Mario Fenech

One of the most whole-hearted players to play club football, many people still wonder how the durable hooker/forward did not win a Test jersey during his career. Fenech was chosen in two President's XIII sides (against Papua New Guinea in 1985 and Great Britain in 1988) and represented NSW but Test honours eluded him. His stay with English club Bradford in 1986-87 was certainly short – he played in just two matches, the first as a prop against the visiting Kangaroos – before returning home. Fenech's early career was plagued by a hot-headed temperament (few can forget his duels with opposing hooker Ben Elias) but Souths' coach George Piggins appointed the firebrand hooker captain (echoes of John Sattler) with great results. Fenech took on the role with great pride and maturity, taking the club to the minor premiership in 1989. That year, he was Jack Gibson's preferred hooker in NSW's State of Origin team but a broken hand cost him a place on the Australian tour of NZ (his NSW replacement, David Trewhella, toured instead). The following year, with Souths in financial crisis, Fenech made the difficult decision to join Norths. Despite his great form in the front row for the Bears during 1991, he was constantly ignored for State of Origin duty. The following year was interrupted by injury and despite being one of the club's best players in 1993-94 he was released at the end of the 1994 season due to salary cap restrictions. Fenech was an inspiration to the club's younger forwards in the win over defending premiers Brisbane in the 1994 semi-finals. Moving to newly-formed South Queensland Crushers in 1995, he had a slow start to the season and was relieved of the captaincy before being relegated to the interchange bench. Fenech was starting to hit top form when he broke his collarbone and cut ties with the club at the end of the season to concentrate on a career in the media and later, the NRL. Autobiography, Personal Best (1993), written by younger brother Steve Fenech, a journalist with News Ltd.