Left behind for all of us to savor are the footprints of a giant. Some of it is on video, and that's the blessing - that Sludge chanced to be a genius in the age of electronics.
He was centre (five-eighth, lock) of all the talents. More dazzling than Cronin, a better defender than Gasnier, a goal-kicker not so far short of Brown and Messenger. As good as any, or all of them? Suffice to say he was one of the great centre three-quarters - a rare and striking talent. It's tribute enough.
His blistering acceleration and speed was his early trademark, his fabulous ability to read a game and act accordingly the strength of his latter years. As a defender, with the ability to 'kill' the ball, he had no peer.
With Mick Cronin, he built one the great Aussie centre partnerships.
And Sludge did it all with style. On field he was a fine and generous sportsman - off it a calm and articulate spokesman for the game of rugby league."
Tommy Bishop said: "I rate him the greatest all-round centre three-quarter I have seen."
Reg Gasnier also paid tribute: "It was certainly my great pleasure to watch his career. 'Class' was the word that summed him up."
Mick Cronin: "I always regard him as the complete footballer. Whatever the occasion on the football field, he could handle it."
Bob Fulton: "Sludge was one of a very rare breed in the game - the player who could do everything. No player since has had his all-round gifts. And in the recent past probably only Graeme Langlands had such a wide range of talents on the football field. He had virtually every skill in the book. I rate him the most naturally gifted player that I played with or against."
