Jack Satherley
Jack Satherley was a rugby league player. He represented the New Zealand rugby league team in five matches in 1937 and 1938, predominantly at Hooker. In the process he became the 255th player to represent New Zealand. He previously played rugby union for Manukau Rovers in Auckland in the early 1930s before switching to the rugby league code in late 1933 when he joined the Richmond Rovers rugby league club. He also represented Auckland, Auckland Pākehā, and the North Island. His older brother was Cliff Satherley who also played rugby league for New Zealand.
Early life
Leslie Charles John Manson Satherley, more commonly known as Jack Satherley was born on December 17, 1910, in Blenheim. His parents were Ingress Cecilia Manson, and Charles Herbert Satherley. His mother had been married previously to Soren Hansen however she petitioned for divorce in February 1904. They had two children together, Sorine Elvine Hansen and William Claus Hansen. The Star newspaper reported from the proceedings that "when fifteen years of age, in 1897, she married at Wellington, with her parents' consent, her father being present at the marriage. Respondent was alleged to have led a drunken life. Two years after the marriage her husband came home and said he "had had enough of her, and was off". Since then she had seen nothing of him. He was reported to be in Dannevirke, but inquiries failed to find him. She was ill after his desertion, and her baby 14 months old, died. Justice Cooper remarked upon "criminal conduct of parents in consenting to such early marriages"; a girl didn't know her own mind at fifteen, and she was not fit to bear children. Petitioner had not, at the time of her marriage, even reached the maximum school age”.She remarried Charles Herbert Satherley in 1905. They had three children, Clifford , Phyllis Ida, and Jack. The first mention of Jack occurred in the Nelson Evening Mail on June 18, 1923. Jack, would have been aged 12 at the time. He was charged with riding a bicycle at night at Appleby without a light. He was fined 5 shillings.
Playing career
Rugby union
Manukau Rovers (1929-31)
It is unclear when exactly Jack moved to Auckland however his older brother began playing for the Manukau rugby union club in 1926 so it is likely Jack moved at the same time after their schooling. The first confirmed report of Jack playing senior rugby in Auckland was for Manukau on May 25, 1929. The match was played at Eden Park with Manukau losing 9–6 to University. The Sun newspaper wrote “Satherley, a brother of the forward , who was given a trial on the wing, should develop into a useful man”. He nearly scored late in the game when he crossed the try line but was taken into touch in goal. Jack spent the remainder of the season back in Manukau's second grade side.He began to be named in the Manukau senior A squads to start the 1930 season but was not mentioned in any match reports. In their loss to Ponsonby on May 24 he played in the forwards with The Sun saying “John Brimble, Cyril Pepper| Pepper, Dixon, and J. Satherley were also honest packmen”. John Brimble was the older brother of Ted, Walter, and Wilfred who would all represent New Zealand at rugby league, with Wilfred and Walter both on the 1938 tour of Australia with Jack. While Cyril Pepper later became an All Black and was killed during World War 2. Jack then moved on to the wing for their following games including an 8–3 win over Training College on June 21 at Waikaraka Park in Onehunga which was their home ground with the club being based in Manukau in this era, not moving to Māngere until decades later. The following week in an 8–4 win over College Rifles he was involved in a “nice passing movement” with Cotter and Stewart which resulted in Pile scoring. In the second half he was warned by the referee for “rather wild work in the loose”. On July 5 Manukau lost to Marist 11-0 but Satherley was “noticeable in several good solo runs”. He played in further matches against Ponsonby, Training College, and City before the season ended with a loss to University on September 13 and a default loss a week later to Technical College. The newspapers did not cover the matches in great detail so it is unknown how he played in these matches.
File:Cliff Satherley.png|thumb|Jack's brother Cliff, who he played against in 1931, and later with, at Richmond.The 1931 season saw Satherley fully established in the first grade side, playing in 19 matches. He was credited with 2 tries though the newspapers would often omit scoring details from their match descriptions so it is likely that he scored several more given he was playing on the wing. His first game of the season was against Grammar Old Boys on May 2. In a 13–3 loss to University on May 9 on the wing he “showed pace and a clever swerve”. The New Zealand Herald reported that he received a cut on the head and retired” during the second half. A week later on May 16 Jack played against his brother Cliff who had transferred to Ponsonby at the start of the season. It was said that Cliff was one of the “most conspicuous among the pack” and he scored their lone try, with Manukau winning 9–5. Jack was said to have been “prominent” along with Biss on the other wing in Manukau's draw with Technical Old Boys on May 23. A week later Manukau lost to Grafton in Onehunga by 3 points to 0. With the score in Grafton's favour late “the two Stuarts, Biss, and Satherley were desperate in their efforts to smash the defence” but to no avail. The Auckland Star went on to say that “Satherley played a very determined game as winger, and was hard to stop when he saw the line ahead”. The same newspaper a week later described him as “sound” in their 3–3 draw with Marist. The Herald said that he was “outstanding” along with the Stuart brothers in the backs. He then gave “a dashing performance” on the right wing on June 13 against Training College. And played “well” on the wing in an 11–8 win over College Rifles at the Show Grounds on June 20. He scored Manukau's lone try in a 5–0 win on Eden Park No. 3 against Technical Old Boys on July 25. The try came after “a melee on the line, Satherley diving over” after “a rough and tumble”. It was said that he and fellow winger C. Stuart “were essentially individualists, lacking support”. He scored another try 2 weeks later on August 8 in an 11–3 win over College Rifles on Eden Park No. 3. He “dived over in the early stages” to give them a 3–0 lead. The Auckland Star said he was the only Manukau back “who showed any dash”. Though the NZ Herald said that both he and Bill Turei were “outstanding” on the wings.
