Haven star on a cruel twist of fate that cut short Oz adventure

As a 22-year-old, the Whitehaven back-rower seemed to be reaching for the stars when he made a 12,000-mile journey to link up with the famous Western Suburbs club in Sydney.

His Australian adventure was bittersweet, however. Everything was going well, as the ex-Egremont Rangers junior broke into the Wests team, then his world suddenly fell apart. A heavy tumble on Sydney Cricket Ground, scene of past Great Britain triumphs, broke Steve’s shoulder and precipitated a return to the Recreation Ground.

Recommendations from ex-Test stars Paul Charlton and Mike (Stevo) Stephenson had taken Steve Down Under after he’d lost his contracting job at Sellafield.

“I was so impressed with Wally Lewis and the ’86 Kangaroos that I thought I had to give it a go Down Under and see if I could cut the mustard playing against these great players,” said Steve.

“The only problem was that Whitehaven’s season wasn’t quite over and I think our coach (Phil Kitchin) was a bit gutted with a play-off semi-final coming up. I missed it, we lost and I’m not sure whether Phil has quite forgiven me,” he quipped.

“In fact, I had to tell Phil a porky. I said: ‘Listen Phil, I’ve just lost my job, my uncle has offered me the chance of work in Australia. I hope you don’t mind, I have to go for six months and get some work.’

“Phil’s face was a picture. He always used to say: ‘Steve, if you’d stayed, I think we would have won that play-off game.’

“Anyway, I really enjoyed it out there. I was actually amazed how fit I was compared to the Australians.

“I was also the biggest forward at Wests – a bit thin and 14-and-a-half stone – but I was so fit. The difference was that they had the game-plans. I was like a fish out of water in that respect. As well as playing on the hard surfaces, it was still winter rugby league back home.”

The move Down Under wasn’t without incident and headlines, including Burney Lands in Hot Water. Steve had gone out for six months to stay with relatives but RFL top brass contacted the Australian Board of Control after hearing Burney was going to play for Wests. They told Aussie secretary Bob Abbott that he couldn’t do so without official clearance. It was duly given.

Recalls Steve: “Wests eventually gave me a game and I won the man-of-the-match (against Canterbury) at home. I was flying. What I won was a haircut and a head massage worth 25 dollars – the best haircut I’ve ever had.

“The next week we were playing St George on the Sydney Cricket Ground. After five minutes, I broke my shoulder. I crashed over and landed right on the top of my shoulder; two months out.

“Tommy Raudonikis, the Aussie Test scrum-half, and Andrew Farrar, the ex-Wigan centre, were playing for Wests, and from England also in the side were Lee Crooks, Derek Fox, and Des Drummond.

“Apart from the conditions, the setup was so much more professional, but I don’t think it would have taken me long to get up to that standard but for that bad injury.

“I did make a comeback but probably too soon. I wanted so much to make an impression. A few weeks later, I was starting to come into my own, but it was around the end of the season, I’d put on a stone-and-a-half through weight training and proper diet [he loved his mother’s pork pies back home!] but I decided it was time to come home back to Whitehaven.

“Looking back, I tried hard and did my best but it was a case of not getting a second chance.

“What a fantastic experience, though. Being able to play on Sydney Cricket Ground, just like Lord’s here, but it was so hard. I must have landed on the bowling patch – it was just one of those things.

“Back at Whitehaven, I started to play well again, not only that but I persuaded Gary McFarlane (loose-forward) to come over and try his luck at the Recreation Ground. Ron Batty had asked whether I knew any good players, and Gary turned out to be fantastic.

“We had a terrific run. Alan McCurrie came back from Wakefield, as hooker and captain, but for me on those cold, wet winter nights in training, I could always feel the twinges from that shoulder.

“At the same time, you could make a far lot more money at Sellafield working overtime at weekend than playing a match.

“The rewards just weren’t there, but we had some very talented players. I’d never seen anyone as fast as Vince Gribbin; he had that extra yard of pace and if he saw the gap he was gone. I played in the game when Vince scored six tries against Doncaster, still a club record, and big Les Gorley was still a force.

