George Watt

George Watt was the major catch, having played in all three Tests of the 1946 series against Great Britain. Until his death at 92 this week he was believed to be the oldest surviving Australian Test player.

Despite the austerity of the early post war years, the Sydney-born hooker soon came to love the heavily bombed city and after returning to Australia for a few years in the 1950s lived the rest of his life in Hull. He married a local girl and raised five children.

The war years and his departure to Hull restricted Watt's international career to just those three 1946 Test matches plus five appearances for New South Wales. But he had already been acclaimed as one of Australia's greatest ever hookers. The job was in his blood, for he came from a family of No. 9s.

His father had played for Balmain and an uncle, Horrie Watt, appeared in three Tests against Great Britain in 1924. The young George Watt made his debut for Balmain in 1938 and went on to win two Premierships with them plus one with Eastern Suburbs.

In the days when hooking was a real skill with 50 or more scrums, Watt was rarely beaten for overall possession. In addition he was years ahead of his time in being extremely mobile and tactically aware in the loose. A report of Australia's length of the field try against Britain in 1946 referred to Watt's "amazing pace" to win a chase for a kick before slipping the ball out of a tackle for Clem Kennedy to score.

He was also a tremendous tackler and, at 29, was recognised as one of the game's fittest players in Australia when Hull signed him in 1947.

He made an immediate impact, scoring a try on his debut in an 8-0 home defeat of Huddersfield and scored eight more in a 90-match career with Hull.

Watt's leadership qualities also soon became apparent and he was made captain, always leading by example, especially when exchanges became fierce. Confirmation that he would have been in the 1948 Kangaroos' squad had he not joined Hull came when he completely out-hooked his opposite number in the tourists' match against the Airlie Birds.

His last match for Hull was in March 1951 when a young pack included rising stars Mick Scott and Johnny Whiteley.

Then in the veteran stage, Watt had a three-year spell with Rochdale Hornets before returning to Australia and ending his long career with two matches for Balmain in 1954.

Five years later he and his family returned to Hull where he remained.

But he was never forgotten in his country of birth and an ex-players' foundation arranged a special visit by Hull's latest band of Australian recruits to mark his 91st birthday.

He is pre-deceased by his wife, Mavis, and leaves children Carol, Michelle, George, Vanessa and Steven.