Georgefrom 1961 to 1963. He coached the Magpies to aminor premiershipin 1978 and they played with consistent high quality during this period. Many acclaimed players blossomed under his tutelage, includingBoyd,John DorahyandJohn "Dallas" Donnelly;while the tough, uncompromising halfbackTommy Raudonikisled the side on-field.

Masters was a master of psychology, famously terming the Western Suburbs the "fibros" (a type ofasbestossheeting commonly used in houses in the area) in contrast to their rivals of the period theManly-Warringah Sea Eagles,whom he described as the "silvertails".This reflected both the socio-economics of the respectiveSydneysuburbs and the financial situations of the clubs. He created this term after a fiery exhibition match between the two sides inMelbournewhen Masters was happy to spread a false rumour that the Sea Eagles had stayed at a luxury resort while Wests had to make do with a two-star hotel.[1]

"I've been a battler all my life. I can communicate with a team like Wests. I form a close personal relationship with each of my players because I'm one of their kind." Masters said of his time at the club.[2]Masters left Western Suburbs when it emerged that the Magpies' affiliatedleagues clubatAshfieldwould no longer be able to support the incomes of his key "fibros" players.

Masters moved on toSt. George Dragonsin 1982, reaching the Grand Final in1985but losing toCanterbury-Bankstown7–6. Masters is regarded as one of the finest coaches to have never won a premiership because he was seemingly able to help financially struggling clubs to perform above their ability. He was awarded theDally Mcoach of the year in 1985.

In September 2004 Masters was named as coach of theWestern Suburbs Magpiesteam of the century.

Journalism[edit]

Masters is a columnist atThe Sydney Morning Herald,[4]and also appears on theABC-TVsports panel showOffsiders.He was also a Rugby League Commentator for Channel Seven when the Seven network had the free to air TV rights for Australian Tests from 1990 to 1993.

Masters did not supportSuper Leaguewhen it emerged in 1995 and is well known for his support for rugby league traditions. He is also respected for his analytical skill, and is highly regarded by current players, a rarity for a member of the media.[5] Masters also covers soccer, boxing and a variety of other sports, famously criticising Americanjingoismat the opening ceremony of the2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games.

He is a strong supporter ofJohn O'Neill,theAustralian Rugby Unionchief executive (and formerFootball Federation AustraliaCEO) who led the federation to the2006 FIFA World Cup.However, Masters has criticised FFA chairmanFrank Lowyin a series of articles detailing Australian soccer's financial problems, in spite of theSocceroos' success at the World Cup. He questioned whether Lowy, Australia's second richest man, would repay an Australian Sports Commission loan of overA$3 million, to help develop a national league. In a letter to theSydney Morning Herald,Lowy questioned Masters' journalistic credibility, saying among other things that Masters was a "Rugby League commentator". Masters then revealed that his great uncleJames "Judy" Masterswas a former captain of theAustralian national team.[6]

In 2005 Masters gave the 7th annualTom Brock Lecture.[7]He also made an appearance in the 2007 rugby league drama filmThe Final Winter.[8]In 2012 he was appointed as aMember of the Order of Australiafor services to sport and journalism.[9]

Whilst continuing to write articles forThe Sydney Morning Herald,in 2010 Masters released a book,Higher, Richer, Sleazier: How Drugs and Money Are Changing Sport Forever.[10]

In 2011, he was awardedAustralian Sports Commission Media Award for Lifetime Achievement.[11]

Published sources[edit]

  • Apter, JeffThe Coaches: The Men Who Changed Rugby League(2014), The Five Mile Press Scoresby, Victoria

References[edit]

  1. ^abcApterThe Coaches: The Men Who Changed Rugby LeagueISBN9781743465660
  2. ^abcTony Stephens (24 June 1979)."The league coach who swears by the bard".The Sydney Morning Herald.Retrieved9 January2012.
  3. ^Joel Gould."Legend Q&A: Tommy Raudonikis".nrl.com.
  4. ^"NSW kept at heel by sense of tradition - League - Sport".The Sydney Morning Herald.29 July 2009.Retrieved22 March2010.
  5. ^"Coaches fall into two categories: perfectionists and the pragmatists - League".The Sydney Morning Herald. 29 July 2009.Retrieved22 March2010.
  6. ^"Let's be frank, code needs all the help it can get - Football - Sport".The Sydney Morning Herald. 15 July 2006.Retrieved22 March2010.
  7. ^Tom Brock LectureArchived18 February 2011 at theWayback Machineat the Australian Society for Sports History's website
  8. ^FitzSimons, Peter (20 October 2007)."The Fitz Files".The Sydney Morning Herald.Australia:Fairfax Media.Retrieved2 October2010.
  9. ^"Member (AM) in the Order of Australia"(PDF).gg.gov.au.Governor-General of Australia.Retrieved27 January2012.
  10. ^Masters, Roy (2010).Higher, Richer, Sleazier: How Drugs and Money Are Changing Sport Forever.Australia: Allen & Unwin.ISBN9781459613195.Retrieved26 August2014.
  11. ^"ASC Media Award Winners 2011".Australian Sports Commission at Pandora website.Archived from the original on 27 September 2013.Retrieved6 February2018.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Harry Bath
1977–1981
 Coach

St George
1982–1987 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Coach

Western Suburbs
1978–1981 		Succeeded by

External links[edit]

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