Former rugby league player Pat Jarvis backs The Church of Scientology

A week after former St George player Chris Guider blamed “evil cult’’ Scientology for destroying decades of his life, former teammate Pat Jarvis remains a staunch follower.

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Former Australian Test player Pat Jarvis remains a staunch follower of The Church of Scientology more than 30 years after joining the religion to help cure a groin injury.

The Sunday Telegraph revealed last week that former St George teammate Chris Guider blamed the “greedy, evil cult’’ for destroying two decades of his life.

Guider said his former teammate had helped recruit him to the controversial religion, but Jarvis rejected suggestions he ever tried to lure players into the church.

“You can’t force anything on anybody,” Jarvis said.

“There has to be a willingness there. Chris was willing.

“You can offer to help someone out, but people are cautious about the Church of Scientology because of the way the media has represented it.’’

Jarvis had a decorated 12-year rugby league career playing 211 first-grade games with stints at St George, Eastern Suburbs, Canterbury and North Sydney. He played a Test for Australia and eight matches for NSW.

“I had a torn groin which wasn’t healing. It was in 1983 that I tore it,’’ Jarvis said.

Pat Jarvis celebrates a NSW State of Origin victory.

“I played for the rest of my year with it and put up with the pain. The doctor said I needed a rest.

“I had two months off, didn’t do a thing. Every time I trained there was no improvement. I told my mate my groin wasn’t getting better. I’d been to physio and had acupuncture. The doctor was talking about surgery but I didn’t want to do that because it would put me out for a long period.

“A friend said he could help me. He took me to the Church in Castlereagh Street. I walked in. I didn’t look at the sign.

“I paid about $110 for some counselling. Three days later I walked out of there and at training (former teammate) Steve Rogers said to me ‘how’s your groin Patty’. I said ‘the pain is gone’. He asked what I did and I said I don’t know.

“I didn’t understand it. It just vanished, three days after seeing this guy. Then I was interested. I asked what the name of the place was.

“I just wanted to play footy. I was driven by my desire. Only then I became interested in the place. They told me it was Scientology and I was like ‘I couldn’t care less the name of the place’ I just wanted to play footy.”

Chris Guider blamed Scientology for destroying two decades of his life.

While Guider opted to join the organisation as a staff member, Jarvis has always just been a general follower of the Church of Scientology. He goes to mass once a week and tries to keep up with his readings.

The former policeman is still as fit as ever at 62 — running his removalist company for the past two decades.

The father of three rushed to the aid of an elderly gentleman during his interview with The Sunday Telegraph at a Glebe coffee shop on Thursday. Jarvis jumped from his seat, carried the man’s bag and helped him to the nearby bus stop.

“L. Ron Hubbard didn’t make out he was a god, he was just a bloke,” Jarvis said of the founder of the church.

“He put together a whole lot of knowledge you can use and apply to your life. It’s your choice.

“If it’s not true for you, fine. If you apply it, you get knowledge. Scientology is an access to knowledge.”

Jarvis, now a grandfather, said he was most proud of raising his three children.