Mervyn Hicks

OVERALL STATISTICS

BIRTHAGESIGNED ONFROM
15-12-1943
N/A
Date unknown.
Warrington
DEBUTLAST MATCHLEFT
28-03-1964 v Salford
Wakefield Trinity
1966- Canterbury- Aus
CAREERAPPEARANCES (SUBS)
1963-1965
67 (3)
TRIESGOALSDGOALSPTS
13
2
0
43

Biography of Mervyn Hicks



HERITAGE NO : 818
Mervyn Hicks by Alex Service

Born in Cross Keys, Mervyn Hicks showed from an early age that he was destined for great things on the rugby field. He represented the Welsh Youth XV in 1960 as a strong-running lock forward and captained the team. After a string of further impressive performances he was watched and duly signed by scouts from Doncaster RLFC and signed for the Yorkshire outfit for £1000, a not inconsiderable sum in those days. He played as a centre with the Dons, although it was clear that his days in the threequarter line would soon be numbered. He was certainly destined for greater things and his sheer strength and power attracted Warrington, who signed him for £6000. Merv was to become a second-rower, who, at over six feet and 17 stones could also operate equally effectively in the front row and was a match for anyone on his day. He joined the Saints half-way through the 1963-64 campaign and was a member of the first Great Britain Under 24 team to play against the French. The game took place in Toulouse on 3rd April 1965, when Merv was in the second row and kicked four goals in the visitors 17-9 victory. Doug Laughton, his team mate at Saints was at loose forward.

A rough and tough second rower, Merv added steel and power to a dominant forward pack that helped to lead Saints to the League Leaders trophy in 1964-65. Merv was one of a number of former welsh rugby union players when he signed for the Knowsley Road club, including Cen Williams, Kel Coslett, John Mantle and John Warlow. Indeed, the pack also included other former rugby union players in Ray French and the mighty Cliff Watson. Merv played a Test match for Great Britain against New Zealand in 1965
The Saints went on to win four trophies in 1965-66, but Merv decided to begin a new life in Australia with his wife and two young sons and joined Canterbury Bankstown, known as the Berries, now the Bulldogs. Merv enjoyed five successful seasons at Belmore, including a Grand final appearance, when the Berries lost 12-10 to a strong South Sydney outfit.

In 1971 Merv joined the North Sydney Bears as Captain-Coach, a tough assignment indeed, with the team not enjoying the best of times. Merv himself did suffer from injury on several occasions.

A return to England beckoned which lasted for four years with spells at Hull, Leeds and Bradford Northern before returning Down Under once more. His rugby league career was to end with a three-year stint with the Bowral Blues in Group 6 of the New South Wales Country Rugby League. He continued to coach Bowral after retiring as a player and was also linked with Riverina in the country championship, alongside his career in hotel management.

Despite persistent knee trouble, an unfortunate legacy of his playing days, Merv has remained in Australia, is in good health and has attended a Saints Past Players Dinner when he once returned to Blighty to visit relatives.

Mervyn sent this message on April 29th 2009: To all the Saints supporters all over the world: I was so lucky to have been a part of the best team that I played for in my whole career, with the likes of Alex Murphy, Cliff Watson, Tommy Bishop ,Tom Vollenhoven, Len Killeen and all the other Welsh players like myself that made up the team. It was a team in the full sense of the word. I can never remember an argument within the team, we stuck together both on and off the field and I can honestly say it was the most rewarding time of my whole rugby career. The trophies and medals pale into insignificance when I remember the joy of beating the other teams in the league. At the end of each game we always spent time together having a drink in the old storeroom of the Club House with Fred Harrison, the Steward of the Club and then on to mingle with the supporters. I still see Cliff and Tommy on odd occasions and it is always good to reminisce. Thank you to everyone connected to Saints during my time there. It was a sensational experience both for me and my wife but now also for my children and grandchildren who have a special place in their heart for the Club. Merv Hicks


SEASON STATISTICS

Season (Official Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1963~643 0 0 7
1964~65 6 2 0 33
1965~66 4 0 0 27
TOTALS:13 2 0 67
Season (Other Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1964~650002
1965~66 0001
TOTALS:0003

