I recently attended the funeral of a great man, Brother Richard Doheny FSP, who passed away on 13 May 2009 at the age of 74. Brother Richard was a man of devotion and commitment. He was devoted to his God and committed to his sport and to shaping the minds of the young men he taught, coached and mentored. He taught at both primary and secondary schools, but for the largest part of his vocation was a revered and integral part of the Patrician Brothers’ College community at Fairfield, where he was my rugby league and cricket coach.

Brother Richard, who emigrated from Ireland in 1956 and was a member of the Patrician congregation for 56 years, will be remembered as an icon of the college and will always be held in the highest esteem by those who knew him and served with him. At a time when rugby league has received much bad publicity, the code would do well to highlight the great contribution of men like Brother Richard to the sport and to the development of character and respect amongst generations of young men. Among the many insights that he has left behind for us is the invocation, heralded at the beginning of many a sporting season: ‘Lads, you can’t fatten the pig on the day of the market.’