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Dedicated to Brian Eyrl Bevan
The greatest try scorer ever
Sydney born Brian Bevan was destined to be the best winger in rugby league history, although a member of Eastern Suburbs he never played first grade rugby in Australia he never played test rugby. He joined the Royal Australian navy in 1942 and set in motion a chain of events that would take him on the path to greatness. In the winter of 1945-1946 he approached both Leeds and Hunslet both declined to give him a trial, Warrington however after a trial game in the reserves gave him a first grade start against Oldham on 17th November 1945 on the right wing.
It was 19 years later when he retired that he had amassed 796 tries for Warrington ,Blackpool Borough ,other nationalities and various representative XIIIs. He did not give the impression of an athlete, he would come on the field his knees swathed in bandages he was it is suggested a heavy smoker, his defence was by all accounts poor, but he did one thing better than anyone else he scored tries,very quick he would leave players for dead as he raced from one side field of the field to the other sometimes kicking ahead just for the hell of it. Opposing wingers had not got a clue where he would go next such was his baffling style. He could run backwards faster than some players could run forwards, within four years at Warrington he had broken the try scoring record of Jack Fish 215 tries, it had taken Fish 13 years to attain that total. In 1952-53 he set a club record of 66 tries in the season, the 1953-54 season saw him become the highest try scorer in the games history when he passed the 446 tries mark set by Alf Ellaby (1926-39) 1955 brought him his 500th try.He also managed to score seven tries twice,and score a hat-trick on sixty nine occasions.
He played for Warrington till 1962 clocking up 740 tries in 620 games as he helped the club lift two Challenge Cups, three Championships, A Lancashire Cup and six Lancashire League Championships. Although never appearing in a test for his country he played for other Nationalities 16 times scoring 29 tries. His career ended in 1964 after 2 seasons at Blackpool Borough. A bronze statue of Bevan can be seen at the town end of Wilderspool Causeway Warrington on Brian Bevan Island.
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Bevan's Try Scoring Record 1945-1964
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Bevan Island, Warrington
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Bevan Statue At Halliwell Jones.Picture Ken Cross
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Brian Bevan