“Kurt Sorenson, from New Zealand, was coach; Mick Pechey, the record try scoring centre from Australia, was in his prime. Young Craig Chambers, Graeme Morton and David Seeds were just starting out, things went on, then came another bodyblow for me. I did my knee ligaments against Batley and that was virtually the end of my career.

“It was an honour to play in that team especially alongside two great Kiwis: Kelly Shelford and Dave Watson, both Test half-backs. Dave was superb, one of the best I’ve seen. He had so much power and explosive pace. He also tackled like a man possessed.”

On coaches, Steve says: “Jackie Davidson, at Egremont, was a great motivator; Paul Charlton was a mentor; Phil Kitchin took a softly, softly approach at Whitehaven but in the background was Spanky McFarlane. It was a case of ‘good cop, bad cop’ but I admired them both.

“As for Frank Foster, my first pro coach, well I think I was a bit terrified of Frank. He was more of a ‘do it or I’ll batter you’ type of coach, but he was fair and hard and had some great ideas. You did your best for him, more out of fear, I think.”

On players: “There was Billy Fisher, of course. Billy always used to like his hair perfect. Milton Huddart and Jimmy Dalton, who, but for his illness, could have been the best winger Whitehaven ever had. On the other wing, Norman Lofthouse was hard as nails and could run through a brick wall.

“There were characters all round. Alan Banks, for his size, couldn’t half hit hard. Jeff Simpson, from Moresby, was so strong, like a bull. It was also good to play alongside my brother, Phil, for a while.”

The 6ft 3ins second-row giant who, in his youth admired the pint-sized Hollwyood tough guy James Cagney, knew how to handle himself, breaking instantly into Whitehaven’s first team and emulating county amateur honours with senior representative rugby for Cumbria.

“Papua New Guinea springs to mind, but my first county appearance was actually against Great Britain when Maurice Bamford was coach of the international team.

“It was played at Derwent Park in August 1985. Cumbria, who were coached by Phil KItchin and Jackie Davidson, drew 16-16 with the Great Britain XIII. Not bad considering we were up against the likes of Ellery Hanley and Joe Lydon. Dave Lightfoot was our full-back.”

My own match report for The Whitehaven News read: “Gift tries let Great Britain off the hook. After a stirring true grit performance, earning a 16-16 draw, it was surely a moral victory against the Best of British.”

Says Steve: “Billy Pattinson, Ian Hartley, Huddart and Simpson were all playing in our pack. I think we should have won and it whetted my appetite.

“I thought if I was good enough in a decent Whitehaven team, I would be good enough to move on and try my hand in Australia.

“I did have aspirations of playing in the top flight and becoming an international.

“I always remember being at a Broughton Moor game. Peter Gorley (Les’s brother who also played for his country) said: ‘Don’t sign for any of the local clubs. Get yourself down the motorway.’ But when you’re young, you can feel a bit frightened or intimidated going somewhere like St Helens, Wigan or Leeds.

“My dad was a bit upset that I’d signed for Whitehaven but you can’t have any regrets. It was the time it was.

“Both Jackie Davidson and Jackie Reid had talked me out of going to Whitehaven because it was the Egremont dream team. We were doing so well but half of the side ended up going to either Whitehaven or Workington.”

Burney represented his county as an amateur and professional.

At club level, he was a key figure in a fine Whitehaven team which enjoyed its best Challenge Cup run for 27 years, including a memorable four-try massacre of highly fancied Wakefield at Belle Vue. Big Steve Burney claimed the man-of-the-match award by a short head over Graham Cameron, Rob Ackerman, Gary Hetherington, Brian Rose and Gary McFarlane. It was headlined Whitehaven Wonderland and Burney was said to be in barnstorming form.

The prize was a formidable quarter-final tie against St Helens but it was again away, at Knowsley Road. Haven arrived at the ground to a rapturous reception from 2,000 travelling fans but Alex Murphy’s Saints were star-studded and ran out 41-12 winners.

“We gave it a good go,” said Steve, “but they were full of internationals and I was exhausted at the finish.”

