John Rheinberger: One Match, One Premiership

Sean Fagan of RL1908.com

John Rheinberger

When a rugby league player gets his first call-up to play first grade he normally feels some sort of pressure - from himself, team mates, fans and the coach for a start.

Few have been chosen for a Grand Final as their initial game - for even fewer, it is the only 1st grade game they ever play.

John Rheinberger is arguably the stand-out member of that select group!

Rheinberger spent the early months of 1974 trialling with Eastern Suburbs rugby union team as a fourth grade winger. Easts couldn't find a place for the aspiring footballer so he tried his luck at the Eastern Suburbs rugby league club. The Roosters gave him a chance and Rheinberger played seven games in the Under 23s towards the end of the year.

The 21 year old Rheinberger returned again for 1975 but two separate injuries restricted him to only nine Under 23 games. Meanwhile that year Easts 1st grade side went on to win the minor premiership by a massive 10 points ahead of second placed Manly and 14 in front of St George who finished third for the semi finals. Rheinberger was asked to keep training as the semis began.

In the first game Saints outplayed Manly 10-3 thanks to an inspired Ted Goodwin and won the right to take on the Roosters in the "major semi final". St George continued with their good form to score a stunning upset victory 8-5 over Easts and gain the first spot in the 1975 grand final.

Easts were then forced to take on Manly in the "preliminary final". The Sea Eagles had disposed of Parramatta (who had come from a play-off for 5th place) by 22-12 the week before.

With John Rheinberger on the reserves bench Easts regained their dominant season form and raced to a 19-2 lead by half-time thanks to three tries to lock Kevin Stevens in the space of 21 minutes.

The Roosters, who were already without John Brass, suffered a huge blow within minutes of the resumption when Mark Harris went down with a serious leg injury.

Harris played on (with what was later revealed to be a broken leg) as Easts scored another try to seal the win. Manly came back at them with three late tries but it was to no avail. Harris was replaced for the final ten minutes by an eager John Rheinberger.

Rheinberger later said his sudden throwing into the game was a shock but "I really found it easier than in the Under 23s. The first graders talk on the field. I knew exactly what I had to do and where I had to go."

"I must admit I was worried as I went on but after I made my first tackle on Ray Branighan I thought to myself that first graders fall over just the same as Under 23s players."

Despite the limited experience Rheinberger had -16 lower grade games in two seasons and 10 minutes as Harris' replacement - coach Jack Gibson was at his gambling best as he selected the unknown centre for the year's biggest game - the Grand Final!

Coach Gibson said of Rheinberger: "He's got the right technique. His tackling is superb and he has as much speed as anyone over 30 metres. I told him I know he'll make a fist of it."

Rhienberger, who also played 1st grade cricket for Waverley, was ecstatic at his selection: "It's a big thrill to make Easts first grade for the grand final - and it's ironic when you consider I couldn't get past fourth grade in Union."

St George dropped Robert Finch from the centres after it was known Harris wouldn't play and reinstated the hero of their first semi-final win Ted Goodwin.

There was speculation that had Harris been in the Easts team Goodwin would have been left out of the Dragons side because of the standard of his defence - they had no fear of the promoted Rheinberger.

While Rheinberger's selection would make the 1975 grand final a little unusual it retains its place in the history of rugby league for "Changa" and those infamous white boots.

The game itself quickly became a non-event as St George capitulated in the second half to fall from a 5-0 half-time deficit to a resounding loss by 38-0 come fulltime. Rheinberger played soundly and made numerous breaks as Easts scored virtually at will.

For Easts fans the SCG afternoon was a confirmation of their side's superiority throughout the season.

For the die-hard Saints supporters and everybody else it was the memory of Australian test great Graeme Langlands turning in the worst performance of his career - while wearing the most conspicuous pair of white boots ever seen.

Langlands apparently wore the boots as a favour for a sports shoe dealer and suffered from a misdirected pain-killing injection which removed all feeling in his right leg.

While the images of "Changa", his white boots and Easts domination remain vivid, John Rheinberger never played first grade again and quickly faded into the pages of rugby league history.