By JON GEDDES

Warringah centre Tyson Davis will be playing for a lot more than vital competition points in the big battle of the peninsula against arch-rivals Manly at Rat Park on Saturday – he will honouring the memory of one of his best mates.

The local derby will be the annual match paying tribute to the late Lachie Ward, who tragically passed away after collapsing while playing a fifth grade game for Warringah against Gordon at Rat Park on June 10, 2017, aged just 24.

“That memorial game is one of the most important games of the year,” Davis said.

“And it does justice landing on the biggest game of the year so far.”

For Davis, this showdown has even more meaning because he has had such a strong connection with Lachie and the Ward family.

“I am playing for his family and for him – and to do him proud because he was always the harshest critic on the sideline,” Davis said.

“I used to come off and he would tell me everything I had done wrong.”

Davis first met Lachie when they attended Barker College and were in the school athletics team.

The association continued when Davis started playing at the Rats with Lachie’s brother ‘Slammin’ Sam. Lachie left an indelible mark on Davis which continues today.

Through his association with him and the Ward family Davis has got right into four-wheel driving and country music

“It was definitely Lachie’s influence that made me notice that stuff,” Davis said, whose favourite musician has become American country star Luke Combs.

The powerhouse Rats three-quarter has noticed that each year this game makes an impact on the entire Warringah club.

“No one has ever forgotten Lachie, he’s always been there and his presence has always been around the club,” Davis said.

“This week if people haven’t consciously been talking about it, it’s definitely front of mind. It is as raw today as it was four years ago.”

Adding to the occasion Lachie’s brother Sam will be playing for the Rats in the lower grades on Saturday after he came out of retirement with a warm-up game last weekend against Gordon.

“I hadn’t told too many people but I was always secretly going to play this game,” Sam said.

“There may have been a bit of planning behind it from my perspective. My wife Ellen said I wasn’t able to play unless I had done some training.”

Sam said the day would also be a time of reflection.“I still can’t believe it has been four years,” he said.

“For me and my family it is just a nice day where people get around us and remember Lach.”

Sam, his parents Murray and Jill, along with sisters Anna and Beth will be in their usual spot in the back of the Rat Park grandstand for the derby.

Murray said the family want Saturday to be a celebration.

“We don’t want it to be a sad day, the last thing we would want moving forward is for this round to be a somber sort of occasion,” Murray said.

“Lach was a larger-than-life personality and he liked having a good time as much as anybody.”

The Ward family are grateful that Lachie’s larger than life persona continues to be remembered.

“Our biggest fear as parents that he is forgotten and it is nice they can do something for him with this special round each year,” Murray added.

Murray said the tragedy had strengthened the Wards’ ties to the Warringah community.

“We went from being just another family down there to people coming up to us and saying nice things. And all off a sudden you think ‘hang on a second, all of these people really do care’,” Murray said.

“It’s a nice place to go to feel you are welcome.”

IMAGE: KAREN WATSON

This story first appeared in the Warringah club’s official match day program for today’s derby game against Manly