Another massive knockout game was in the John Player Trophy when Haven came so close to causing one of the biggest upsets in the competition’s history; a 12-7 home defeat to a Widnes side including Lydon, Burke, Tony and John Myler, David Hulme and Noel Cleal.

Haven were at home and Les Gorley and Jeff Simpson were inspirations to pack youngsters like Burney.

Steve, who signed for Whitehaven in 1984, said later that Gorley was the player he most admired and wanted to emulate his achievements.

“If I had my time again, I’d love to play in Super League but there’s nothing wrong in playing for Whitehaven. It’s a great club and sometimes you can be a big fish in a smaller pond. I’ve been down to the Recreation Ground and seen the lad from Hensingham (Kyle Amor) a few times. He looks a fantastic forward.

“I would have fancied my chances, especially on summer on these harder grounds – but not too hard!

“Vince Fox said the same thing. It’s better all round and I think it’s a win/win situation. In the middle of winter on The Recre, it was a slog and a real equaliser many a time.

“As I said, you only get the one chance. I only wish we could have two- or three-year contracts like the lads today. If the game is better, I’m not sure, but for clubs and players, the contract system makes it better.

“Eventually, after getting married, we did go back out to live in Australia for three years. I must have been 28 then, we were going to live out there forever but we lasted three years and came back. I played for two teams and got to a second-grade grand final.

“At school, I was always more into football, playing for Windscale Rovers, until Paul Reed and John Brocklebank said: ‘Why don’t you give rugby league a go for Egremont Under-18s.’ There was nothing to lose. Anyway, I was getting a bit too big for the soccer.

“Michael Docherty had brought together some fantastic young players. A good few of us signed for Whitehaven at the same time; Duncan McCartney, one of my best friends, Dave Lightfoot, who was my best friend, Mark Beckwith, Willie Richardson, and my brother, Phil.

“Garry Smith and Sam Bailey went the other way – to Workington.

“Town actually made me a better offer. Paul Charlton and John Bell kept turning up at my door but David Wigham got me for Whitehaven.

“It was thanks to Frank Foster that Les Gorley came along, even though he was nearing the end of his illustrious career.

“Les was a forward you definitely looked up to. A smashing bloke as well, very similar to Frank in a way. He had that fear factor about him but with all the ring craft; a big time player. We had a fantastic move up front; me, Les and Alan Banks, who was a brilliant hooker. The three of us did a run round with Colin Hall, our scrum-half, a simple move but we scored so many tries from it. Les brought it from Widnes.

“When Alan McCurrie came back to the club. he gave us a few more moves. He’d been in the big time playing at Wembley just like Les. We went on a massive winning run but, once we lost, I remember Phil saying: ‘That’s it, we’re going back to my way.’

“Starting off, I was in the second row with John Hartley, another Egremont lad, then later Gary Hetherington. He was a real workaholic, a bit like Spencer Miller today, who is my cousin’s lad. We had some real characters and the first time I met Milton Huddart was when I was walking down to the game. He picked me up in his Triumph sports car. Milton made me really welcome; another smashing bloke.

“Friday night and Sunday night, we used to have a few beers to let our hair down a bit, but Saturday was a quiet day before the match. Today, it’s more like: ‘Don’t have a drink at all.’ I suppose it can have an effect on the match.

“The game now would probably have suited me more on the firmer pitches. I was always an 80-minute man doing a lot of tackling as well as attacking. I could definitely handle 20 minutes at the start or finish as they do today.”

Burney was glad of the chance to play Down Under, not just for the money, even though it was $1,000 a match for Wests, compared to his £50-£60 winning money at Whitehaven.

“It doesn’t take a genius to work things out. Once you lose that ‘eye of the tiger’ attitude, it’s good to move to another club and get inspired more.

“At the same time, I take my hat off to lads like David Seeds and Billy Fisher, who have stayed and broken records for the club. Also lionhearts like Colin Hall, Tony D’Leny, Stephen Howse, Neil Fearon and Dave Barnes.

“But I have to say, I might have stayed put. I wanted a better contract but the club wouldn’t give it and the rest is history.”