Inaugural Knights premiership coach and Manly legend, Malcolm Reilly, fighting for his life

Family and friends have united around Manly premiership-winning star and coach who led Newcastle to famous 1997 grand final triumph, Malcolm Reilly, who is battling spine cancer.

He fought many wars for Manly and Great Britain as a player – and with Newcastle Knights as a coach – but this will be Malcolm Reilly’s toughest battle.

Reilly, the former Manly premiership-winning forward and ex-Knights grand final-winning coach, is in an English hospital with cancer of the spine.

Regarded as the greatest Englishman to play in Australia, Reilly is undergoing radiotherapy for a spinal tumour.

Family and friends are uniting around Reilly, a 77-year-old Yorkshireman who played more than 400 games in Australia and England and coached teams in over 700 matches.

Reilly played 89 games for Manly between 1971 and 1975, helping the Sea Eagles to premierships in 1972, the club’s first, and in 1973, the famous bloodbath decider against Cronulla.

His win rate at Manly was an astonishing 74 per cent.

Newcastle captain Paul Harragon and coach Malcolm Reilly during the tickertape parade in Newcastle to celebrate the Knights’ 1997 grand final win.

Reilly introduced some sublime English ball-playing skills never previously seen in the NSWRL.

He returned to Australia and coached Newcastle to the club’s famous 1997 ARL grand final win over, ironically, Manly. A Darren Albert try with just seconds remaining gave Reilly and Newcastle a historic inaugural triumph.

Nicknamed ‘Mooka’, Reilly coached the Knights in 98 games between 1995 and 1998 in the ARL and NRL and finished with a remarkable success rate of 63 per cent. He became, and remains, close friends of Newcastle champions Andrew and Matthew Johns.

A creative and gifted forward with immense toughness, Reilly engaged in some fierce battles, none more aggressive than a boots-and-all fight with Souths hooker George Piggins in the middle of the SCG during 1973.

Malcolm Reilly (L) headbutts George Piggins.

In an old-school war, the two hard heads punched, head butted, eye-gouged and kicked with Reilly also crashing his boot springs into Piggins’ mouth.

Piggins once said: “Reilly pretty much introduced the lethal elbow into football and, boy, he did some damage in the seasons he played.”

Reilly later said: “It’s a clash that I’m not particularly proud about.”

Both players were sent off.

Reilly, consistently named by pundits in composite all-time great Manly sides, carried a bad buy image throughout his career but few doubted his inventive playing style which included the ability to chip-kick and throw an around-the-back pass.

Former Manly teammate Peter Peters said: “If anyone can beat this, it’s ‘Mooka.’ He is the ultimate fighter and is physically very fit, even though he’s well into his 70s. He has a gym at home and trains most days.

Reilly led Newcastle to the premiership in 1997.

“Malcolm’s family would be distraught because he is a very close family man and I am sure they will rally around him. I know everyone at Manly sends their best wishes. I’ve kept in touch with Malcolm ever since he returned to England. He is a special person, a great player and a great man.”

Reilly’s son, Glen, lives in Newcastle, Australia.

An English hall of fame inductee in 2014, Reilly made his name playing with Castleford and was a key member of Great Britain’s Ashes win over Australia in 1970. He also coached at Leeds, Halifax, Huddersfield and was also Great Britain’s national coach.

Originally published as Inaugural Knights premiership coach and Manly legend, Malcolm Reilly, fighting for his life