All Rugby League stars are conscious that you could one day become a star, and here are some of the reasons why they themselves became such great players.
 

DAVE BROWN . . .
 

went to school at Christian Brothers College, Waverley in Sydney.  In 1930, at the age of 17, he was playing 1st grade for Eastern Suburbs.  At 19 he was captain of the same team and played in the City-Country match.  In 1934, only 21, he toured England with the Kangaroos, and was captain of the Kangaroos at 23. For 3 seasons he played with Warrington, a leading English League side, returning to Australia in 1939.  His 1934 Tour point score of 285 points (made up of 19 tries and 114 goals, still remains a record). Dave has been a champion surfer, A grade tennis player, representative cricketer - but most of all, a champion footballer.
 

  Practice the fundamentals, even for half an hour each day during the football season.  The boy who is fundamentally sound becomes the representative player of the future.
 

NORM PROVAN . . .
 

has played 1st grade football since 1951, and is one of the best second rowers Australia has produced.  At present, Norm is Captain-coach of the successful St.George team and still looks to have football years ahead of him.  Very tall, and extremely fit, he is a force to be reckoned with on any football field.
 

  Physical fitness is vital in Rugby League and the necessary keenness to get yourself really fit is more important than any natural talent you may have. To be keen you must train until it hurts and this is the only kind of physical conditioning that will make you really fit.  It is hard work and you must keep on going when you want to sit down and rest. The rewards are worth the effort and if you don't wish to make this effort - don't play Rugby League.
 

BRIAN BEVAN . . .
 

was born in Sydney in 1924, and possibly few schoolboys will recall his name. He was one of League's greatest wingers, playing all his senior football in England, where he was often known to score 60 tries in a season. Small, gaunt and balding, he was a very determined footballer, who had developed an excellent swerve. A ball in his grasp usually spelt danger for the opposition.
 

  No matter what position you play it is advisable to develop ways for beating your opponent, be it side-step, change of pace, fend or the ability to bump defenders off.  My strength was in side-stepping and I learned side-stepping as a youngster by side-stepping pieces of wood placed in the backyard by my father,  I did it, why don't you try? If you try hard enough you must succeed.
 

HARRY BATH . . .

started playing football in Brisbane (his home town) and wore the Queensland colours for the first time in 1945. He then switched to the Sydney side, Balmain until he went to play in England 2 years later. In England he played in over 500 1st grade matches, with Barrow and for the most part Warrington. A clever scheming forward, Harry Bath is now selector-coach of Balmain.
 

  For good scrummaging the hooker takes up his position on the mark, where the referee has ordered the scrum and throws his arms above his head. The two prop forwards come in under these arms, locking their inside arms about his torso, gripping him with their fingers under the armpits.  Movement is restricted if the front row forwards grip each other around each other's waists, before they go into the scrum, heads down, shoulders applied to the buttocks of the front row. The second row should take the weight on the outside foot when the ball comes in, leaving the inside foot for heeling. They must not hold the prop forwards by the legs or restrict the movement of the hooker in any way. The second row should push inwards towards the hooker and maximum strength should be applied to this effort when the ball has been trapped, first by the opposing hooker. The lock forward should put his shoulders under the buttocks of the second row, holding them firmly together, with his legs apart to allow the ball a clear path from the scrum. The lock when breaking out of the scrum should make sure he doesn't collapse the scrum or interfere with the half-back.
 

KEN McCAFFERY . . .
 

  There has been quite a lot written in this book covering the requisites of a Rugby League player, such as football fundamentals and conditioning, but the points I would like to press home are: (1) the "compensating factor" that applies to Rugby League; and (2) the application of the song "Little Things Mean a Lot".
  It is wrong to take Rugby League too seriously, in fact studies are number one priority; but you will take from Rugby League in satisfaction, honours and rewards only what you are prepared to put into the game by way of conditioning work, thought and sacrifices.  This is the "compensating factor".
  "Little things mean a lot" applies to the player who is good at what most people call the little things of football, the player who always plays the ball properly, never throws a bad pass or drops a pass, never misses a tackle, always adds his full strength to scrummaging, etc. To me this is the most valuable player, and if a boy can identify himself as being this type of player at a school level, he is well on the way to being a top class player.