Flashback – Local Legend – Chris Beal

 

Rugby League is one of the toughest and most brutal sports in the world. Those who play it know that serious injuries can occur at any time. Those who are injured and make it back to the field are to be commended. One local chap has seen more adversity than most and his ability to come back and compete in his chosen sport is unparalleled in the twin towns.

Chris Beal has never sought accolades or recognition in his favourite sport; Rugby League. In fact, he was taken aback and even a little evasive when asked to participate with the Twin Town Times as a local legend. Indeed, such is his humility; it took more than a little coaxing to get him to agree to participate at all.

 

Chris is the youngest Local Legend we have written about in the Twin Town Times, since we first began on January 15 2014. Just over 2 months ago his career came to a sudden end whilst playing against the Bungendore Tigers at his home ground, McLean Oval.

This weekend, he will watch his beloved Harden Hawks face that same side at Bungendore for the chance to host the George Tooke Grand Final.

Beal has had far more representative success than success on the local stage. He has represented his Group, the Riverina, New South Wales Country and played junior football for Parramatta Eels and his favourite club, Canberra Raiders. When playing in the NSW Under 17s, Chris played against a touring British Lions team.

If the Hawks win on Saturday there will be no one happier than Chris. Although the curtain has fallen on a distinguished career and he will play no part in the match, he can relax and be content with the contribution he has made to The Harden Hawks Rugby League Football Club as well as Rugby League in the area.

Involvement for Chris as a player has ended but it doesn’t mean he has to like it and he doesn’t.

Chris’ knees have caused him plenty of trouble over the last ten years and he has just undergone his fourth knee reconstruction. Yes, that’s right, his fourth!

Three of the four major injuries to his knees have occurred on McLean Oval, his home ground. He jokes that the only player present at all four was Matthew Stewart and wholeheartedly blames him.

Chris Beal was born at Murrumburrah Hospital on July 5 1984. He is the 2nd of three boys to be born to Peter and Nerida Beal.  He grew up at ‘Dungullin’ 22 kilometres from Harden, down the McMahon’s Reef Road. It is the same house his grandmother, Local Legend La Reine Beal grew up in.

Rod, Chris and Todd. All of the boys were talented footballers.

There was plenty of fun to be had with 3 boys in the family. By the time they were going to school they were already up to mischief. On one particular occasion, the lads got in an old Torana and headed down to the bus stop. Rodney was about 12, Chris 9 and Todd 6. The boys decided they would take a detour through a paddock full of scotch thistles. Chris reminisced,

“We were flying along with the weeds bouncing off the windscreen. Rodney was driving and we were having a great time until we were brought to an abrupt stop by a tree stump. Rodney bailed out screaming, ‘It’s gonna blow’ so Todd and I followed suit and sprinted away.”

The boys’ love of late 80s and early 90s action movies gave them an insight into what may happen when cars crash.

They went back to the house and told Nerida, who after checking they were all ok sent them off to school. “We dreaded what Dad might do when he got home. He didn’t go off that much but we got a stern lecture. He was just happy we were ok and we learnt a valuable lesson, explaining that “vehicles are deadly weapons.”

Sadly the Torana didn’t make it, however a Datsun and HR Holden came along as the years passed.

Rod, Chris, Peter and Todd.

Horses and Pony Club were the first loves for Chris and elder brother Rod however, Chris wasn’t too keen on primary school and the only way Nerida could get him to go was to threaten that he wouldn’t be allowed to play Under 6 Rugby League if he didn’t attend.    Chris went to school with no trouble after that.   “I was always fairly competitive at school with sport but I wasn’t very big. I was given the half-back role and I wasn’t very good, I was very shy and needed some confidence.”

It didn’t take long for the young Hawks to hit their straps though, Chris explained, “On the back of Ashley Dyball scoring about 10 tries a game we beat Young in the Under 7s Grand Final. We went on to win the Under 8, 9, 10 and 11 Grand Finals. Whilst Ashley never ceased to be great at the game the rest of us started contributing more.”

Chris played through to the Under 14s before heading to Coota so that he could play under 15s in his age group. Unfortunately Coota had too many Under 15s and Chris played Under 16s anyway. By now Chris was well and truly known in the region as a very skilful and very fast player. He represented Group 9 in the Under 13s and in consecutive age groups following; 14s 15s 16s and 18s. He was able to do things other players his age couldn’t via the use of his strength, speed and vision. In one match in the Under 16 format he received a ball from the kick off whilst playing Lock and ran the length of the field.

During his time as a year ten student at Murrumburrah High and having just turned 16 years of age, Chris was asked to play Reserve Grade against grown men. He didn’t disappoint scoring a try in each of his 2 games and being awarded player’s player in his first match.

Rod’s 30th. Todd, Nerida, Chris, Peter and Rod.

It wasn’t long after this that Chris ran in to the local policeman at the time but not because he was a delinquent. The First Grade Coach was local policeman and now Detective, Michael Ricketts. Michael knew that the First Grade side could do with Chris’

ability. Reserve Grade is often a place for former First Graders who have passed their prime or for young men looking to impress to make it into the First Grade side. The speed of the game is a little slower than First Grade but the physicality is often the same. After acquitting himself very well he was called in to the Harden Hawks First Grade side before he even completed his Year 10 certificate.

“Mum wasn’t overjoyed that I would be playing First Grade but by this stage I had gone through a growth spurt and was about the same size I am now. Our first match was against Young who unfortunately beat us. I got to sit on the bench in the final series when Wagga Kangaroos knocked us out in the preliminary finals.”

