Dragons’ Josh McCrone to play in Anzac Day clash, with family history fresh in his mind

YOU hear some wonderful Anzac Day stories and Josh McCrone’s dad was telling us one this week. It wasn’t about life and death, more to do with family pride.

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You hear some wonderful Anzac Day stories. Josh McCrone’s dad Bill was telling us one this week.

It wasn’t about life and death, more to do with family pride.

Bill said his own dad would have been proud of the fact this unsung Dragon was getting to play his first Anzac Day NRL game this Monday when he runs in Benji Marshall’s absence.

Not because his grandson is now “a star”. Just because, like his grandad, Josh is always doing his job for the team, to the best of his ability.

Before this week, Bill had never really spoken to Josh much about his grandad’s service during World War II. But sitting on his farm out at Temora, sipping on a beer after a long day, Bill saw an Anzac Day ad come on TV.

It made him think. Bill said he wasn’t even sure if Josh had been picked in the Dragons team again this week, or if Benji would be back from his ongoing hamstring troubles.

So Bill got on the Dragons’ website and looked at the team before calling Josh. He started off with a quick congratulations, and then laughed: “I don’t want to put any pressure on you, but ...”

And finally Bill told Josh about his grandad who had died before Josh was ever born.

Josh said it was one of the things his dad kept to himself over the years, and he wasn’t sure why. But because his grandfather never spoke about it, neither did his dad, which is how these stories often get lost through generations.

St George Illawarra’s Josh McCrone and his grandfather William “Spike” McCrone.

Like Bill, his dad William “Spike” McCrone farmed the same 1100 hectares of land out at Temora throughout his life, taking over from his dad, another William, who spent his life on the same farm.

But when “Spike” was in his mid-20s, World War II came along. So he enlisted to serve his country — but never made it to war.

“Spike” originally joined up with the 65th Division, Bill said. “which was taking recruits from around the Cootamundra area”. It took him first to Sydney and then outback Western Australia where they learned to survive off the land.

“It was all to prepare them for the harsh conditions in the Middle East,” Bill said. But after months and months of training, “Spike” discovered the paratroopers were calling for volunteers, so he put up his hand again.

“I think he was a captain when he was with the 65th Battalion and he dropped rank to lieutenant to go and join the paratroopers,” Bill said.

So he came back to Sydney for specialist training, then he was sent to Brisbane and aligned with the Americans. But just as “Spike” was ready to leave on his mission, he found out his own father had passed away.

“Dad had 10 sisters and he was the only son,” Bill recalled. So “Spike” was called back home to farm the land. Instead of fighting, he produced to help his country during the war effort.

“He was a keen rugby league supporter, Dad. We had 13 kids. We lost one at child birth, a boy, we ended up with seven girls and five boys.”

Bill said he was never really sure why his dad didn’t talk much about his time during the war years but agreed “survivor’s guilt”, as they call it, may have had something to do with it.

Bill said his dad never encouraged him or his brothers to go out shooting with the other farm boys.

“I asked him once and he said ‘I was never keen on (guns) after the war’,” Bill recalled.

“Maybe it was the stories he knew about, I don’t know. Dad died in 1980, he had cancer. Josh came along virtually seven years later.”

So they never met.

GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 16: Josh McCrone of the Dragons waarms up on the field with team mates before the round seven NRL match between the Gold Coast Titans and the St George Illawarra Dragons at Cbus Super Stadium on April 16, 2016 in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)

“But he would have been proud of Josh,” Bill said. “I wanted Josh to know that. That’s what I said to my wife, Wendy. I’m not-big noting myself, I am just proud of what my Dad did because he volunteered for his country and did what he had to do.

“And I am proud of what my son has done, playing NRL. Not too many get to do that, do they? Certainly not in this special game.

“I said to Josh, ‘It might put the pressure on you. You might have to score a try.’

“And he said; ‘That’s going to be hard Dad with St George’s record right now’.

“We both laughed at that.”

Originally published as Dragons’ Josh McCrone to play in Anzac Day clash, with family history fresh in his mind