On September 19 Manukau played in the final of the Pollard Cup against Technical Old Boys at Eden Park. Technical won 16–10. In the first half he “broke clean away, but when blocked, passed inside. Harris intercepted and pulled Tech. out of a difficult position”. His final two games of the season were a round 2 knockout game against Ponsonby which they won 8–6 on October 3. And then a 20–18 win over Patumāhoe in a friendly match on October 10 at the later teams ground.
Rugby League
Richmond Rovers
There was no mention of Satherley playing rugby in Auckland or elsewhere in 1932. In fact he was not mentioned again until an October 14, 1933 game between the Richmond Rovers rugby league side against the touring St. George from Sydney, Australia. Richmond were a club based in the central Auckland suburb of Grey Lynn. St. George had finished runners up in the 1933 NSWRFL competition and were playing 7 matches in New Zealand. Richmond won 5 points to 3 with Satherley being involved in “fine inside back play” along with Roy Powell and Stan Prentice which “prevented the half-backs, Richard Daly and Tom Carey, from going far”.At the start of the 1934 Auckland Rugby League season Satherley was named in Richmond's round 1 side to play Newton Rangers on April 28 at Carlaw Park. He went on to play 20 games for them during the year. He played at second five eighth in their 18–7 win over Newton with the Herald saying “Prentice is not yet quite at his best, but has a promising second five eighth in J. Satherley”. He had been reunited with his brother Cliff who had switched to Richmond in May, 1933. In a 16–9 win over Devonport United on May 26 it was said that R. O’Donnell and Allan Seagar of the Shore side “caught Prentice and J. Satherley in possession... many times”. A week later in a 3–2 win against Newton he “frequently shone out in good defence”.
On July 11 Satherley actually played a rugby union game for the Engineers against the Police. He was employed by the railway at the time. As the match was employment based and did not require players to be registered with rugby union it was allowed. He scored a try in the Engineers 18–8 win and also kicked a conversion. Fellow league player Dan Keane from the Ponsonby club also scored a try and kicked two goals. After returning to the Richmond side on July 21 he switched places during the match with Bert Cooke the legendary former All Black international, who had switched to rugby league in 1932. Cooke had started at fullback but with Richmond lacking attacking spark he was moved into Satherley's place at second five eighth. Richmond went on to win 13–10. He started at fullback the following week with Richmond winning 18–0 to seal the Fox Memorial championship with three rounds still remaining. The Auckland Star reported that he “did fairly well in a new position, but was well protected by Eric Fletcher at centre”. The Herald said that he, along with several other Richmond backs “did great work in checking the opposing forwards”.
Satherley then went on tour with the Richmond team with matches played at New Plymouth against the Taranaki side, and at Napier against the Hawke's Bay side on August 9 and 11 respectively. It is unknown if he played in the game with Taranaki but he was named in the side to play Hawke's Bay at fullback. Richmond won the first match 23-22 while the second was more lop-sided with Richmond winning 37–11.
After returning to Auckland he played for Richmond in their 26–5 win over Devonport on August 18 in round 1 of the Roope Rooster competition. He “cleverly produced opening try” assisting Eric Fletcher to score. He was back playing at second five, and the New Zealand Herald was critical of his performance overall saying that “he is too slow for the company he is in and several times on Saturday he nullified promising movements by the Richmond rearguard”. In the semi finals he scored his first ever try for Richmond and followed it up later in the game with a second. They won 21–13 over Ponsonby United. He and Prentice “went well together, but the inside back tactics were hardly sharp enough”. The Herald wrote that “the conditions suited J. Satherley, who played well and scored two nice tries”. In the final, on September 8 against Marist Old Boys he scored once more in their 20–13 win. He was part of a “strong back combination” of Prentice, Powell, Fletcher, and Cooke, all of whom played for New Zealand. Satherley's try came after Powell kicked ahead before Ray Lawless gathered and sent him over “for a fine try” with the Herald saying he played “his usual sound game”.
With the season in its later stages the Western Suburbs side from Sydney was on a 5 match tour of Auckland. Western Suburbs were the NSW champions and had played games against Marist and Newton before a game with Richmond on September 29. Satherley was named at second five eighth with Stan Prentice at first five. Richmond won 18 to 16 before 15,000 spectators at Carlaw Park with Satherley supporting Prentice well and the two of them “frequently conspicuous for good play”. In a review of the players play later in the week the Herald said “great improvement on attack was also shown by J. Satherley, while his defence was as sound as ever”. The Western Suburbs side played a Ponsonby XIII on October 3 before a second game against Richmond to conclude their tour on October 6. He started at second five but at halftime he moved to fullback with Bert Cooke coming up to take his place. In the first half Prentice and Satherley “bottled up” Vic Hey and Percy Williams and “broke the back of the Australian attack”. Williams was actually a future Australian international and a guest player from the South Sydney brought on tour to strengthen the side. His final match of the season was against Newton in the Stormont Shield final on October 13. Richmond won 21–5 to become the first team to ever win all three major first grade trophies in the same season. Satherley was said to have played “a sound game at fullback”.