Chris entered the Parramatta Scholarship program the same year when he was scouted by former Manly NSW and Australian legend Noel ‘Crusher’ Cleal and he played against Illawarra in a trial match.

Chris played NSW Country in 2001, touring Fiji in June and South East QLD in the October with the Canberra Raiders.

The following year he played SG Ball, the Under 18 format.

“It was a big commitment to make to devote myself to semi-professional training. I  travelled down to Canberra 3 times a week with games in Canberra and Sydney on the weekends.” The old cream ute certainly did some kilometres in those days.

When at the Raiders, Chris was still doing deliveries for Thompsons’ Rural Supplies after school and on weekends. His team mates saw a bit of hay in the back of his ute and had a field day with it. Being a proud country boy he didn’t let it worry him.

“We got knocked out in the finals against Wests who were the eventual Premiers under Captain Ryan Hoffman.”

The 2003 season saw Chris move up to the Under 20 competition known as Jersey Flegg. “I was playing well enough, however, I felt that I didn’t want to continue in the environment I was living in. I was away from friends and family and I wasn’t enjoying my football as much. I was aware of the possibility of not making First Grade and the need to have a profession whether I made it or not. I came home and ended up playing for Cootamundra for the remainder of the year as Harden did not field a side for the season.”

The Cootamundra Club helped organise an Electrician’s Apprenticeship at Cootamundra under Mark Kingwall.

Chris in 2014, playing for his beloved Hawks.

In 2004, Chris was back at the Hawks. At 20 years of age and in the first game of the season playing First Grade he injured his right knee 20 minutes in to the match. “It was pretty painful and I knew it was bad, I had never had a really bad injury before.” Chris made it to the Doctors to receive the bad news. His knee required a reconstruction and it would mean he would miss the whole of the season.

Chris did his rehab and hoped he would get back on the field in 2005. This effort was enormous and required hours of physio. If readers start feeling deja vu as I continue it’s understandable. In the first game of 2005 and after 25 minutes of play, Chris injured his right knee again. He wasn’t quite sure how bad it was until he found out he would have to undergo another reconstruction. “The news was pretty devastating for me.” Chris would play only 45 minutes of rugby League in 2004 and 2005 and undergo two knee

reconstructions.

“I sort of cruised through the first one but the second one was a lot tougher, physically and mentally.”

Chris managed to complete all of his rehab and looked forward to playing footy again, although he was a little apprehensive. In 2006 he came back and played a full season for the Hawks under Coach Glen Howe, also chipping in with a few games of Rugby Union for the Devils.

In 2007 Chris left for England with lifelong friend Matt Stewart and the pair spent a year traveling around Europe. A year away from the game gave his knee time to strengthen and he found confidence in completing a full season after two full seasons out injured.

Either footy couldn’t stay away for long or Chris couldn’t stay away from footy and after coming home for a few months over summer to escape the English winter, Chris and Matt headed back to the north of England to play in Huddersfield. He started the season injury free and was playing some very good football in the Centres for the club, when the sides Hooker got injured. Chris put his hand up to fill the role. He has always been a team player and has filled in at Wing, Centre, Five-Eighth and Fullback over the years. He knew it wasn’t where he wanted to play but knew he could get the job done for the team. Chris took to his new role and was loving the change of scenery until injury struck again in a match against Leeds. This time his left knee was severely injured. It was half way through the season and at 24 years of age he was lining up for his 3rd reconstruction in 5 years.

Football was now on the back burner but this gave Chris some time to spend on the romantic things in life. He thought football was over. In 2008 Chris came back to Harden and met Letitia O’Callaghan. Chris and Letitia hit it off straight away and after 2 years he

proposed to ‘Teesh’ and the couple were married on November 13, 2011 in Teesh’s home town of Sunbury, Victoria. Chris set about educating the AFL Essendon fan about the finer points of Rugby League and more importantly, the Canberra Raiders. Both are now members, often taking their two sons; Charlie, who was born on November 1 2012 and Liam, born 21 months later on the 1^st August 2014.

Letitia and Chris on their wedding day.

Recently, Chris remembered a quote that rang true from a mate; “You can’t play footy when you’re old mate; you might as well play whilst you can.”

He returned to the paddock in 2014 and helped the Hawks get to a Grand Final against Binalong. “In 2014 Binalong flogged us in the Grand Final after a pretty even first half and I didn’t want to go out on that note. Being competitive, I wanted another crack at them in 2015 however they went to the Woodbridge Cup.” Chris came back for another season under an old teammate in Coach Michael Quinn. Chris and ‘Mick’ played together when Chris was 16 in the First Grade side.

Chris mentored many of Harden’s up and coming players over the last two years. Unfortunately for Chris he did his left knee again after playing just two games and has finally decided to call it quits. The thing most striking about his decision to end his career was that although he is now adept in self-diagnosing knee problems, he waited until the doctor gave him the diagnosis before calling it a day.

Chris as a toddler.

The surgeon greeted him as an old friend saying, “I haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Mum and dad always encouraged me over the years, they have been very supportive and we did lots of travelling around the state.” Chris may have to return the favour if his sporting prowess has been passed on to Charlie and Liam.

Chris with Charlie and Liam whilst playing for the Hawks.

I guess there is always hope in Chris’ mind that he could play again. He doesn’t have to though.

Chris Beal you have been and are an inspiration to all of those around you.

Your phenomenal talent didn’t come as easy as many people think. You worked hard on the parts of your game you lacked and built yourself in to a complete footballer. One of Harden Murrumburrah’s Best.  Your ability to rehabilitate yourself and get back on the field is testament to your courage and mental strength.

You are a Local Legend of the game and the town.