Why this Warringah Rat’s rise to the Shute Shield final is the rugby story of the year

Friends? This is the stuff of rugby.

A few weeks ago, Tom Gee was just a humble fourth-grade hooker for Warringah, minding his own business and eating at least his fair share of all the pies – and maybe a couple more – while looking forward to summer on the Northern Beaches.

Not a bad player, Tom. Good at the set-pieces, and always a great clubman, staying on after his own grade played to watch the 3rds, 2nds and 1sts.

But now fate intervenes.

It was August 1, playing against Sydney Uni at Rat Park, when – within a single disastrous afternoon – both the third- and second-grade Warringah hookers went down injured.

Watching from the stands, Gee messaged the first-grade coach, Josh Holmes, just before the main event of the afternoon.

“Do you need me on the bench?” he asks.

“How many beers have you had?” the coach replies.

“Four.”

“That means you’ve had eight. So not today.”

But when the first-grade hooker and last year’s Catchpole Medallist, Wes Thomas, also goes down with a bad spinal injury, Gee moves into the frame. The following week, he calls his father, Michael – who holds the club record for Warringah, with 401 games – to tell him he’s going to be making his first-grade debut.

And, Dad? None of this off-the-bench stuff. I’m STARTING.

“He was ecstatic,” Gee told rugby.com.au this week.

Gee snr, who Gee jnr describes as “my greatest supporter,” would be more ecstatic still when in his debut first-grade match, against Gordon, who should play a great game but one Tom Gee?!

Getting in tightly behind Tom, as ever in days of yore, his fellow Rats fourth-graders – who had formed the core of the “G-Army” in the stands – ragged him not to forget them now he was a first-grader. And he proves he really is a first-grader in the Shute Shield preliminary final against Randwick, when he scores two – count ’em, TWO – meat pies!

The fourth-graders of the G-Army lose their nut.

“They’ve all been super supportive,” Gee remarked. “I still identify with that group of boys. I had a great time with them over the last few years.”

The next week, Gee is out there against Gordon once more, this time in the semi-final, and Warringah win again!

What that means, sports fans, is that this afternoon, at Leichardt Oval at 3.15pm, Gee will be running out with the Rats first-graders in the Shute Shield grand final against Eastern Suburbs, with his name making the headlines of the Herald.

Wes Thomas will be willing him on from the stands, having been released from the Royal North Shore Spinal Unit. He even hopes to play again. Meanwhile, the G-Army will be there in force, as one of their own made good in the big city proves that every fourth-grader has it in them if just given a chance.

Gee will play for them, for Wes Thomas, for the club, and for his parents – particularly his father, who will be in the stands with Tom’s mum. Who knows what the future might hold? His father had 192 first-grade games – including three grand finals, alas for no wins – and today will be Tom’s fourth game in the top grade.

“We might try to get 200 combined and call it a day.”

Today though, he’s out for one thing.

“It might be the only thing I have over [Dad] if we can get the win.”

Go, Tom!

Stadium splurge 2.0

Bloody hell. Talk about déjà vu all over again.

The Tele this week floated the idea that the NRL should do a deal with the NSW government to guarantee the NRL grand final will stay in Sydney for 25 years in return for a lazy $750 million for new suburban stadia. Does that sound familiar? It should.

Back in 2018, when Gladys Berejiklian’s NSW Government announced the ludicrous #StadiumSplurge to rebuild both the Sydney Football Stadium and the Olympic stadium at Homebush – despite them being only 30 years and 20 years old respectively – Berejiklian made clear they had to spend the $2 billion because it was quid pro quo:

“Had we not invested in our stadiums, we would have been at risk and in fact definitely lost events to other states,” she said.

Of course, you did, Peter. You know, because non-tax-paying businesses like the NRL have a God-given RIGHT to public money for state-of-the-art infrastructure, and for which the taxpayers get no return!

He even warned the NSW Government of the consequences of not coughing up: “If that means taking a grand final to Brisbane, we will do it.”

In 2022, V’landys amped it up, telling the Today program: “We want our suburban stadiums in NSW … We want those promises honoured by the NSW government. If they don’t, we’ll take it elsewhere.”

Dominic Perrottet, who was the NSW Premier at the time, declined to commit, saying: “It’s all this little theatre that Peter V’landys is creating … The grand final is not going to Queensland or anywhere else. Peter knows that, I know that.”

And he surely does. But still, the issue has perennially flared since, with this latest iteration just that – one of a long line of entitled ludicrousness from the NRL and its supporters, with more to come.

And it’s just one example of how the NRL regularly shake the rest of us down for money, and It’s never enough.

We’ve just had the NSW Government pay over $300 million to build Penrith a new stadium when the old one was fine. Despite the Panthers being owned by one of the biggest pokie palaces in the world, they contributed – dot three, carry nine, dot five – NOTHING. Get it? They get state-of-the-art infrastructure for their business, and the NSW taxpayer gets to pay to sit in it.

