1st American Regiment (1783–1784)

Vince Karalius

Personal information
Full name	Vincent Peter Patrick Karalius
Height	1.83 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight	89 kg (14 st or 196 lb)
Playing information
Position	Loose Forward
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1951–1962 St Helens 1962–1966 Widnes Total 0 0 0 0 0

Vincent Peter Patrick Karalius (born 15 October 1932 in Widnes) is an English former rugby league loose forward and coach who forged a fearsome reputation both as a strong runner of the ball, and as a devastating tackler.

Club career

Vince Karalius started playing for West Bank ARL in Widnes at the age of 15. He signed professionally for St Helens in 1951, making his debut against Warrington in April 1952. His first try was against the now defunct Liverpool City in that same time.

His intimidating presence became a telling feature of his play. Respected for his ferocious attitude on the pitch, he was dubbed the ‘Wild Bull of the Pampas’ by the Australian press, in reference to the Argentinian Boxer Luis Ángel Firpo, who had knocked World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Jack Dempsey out of the ring back in 1923.

As well as being regarded as a hardman of hardmen, Karalius was noted as being ahead of the times in his generation of British rugby league. He was a dedicated trainer, paying attention to fitness and stamina in an era that could feature lumbersome forwards. At 5 feet 11 inches and 14 stones he was to become the complete loose forward.

It took until the 1955/56 season for Karalius to establish himself as Saints regular, although a significant part of the 31 games he played that season were in the second row. Many were quick to focus on Karalius’ mean defensive play, but his value to the Saints team was also evident in attack where he combined rugby nous with delicate handling skills to distribute effectively.

The 1956/57 was a watershed year for Karalius. He accumulated 18 tries, no mean feat for a forward and was a member of the Saints side which hammered the Australian touring side by 44-2.

Karalius was acknowledged for his contributions to Saints’ success, including the 1959 'Vollenhoven' Championship Final win by 44-22 over Hunslet. When Alan Prescott retired from the game, Karalius was seen by some as the natural successor to the captaincy of the St Helens side. During this period, he led the 1961 Challenge Cup winning team that defeated Wigan by 12 points to 6. The first occasion that he lifted a trophy for the Club, was at Central Park, Wigan when St. Helens won the Lancashire Cup by 15-9 against the strong Swinton side. This was repeated in the same competition in the following year.

By 1961/62 St. Helens embarked on a rebuilding period as they searched for a new generation of players to press for honours. It would appear that Vince Karalius lay outside those plans when he was sold to his hometown club Widnes in 1962. His final match for the Saints was against Leeds on January of that year. In all, Karalius appeared in 252 matches for St. Helens. He scored 42 tries for 126 points. Despite the move Karalius would always be remembered by fans and players alike. Alex Murphy acknowledged the support and protection Karalius offered him during their time playing at St. Helens. Indeed, according to Murphy:

“He was my loose forward and he was unbelievable to have on your side, If he said it was Christmas, you took his word for it whatever time of year it was — it was Christmas.”

After his move to Naughton Park in 1962, Karalius was appointed club captain. This was a role that Karalius was determined to excel in. Commenting on the move, he revealed the work ethic that was such a foundation for his rugby talent:

"Some players come back to spend their last seasons at their own hometown club like horses being put to grass. I came back to Widnes determined to give 100% effort."

In his first season at Widnes, he helped his hometown team finish third in the Championship, which equalled the club's best league placing. The following season, saw him lead his team to Wembley, where Widnes were Challenge Cup winners after they defeated Hull Kingston Rovers 13 points to 5. This was the Chemics first trophy success in eighteen years. In 1966 he announced his retirement.

International career and the "Battle of Brisbane"

At 25, Karalius was selected to make the 1958 Tour to Australia - a tour that would go down in rugby league history. It was during the Battle of Brisbane in 1958, when Alan Prescott led the Lions to victory with a broken arm that Karalius hardman status was well and truly enshrined. With Prescott in agony with a broken arm, Karalius was also in trouble with an injury to his back. Tour Manager Tom Mitchell recalls in his book, The Memories and Sporting Life of Tom Mitchell:

“The team went out with Karalius at the far side of the dressing room still on the bench. "Vinty we are out. Come on" "Sorry, Thomas, can't - it's me back". I got in behind him and did enough to get him standing up. Slowly across the room to the sunlit opening leading to the pitch - then a step or two and like a boxer getting up after a knockdown, he teetered with a push onto the arena, gaining movement with every stride. Without him on the field the position was the same as the Captain - certain defeat. How he stood up to the first ten minutes I will never know as my eyes steered their gaze from him to Prescott. As I write this 39 years on I permit myself a heartfelt "Phew! No Ashes! No basking in the future unending sunshine of happening to be there as Team Manager."

During this tour one Australian was moved to write:

"Long-jawed Vince Karalius, the wild bull of the Pampas, is a dedicated wrecker of Australian forwards."

Thereafter, the nickname stuck and Karalius was firmly embedded in the sporting public’s conscience as what a rugby league forward should represent.

Karalius represented his country 10 times in his time with the Saints. He also won five Lancashire caps.

Retirement

Six years after he retired from playing Karalius returned to Widnes- as coach. Karalius imposed onto the club his own values and visions- fitness, determination and winning. He aimed to turn the club into a force, a vision that was achieved as early as 1974/75. First Salford were beaten in the Lancashire Cup Final, and then rivals Warrington were defeated in the Challenge Cup. This was the first time in their history that Widnes had recorded two trophies in the same season.

At his zenith, Karalius, stepped down once from his role as coach. He returned to the club for a short spell in 1983/84 leading a strong Widnes side that included future greats such as Joe Lydon and Andy Gregory to a Wembley success over Wigan.

Karalius was also one of the original thirteen former Widnes players inducted into The Widnes Hall of Fame in 1992.

After retiring from rugby league, Karalius forged a successful business. He now resides on the Isle of Man.

External links

• Vince Karalius at rugbyleaguehistory.co.uk
• Karalius' entry on the Virtual Rugby League Hall of Fame
• "Murphy's law is unequivocal: he's still the greatest rugby league player" by Alastair Campbell, Times Online, June 05, 2004
• Vince Karalius at eraofthebiff.com
• Vince Karalius at rugby.widnes.tv