Rex Mossop (1928-2011)
Manly rugby league legend and former commentator Rex Mossop died today, aged 83. Mossop, who played rugby league and rugby union for Australia, suffered from Alzheimer's disease. He was admitted to Royal North Shore Hospital this year and his condition is understood to have deteriorated in the past week.
Mossop played rugby union for the Manly club and played Tests for the Wallabies between 1948 and 1951.He switched codes in 1951, joining English club Leigh before returning to Australia. Mossop played for Manly-Warringah from 1956 as the cornerstone of their forward pack before retiring in 1963 at the age of 35. He was rugby league's premier television commentator on Channels Seven and Ten from the 1970s until 1990.
- News Report, Sydney Morning Herald
Rex “Moose” Mossop, aka The Moose That Roared, Rex Messup and Tyrannosaurus Rex (ie a dinosaur), played football hard and uncompromising. He lived life the same way. Decried by feminists, vilified by gays and opposed by civil libertarians, Mossop had no time for political correctness and typified the Frank Sinatra song “I Did It My Way.” He was also known for his mangling of the English language, regularly winning sports commentator tautology awards.
Some memorable moments:
The famous appearance on Steve Vizard’s Tonight Live, when he was seated next to Julian Clary:
The blue screen falls on Rex:
Rex lived near Balgowlah beach which became a favoured nudist beach. He regularly made citizen’s arrests, declaring "I don't think the male genitals or the female genitals should be rammed down people's throats … to use a colloquialism…"
Some other quotes:
"The referee gave him a verbal tongue-lashing",
'That match was so bad it made me want to go home and thump the missus!' (unconfirmed)
"If I keep getting Boyd and O'Grady mixed up, it's because they look alike, especially around the head"
“He seems to have suffered a groin injury at the top of his leg.”
“That kick had both height and elevation.”
“I don’t want to sound incredulous but I can’t believe it.”
Former Manly hooker Max Krilich recalls: We used to play touch football down at Brookvale Oval when I was 15 or 16, and he coathangered me one day - in touch footy. He said 'Son, if you're going to play grade football later on, you've got to learn to cop that'. I went home crying!"
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