I see the quid. But where is the pro quo for us taxpayers?

Enough, already. If the NSW Government cedes to this nonsense, it will be an absolute disgrace. Next thing you know, you’ll have the Federal Government committing $600 million to establish a single NRL team.

The World Record in Woking

Let’s hear it for Sam Bodoano. The Englishman is now in the Guinness Book of Records for “the longest run-up in cricket”, having trundled 62 miles (100km), from Lord’s to Valley End Cricket Club in Woking, to deliver the opening ball … against his father. I tried to find out if his father hit the ball for four, but no luck. I would have! The run took 14 hours and raised almost £6,000 ($11,200) for a cancer charity.

What They Said

Jarome Luai on attending the final round of the PNG Open golf tournament, meeting with PNG heavies, sponsors and all the rest, while still having a game to go with the Tigers: “I love golf. I’ve got a big love for golf so it’s good to see all the diverse cultures, corporates, and it’s just a great day for PNG, and I’m happy to be a part of it.” And it’s NOTHING to do with being paid millions, you ingrates! For my money though, while he famously wanted to be Batman, not Robin, at the Tigers, it’s finished with him as the Joker.

Anthony Mundine in tribute to his father, Tony, who died on Sunday: “I don’t know what to say, I’m broken: Dad I love you man, may Allah bless your soul. . . Thanks for doing all you did for me and supporting me in every moment, showing love and strength gonna miss you Tonza, there’s only one Tony Mundine.”

Thea Frodin was the tennis-playing body double for a young Serena Williams in the movie King Richard, and is now playing in the US Open: “Being able to play the role of somebody that I looked up to for my whole life was super special. I was honoured. She was one of the players that I looked up to most, just when I was starting to play. She’s such an inspiration to me.”

New York Yankee Jazz Chisholm Jr on some criticism from a commentator: “I didn’t even know who that was until this morning. And I’m still not going to remember who he is after today.” I resemble that remark.

Stefanos Tsitsipas on news of Nick Kyrgios’ positive drug test: ”Pretty much expected, to be honest.”

Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon taking his frustrations out on a screen: “You’d hit the screen if you were down 7-1 on penalties as well. When everyone’s livelihoods are on the line and you’re down 7-1… yeah, you’d get frustrated. But I shouldn’t have done it, to be fair.”

Sharks captain Cameron McInnes on the NRL’s constant rule-changes: “How much do you need to change? I understand at the end of the day it’s entertainment, I get it, but it’s like someone’s constantly sitting there going, ‘oh yeah, the game’s going really well, now let’s change something else’. It’s never been faster, never been a more intense game.”

Lionel Messi hanging up the boots for Argentina: “The time has come. I swear to you that I always gave it my all – not just in these last few years when we won everything, but before that, too; I always fought and left everything on the field for this jersey, to bring you joy and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football. Thank you, God, for making me Argentine.”

Steele Sidebottom after his AFL career ended with a missed shot by a Collingwood colleague after the siren: “Shit happens aye? We move on.”

Scott Pendlebury on going from Collingwood to the Suns to extend his record for the most AFL games played, currently at 442: “I walked in as a skinny 17-year-old in the back of Dale Thomas’ car with a surfboard that reeked out his whole car, and he was my Uber driver for four months. I leave as a 38-year-old with a few grey hairs and a couple of premierships.”

Pat Cash announces his engagement to Charlotte Hodson, a British singer-songwriter : “I’m so incredibly lucky to know that through an amazing string of coincidences I found my soulmate. I can’t help but believe God had it all planned to perfection.” And yes, I know. But I am not going to say that, and you can’t make me. I’ll just think it, loudly.

Team of the Week

Wallabies. Are taking on the Pumas, at 7am Sunday AEST. They’ve won their last four matches on the trot, meaning coach Les Kiss remains unbeaten.

Panthers and Warriors. Their final games of the year will decide who wins the minor premiership, but as I have said from very early in the season, we already know the result of the grand final. The Panthers beat the Warriors, and all the rest are also-rans. You heard it here, first!

Steve Cansdell. On Wednesday 14 October at NSW Parliament House, the 75-year-old former parliamentarian will attempt a world record 750 burpees in one hour to raise funds for Motor Neuron Disease research.

Hearts in Rugby Union. Their volunteers will be stationed with QR codes around Leichhardt Oval for the Shute Shield grand final today. Give generously to the great rugby charity!

LA Rams vs San Francisco 49ers. Play their first match of the NFL season at the MCG next Friday. I reckon they ripped the idea off the NRL!

RIP Tony Mundine. The great Australian boxer, champion in four divisions, and father of Anthony Mundine, passed away last Sunday at the age of 75.

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