By JON GEDDES

It will feel like a set of the Rat Park goalposts have been permanently removed after the fulltime whistle sounds in Warringah’s final Shute Shield game against Norths on Saturday at Narrabeen.

The clash will mark the end of an era with first grade skipper ‘Slammin’ Sam Ward and his fellow stalwarts scrumhalf Josh Holmes, fullback Dave Feltscheer and hooker Rob Kelly all retiring.

The quartet will finish their careers with an incredible total of over 780 games for Warringah between them so it will be an emotional afternoon. 

What makes the occasion even more special is that the four retirees have not only experienced the highs and lows together on the field, they have become close mates off it.

Ward has been the template for the great rugby clubman, the fiercest of competitors who is also greatly respected throughout the competition. He really is a once in a generation player and Warringah was so fortunate to have had him.

“The club means everything to me, it’s all I’ve known for 10 years,” Ward said. “It’s a place I hold dear to my heart, I love wearing the green and white jersey and running out on a Saturday.

“It’s a place where I know my family love coming to. It’s a social thing, you can come down and watch the rugby on a Saturday. That can be the only thing you did and still feel you had a good weekend – depending on the result.

“You can’t help but feel a great sense of belonging when you are around the place.”

Saturday will mark another milestone for the No.8 Ward – it will be his 150^th grade game for the club.

Sam spent two years with the Gordon Colts before he saw the light and moved up to Narrabeen, which he has called home for the past decade.

He was in second grade for his first four games before moving up to the Shute Shield side where he has remained ever since. 

“I probably never thought I would play first grade, let alone for 10 years,” Ward admitted.

A SPECIAL BOND

The Warringah club rallied around the Ward family in their grief and were inspired by the courage of Sam, his parents Murray and Jill and sisters Anna and Beth following the tragic death of their son and sibling Lachie in 2017.

The vision of an emotional Sam holding aloft the Shute Shield after Warringah won the grand final later that year was one of the greatest moments in the competition’s long history.

“It’s been spoken a lot how they got around us and supported us, and people still do. We speak about it often as a family that we are grateful to be a part of the rugby club and Lach was able to be a part of the rugby club as well,” Sam said.  

If anyone wanted inspiration on game day, they just had to turn to the back of the Rat Park grandstand and look up at the Ward clan.  

THE LEGACY

As he draws down the curtain on his amazing career, Ward hopes to be remembered as a team man.

“I like to play tough, but then be the guy that anyone feels they can come and have a chat and a beer with,” he said. “I do pride myself on being approachable, and off the field I’ll be mates with anyone. And I hope that’s what my opponents think of me as well – and hopefully there are not too many enemies out there.    

“l feel I’m playing alright footy and I’m quite proud of myself going out on my own terms.”

He also expressed his gratitude to the Rats community and all the supporters for their love and cheering on the weekends.

“It definitely wouldn’t be the same place without them on the hill, it wouldn’t be as much fun,” Ward said.

He joked that one benefit of the coronavirus this year was that he didn’t have to walk into the clubhouse after games and be told by some well lubricated guys how he should have something different.

THE TIME WAS RIGHT

While rugby is all he has done on Saturdays in winter, Sam knows retirement will require quite an adjustment.

“But I like riding my mountain bike and I like motor bike riding and I like fishing so I have lots of hobbies,” he said.
Most importantly, he will take on the new role as a dad when wife Ellen gives birth to the couple’s first child at the end of the year.

And he realises now is the time to devote more of his energies to his growing physiotherapy business, PhysioWard. With one clinic in Narrabeen he is planning to set up another in Newport by Christmas.

“So I’m keeping nice and busy,” he said.

THE TRUTH ABOUT HIS TEAMMATES 

The three other amigos who will finish up on Saturday have not only shared the highs and lows with Ward on the field, they are also close friends.
On the eve of their group retirement, Ward has opened up about what he really thinks about them.     

Josh Holmes: “He is probably one of the strangest characters I have ever played with, but is such a good mate now. I remember when I first started at Rats he was like this creepy guy and I couldn’t understand his personality and if he liked me or hated me. But I know what Joshy is like now and he just such a good bloke and he bleeds green and white.”

Dave Feltscheer: “He also bleeds green and white himself and has a longer standing tradition with the club having grown up around the place. Feltsh is loyal and likes to have a good time.  He is not too good at picking a fantasy footy team, but is not bad at everything else. He’s a bloke’s bloke and a true Rat. I can already see him on the hill, with grey hair and grey beard.” 

Rob “Bert” Kelly: “It’s hard to describe ‘Bert’ because if you want to message or speak to the bloke, he just never replies. I know it’s not because he doesn’t like me, it’s just because he is hopeless. I don’t know how he gets up in the morning sometimes. He knows I think that about him as well. But we like our four-wheel driving and camping so I can see us doing a lot of that in the future. He’s got a baby on the way too. After meeting his wife he’s a bit tamer than the old ‘Bertsy’, but hopefully the old ‘Bert’ comes out soon.” 

JON GEDDES is a vastly experienced rugby writer who masterminds the Warringah popular weekly in-season newsletter Rats Tales.