ALL MATCHES

DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
28th Mar 1964 1
W
 12 Salford WDC H 24 13 VIEW
4th Apr 1964 2
L
 12 Widnes L H 6 10 1 VIEW
15th Apr 1964 3
W
 11 Whitehaven WDC A 3 0 VIEW
18th Apr 1964 4
W
 12 Liverpool City WDC A 32 7 1 VIEW
22nd Apr 1964 5
W
 12 Wigan L A 22 13 1 VIEW
25th Apr 1964 6
W
 12 Widnes L A 19 8 VIEW
27th May 1964 7
L
 12 Castleford L A 10 11 VIEW
14th Aug 1964 --
W
 12 Swinton* Fr Gallie Cup H 22 2 VIEW
22nd Aug 1964 8
W
 12 Leigh L A 19 6 1 VIEW
24th Aug 1964 9
W
 11 Rochdale Hornets L H 28 4 1 VIEW
29th Aug 1964 10
W
 12 Widnes L H 29 6 VIEW
31st Aug 1964 --NPS
W
 15 Whitehaven L A 15 5 VIEW
5th Sep 1964 11
W
 13 Liverpool City LC1 A 41 11 1 VIEW
12th Sep 1964 12
W
 12 Blackpool Borough L H 37 5 VIEW
14th Sep 1964 13
W
 12 Barrow LC2 A 22 11 1 VIEW
19th Sep 1964 14
W
 11 Rochdale Hornets L A 17 6 VIEW
26th Sep 1964 15
W
 12 Featherstone Rovers L A 30 15 VIEW
29th Sep 1964 16
W
 11 Warrington LCSF A 10 8 VIEW
3rd Oct 1964 17
W
 15 Workington Town L H 32 6 VIEW
10th Oct 1964 18
W
 11 Blackpool Borough L A 31 9 VIEW
17th Oct 1964 19
W
 12 Featherstone Rovers L H 25 12 1 VIEW
24th Oct 1964 20
W
 12 Swinton LCF N 12 4 1 VIEW
31st Oct 1964 21
W
 12 Oldham L H 22 6 VIEW
7th Nov 1964 22
W
 12 Warrington L H 26 10 VIEW
14th Nov 1964 23
W
 11 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 25 12 VIEW
19th Dec 1964 24
W
 12 Leigh L H 10 7 VIEW
1st Jan 1965 --NPS
W
 15 Swinton L A 11 5 VIEW
9th Jan 1965 25
W
 11 Liverpool City L H 23 3 VIEW
16th Jan 1965 26
L
 12 Warrington L A 4 6 VIEW
27th Jan 1965 --
W
 11 Other Nationalities* Fr Opening of Floodl H 19 2 VIEW
6th Feb 1965 27
W
 12 Castleford CC1 H 22 9 VIEW
13th Feb 1965 --NPS
L
 15 Workington Town L A 3 4 VIEW
16th Feb 1965 28
W
 12 Salford L H 12 6 VIEW
20th Feb 1965 29
W
 11 Huddersfield L H 28 6 VIEW
27th Feb 1965 30
L
 12 Wigan CC2 A 2 7 VIEW
13th Mar 1965 31
W
 13 Oldham L A 15 9 VIEW
16th Mar 1965 --NPS
L
 15 Wakefield Trinity L H 2 9 VIEW
20th Mar 1965 32
L
 12 Wakefield Trinity L A 4 5 VIEW
23rd Mar 1965 33
L
 11 Wigan L H 6 10 VIEW
27th Mar 1965 34
L
 11 Salford L A 8 11 VIEW
9th Apr 1965 35
W
 12 Liverpool City L A 11 0 VIEW
16th Apr 1965 36
W
 12 Wigan L A 16 8 1 VIEW
19th Apr 1965 37
W
 12 Swinton L H 16 5 VIEW
21st Apr 1965 38
W
 12 Huddersfield L A 20 6 VIEW
24th Apr 1965 39
W
 11 Barrow Ch1 H 23 7 1 VIEW
30th Apr 1965 40
W
 12 Hull Kingston Rovers Ch2 H 24 6 VIEW
14th Aug 1965 --
L
 11 Swinton * Fr Gallie Cup A 9 11 VIEW
20th Aug 1965 41
W
 11 Halifax L H 15 4 VIEW
24th Aug 1965 42
W
 11 Rochdale Hornets L A 17 9 VIEW
28th Aug 1965 43
W
 13 Castleford L A 19 15 VIEW
30th Aug 1965 44
W
 12 Whitehaven L H 30 5 1 VIEW
4th Sep 1965 45
W
 13 Warrington L A 11 2 VIEW
10th Sep 1965 46
L
 11 Swinton LC1 H 7 8 VIEW
15th Sep 1965 47
W
 11 New Zealand Tour H 28 7 VIEW
18th Sep 1965 48
W
 11 Castleford L H 21 6 1 VIEW
27th Sep 1965 49
W
 15 Widnes L A 9 4 VIEW
1st Oct 1965 50
W
 12 Oldham L H 23 17 VIEW
5th Oct 1965 --NPS
W
 15 Leigh FT1 H 25 19 VIEW
9th Oct 1965 51
W
 11 Barrow L H 18 14 VIEW
16th Oct 1965 52
W
 13 Salford L A 15 11 VIEW
23rd Oct 1965 53
W
 11 Workington Town L H 43 4 1 VIEW
30th Oct 1965 54
W
 11 Barrow L A 15 10 1 VIEW
9th Nov 1965 55
W
 11 Huddersfield L H 11 4 VIEW
13th Nov 1965 56
W
 11 Workington Town L A 7 3 VIEW
16th Nov 1965 57
W
 11 Leeds FT2 H 21 9 VIEW
19th Nov 1965 58
W
 11 Rochdale Hornets L H 19 7 VIEW
7th Dec 1965 59
W
 11 Swinton FTSF H 9 5 VIEW
14th Dec 1965 60
L
 11 Castleford FTF H 0 4 VIEW
17th Dec 1965 61
W
 8 Blackpool Borough L H 21 9 VIEW
8th Jan 1966 62
L
 8 Oldham L A 9 13 VIEW
29th Jan 1966 63
W
 13 Halifax L A 5 2 VIEW
1st Feb 1966 64
W
 13 Widnes L H 9 4 VIEW
5th Feb 1966 65
W
 15 Blackpool Borough L A 25 11 VIEW
14th Feb 1966 66
W
 11 Leigh L H 17 2 VIEW
19th Feb 1966 67
L
 11 Wakefield Trinity L A 12 20 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 61 | LOSSES : 14 | DRAWS :

GALLERY





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