When future Balmain premiership-winning coach Leo Nosworthy took over at Dubbo Macquarie in 1958, he turned a strong team into the most powerful unit in Country Rugby League.

One of the pillars of Nosworthy’s team was a tough-as-teak second-rower named Peter Rawlinson. The giant forward was the perfect foil for Country prop Athol Currey and the late Barry Perry.

“Rawlo’s” no-nonsense defence and hard running — he had the speed of an outside back — saw the Blues pack overcome every team to go through undefeated in 1959 and claim the Group 11 title and the Clayton Cup, as the premier team in NSW Country.

The photo below is full of “legends” like Nosworthy, Tom Rutherford, Johnny George, and lightning-fast winger, Ray Light.

Peter played with the Royals-Abattoirs in the Saturday afternoon competition alongside the likes of Jack Carney, Monty Amos, Davey May, Wally Towers, Tommy Rutherford, and the brilliant Doug Moore.

Daughter Tracey, told me her father loved his footy.

“He was a real man’s man and spending training time and Saturdays (social) and Sunday’s with his mates was what kept him going.”

After driving trucks in Dubbo and Canberra, Rawlo settled in Mudgee where he was operating plant and machinery in the mines.

“We moved around a bit, but everywhere we went, footy was a feature of our lives.”

Tracey said more than 200 people attended her Dad’s funeral service last week at the Mudgee Golf Club. “On Wednesday the 1st of April, we brought dad home to Dubbo for his interment at the New Dubbo Cemetery, then we held a wake for 60-odd people at the Macquarie Club.”

Tacey was heartened to have an old Group 11 rival, Narromine’s Charlie Burrows, stand-up and offer his condolences on behalf of the club.

“He shared some funny stories and told us about how tough games were back then. ‘Nossa’ had coached Narromine before he came to Macquarie, so there was plenty of feeling when the teams met at Cale Oval or Victoria Park,” Tracey smiled.

Max Low and Alan Willow also fondly remembered Rawlo during the wake.

“Fred Hind, from Tweed Heads, came down and told me the story of when Dubbo flooded in 1955, and he and Dad canoed through the Castlereagh Hotel (apparently the lights were still on) looking for a beer!”

They agree that Athol Curry, Jamieson and Ross Bartier are the only players remaining from that “The ‘59ers”.

Tracey sent through a few clippings from her scrapbook but one she treasured had gone missing!

“I cannot find my big fish photo. Dad caught a massive Murray Cod in the Macquarie River around 1970 and it was put in the local paper.

I was six and remember the fish being caught and the photo for the paper was resting against one of those kids’ plastic ride-on tractor things you push along with your feet…”

Tracey said all who attended in Mudgee and Dubbo commented it was a send-off for him to be proud of.

“I wanted to ensure that, as he was born in Dubbo he is now buried in Dubbo, so he has come full circle,” Tracey said.

“Someone mentioned that, as his grave was closer to the side of the Golden Highway, that it was only fitting that his beloved trucks would roll by nearly every day.”

Vale Peter “Rawlo” Rawlinson