The Sharks were saddened to learn of the passing of Shark No.68, Maurie Raper, who passed away last Friday, aged 81.
Raper, a two-time Sharks first-grade Player of the Year, joined the Cronulla club in 1971, playing 68 games, 37 in the top grade.
The younger brother of rugby league Immortal John, Maurie forged his own path in the game, beginning in the lower grades with Canterbury and Western Suburbs before taking his talents north to Queensland in search of opportunity.
It was while representing Central Queensland against the touring Great Britain side in 1966 where Raper's ability caught the attention of Penrith Panthers officials, who were assembling a squad for their inaugural 1967 season in the top grade.
Raper subsequently signed with the Penrith club, becoming one of its foundation players.
Raper started at five-eighth in the Panthers' first-ever premiership match against Canterbury at Belmore Oval on March 19, 1967. In his first season he crossed the line for four tries and kicked two field goals – one of those field goals allowing Penrith to force a 12-all draw with Eastern Suburbs late in the season.
Raper would be restricted to just three appearances in 1970, during what would be his final season at Penrith, the Panthers opting not to offer Raper a contract extension.
In 1971, Raper sought a sea change, linking with Cronulla. In his first year at the Sharks, Raper played in only 10 first-grade matches. However, despite featuring in fewer than half the games that year, his performances were strong enough to earn him the Jeldi Player of the Season award – the equivalent of today's Porter Gallen Medal as the club's best player in first grade.
Raper featured in the Sharks' 1971 Endeavour Cup victory, a post-season tournament for the teams finishing fifth to eighth on the competition ladder.
A crafty ball player with the ability to play lock and also five-eighth, Raper added a further 18 games to his tally in 1972, and at season's end became one of the few players in the club's history to be named Player of the Year in consecutive seasons.
In 1973, just as Raper was looking to cement his position in a team heading for finals football, a number of injuries hampered his campaign, limiting him to only two matches in the top grade.
Raper remained with the Sharks for the 1974 season but found opportunities in first grade limited, however he did feature in the reserve-grade team that went within one game of qualifying for the grand final.
After leaving Cronulla at the end of 1974, Raper linked with Helensburgh in the Illawarra District Competition in 1975.
The Sharks NRL team wore black arm bands in the trial match against the Raiders on Saturday in a mark of respect, while they offer their sincere condolences to the family, friends and former teammates of Maurie Raper.
Funeral details will be communicated once confirmed.
Maurie Raper – Rugby League Fact File
Born: 1944 in Revesby, NSW
Positions: Lock, five-eighth
Years at Sharks: 1971-74
Player No: 68
Games for Sharks: 68 (37 in first grade, 31 games in reserve grade)
First grade debut: Round 1, Sunday, April 2, 1967, Panthers against Canterbury at Belmore Sports Ground
Sharks first grade debut: Round 14, Sunday, June 27, 1971 v Souths at Endeavour Field
Last game: Round 12, Sunday, June 16, 1974, Sharks v Newtown at Endeavour Field
Statistics for Cronulla: 15 points in first grade, 27 in reserve grade
Other club: Penrith (1967-70; player no.10) – 51 games, 46 points
Information provided by Ashley Taylor – Sharks Historian
