Manly, Roosters legend Johnny Mayes dead after battle with brain cancer
Mayes, 78, died on Wednesday after a battle with brain cancer.
He won the 1973 grand final at Manly before capturing a further premierships with Jack Gibson's Eastern Suburbs in 1974 and '75.
Johnny Mayes (ball) during Easts v Wests first at the SCG. Picture: Phil Marchant
That achievement was later matched by Glenn Lazarus (Canberra and Brisbane) and Cooper Cronk (Melbourne and Sydney Roosters).
Mayes scored a try in Roosters' famous 38-0 win in the '75 decider at the SCG.
A 45-year resident of Evans Heads on the NSW north coast, Mayes played 110 games for Easts and 24 in his only season at the Sea Eagles.
He scored 71 tries over 134 first grade matches and represented Australia in three Tests at the 1975 World Cup.
Mitchell Peirce and John Mayes.
Mayes, Roosters' number 586, also represented City Seconds in 1973 and 1975.
The Roosters paid tribute to Mayes on the club's social media platforms.
'A true legend of the game,' the post read.
'Three-time premiership winner and a key piece in our back-to-back '74 ∧'75 premierships. Rest in peace, Johnny, Forever in our hearts.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
a few seconds ago
- News.com.au
South Korean attacker Ji Dong-won to play in the A-League for Macarthur FC
Macarthur FC has snared the services of former Premier League and Bundesliga marksman Ji Dong-won. The 34-year-old former South Korean international joins the Bulls from Suwon, and brings a wealth of experience to the A-League, with his previous clubs including Sunderland, Mainz and Borussia Dortmund. Ji also won a bronze medal with South Korea at the 2012 London Olympic Games. 'I want to thank the club for giving me the opportunity to play here,' Ji said. 'I'm excited to play with the team. I love Australia. It has a good lifestyle and good football with strong young players. 'This is a good last challenge for my career. I have played in Europe, so I will bring my experience to help the young players in this team.' South Korea â†' Australia 🖤ðŸ¤� The Bulls are delighted to announce the signature of Ji Dong-won âœ�ï¸� 🇰🇷 The South Korean International forward will join the club for the upcoming season. #WeAreTheBulls — Macarthur FC (@mfcbulls) August 5, 2025 Ji's experience will be of great value to a Bulls squad that will this season play in both the A-League and the AFC Champions League Two competitions. Macarthur's Australia Cup campaign also remains on track, with the Bulls taking on NPL South Australia club Metro Stars in Adelaide in a round-of-16 clash on Monday night. Meanwhile, Sydney FC skipper Rhyan Grant has signed a one-year contract extension that will keep the veteran defender with the Sky Blues until the end of the 2026-27 season. 'I love Sydney FC,' Grant said. 'This club means everything to me, and it is all I have ever known. Sydney is my life and it is where my family is, and there's nowhere else I would rather play another season of A-League football, with some great mates alongside.'
The Australian
14 minutes ago
- The Australian
AFL 2025; Lachie Neale sidelined until finals
Brisbane Lions superstar Lachie Neale won't play the remainder of the home and away season after suffering a quad injury. The dual Brownlow Medallist underwent scans after pulling up sore from the Lions' triumphant win over Collingwood at the MCG last Saturday. They revealed a minor concern which will sideline Neale for three weeks. The pre-finals bye means Neale should be able to return for Brisbane's premiership defence. Reliable defender Ryan Lester has entered mandatory concussion protocols after his head clash against the Magpies. The Lions are third with games against Sydney, Fremantle and Hawthorn to come on the run home. NORTH Melbourne forward Nick Larkey's availability for Round 22 is in doubt after he re-aggravated his knee injury in Sunday's loss to St Kilda. A heavy landing after an aerial contest exacerbated the PCL injury to his right knee. 'He was moving well post-game but will be braced conservatively in the early part of this week while his availability and planning is confirmed later in the week after medical consultation,' North Melbourne head of performance Kevin White said. Kangaroos Captain Jy Simpkin also faces a fitness test later in the week after experiencing inflammation of the tendon behind his knee. GWS have lost emerging midfielder Toby McMullin for the rest of the season after scans confirmed a syndesmosis injury for the youngster. The 20-year-old underwent surgery on Monday to repair the damage. St Kilda, meanwhile, has suffered a late-season blow with young forward Mitch Owens ruled out for the year. Owens sustained a hamstring injury during the Saints' win over North Melbourne and will not feature again until 2026. 'You never want to see any of your players on the sidelines, however at this time of year it would be unnecessary to take any undue risks,' St Kilda general manager David Misson said. 'Mitch will meet with further specialists in the coming days to assess whether or not surgery will be required. 'He's a great young guy who we know will take all the necessary steps to get him back on the park as soon as possible.' NewsWire There has been a leadership shake-up at Adelaide United, with the club's captain of the past two years the major casualty. NewsWire A Tasmanian couple who were last seen departing George Town airport in a light plane on Saturday have been identified.
The Australian
15 minutes ago
- The Australian
A-League: Craig Goodwin to replace Ryan Kitto as Adelaide captain
Freshly appointed Adelaide United skipper Craig Goodwin is adamant Ryan Kitto's leadership will remain 'really important' at the Reds despite him being axed as club captain. Kitto will not only be without the captain's armband in Adelaide's 2025-26 A-League campaign, he also hasn't been included in the club's leadership group, which consists of Goodwin, veteran Dutchman Bart Vriends, and youngsters Panagiotis Kikianis and Ethan Alagich. The experienced left back took over the Reds captaincy from Goodwin when the Socceroos winger left the Reds in September 2023 to join Saudi Pro League club Al-Wehda. However, with Goodwin having rejoined Adelaide ahead of the new season, he will again captain the club, with Kitto no longer having any type of leadership role in a team that also has a new head coach, Airton Andrioli. 'It's a great honour and I'm really excited to wear the armband,' Goodwin said. 'It's been asked of me … and I'm very proud to lead this team.' Goodwin seemed confident that Kitto, who turns 31 on Saturday, would not be affected by being stripped of any official leadership position. 'He's a no-nonsense type of person. He's a bit old school in the way he carries himself,' the 33-year-old left winger said. 'He's someone the group looks up to. He's someone that's very level-headed, and he wants the best for this team. 'Kitto is someone that I've got along with extremely well, and perhaps we've played individually our best football when we've been together and playing in the same team and on the same side. 'I look forward to rekindling that partnership on the field and off the field. His leadership is going to be really important going forward.' In Adelaide's statement about the Reds' new leaders, the club said Kitto's 'influence remains ever-present'. Vriends' inclusion in the leadership group came as somewhat of a surprise following rumours that the Reds were happy to listen to offers for the 34-year-old centre-back. Stefan Mauk was also going to be among Adelaide's official leaders before leaving the club last week to join Vietnamese outfit Cong An Hanoi on loan in a deal that could become a permanent move. Mauk's departure came hot on the heels of the exits of fellow midfielder Zach Clough (Selangor, Malaysia) and goalkeeper James Delianov (Newcastle Jets), while star striker Archie Goodwin and wing-back Dylan Pierias have also been linked with moves away from Adelaide. Craig Goodwin said there was 'definitely a need' for the Reds to recruit players. 'I'm sure the club is going to be active in the transfer window,' he said. 'We need a little bit of strengthening having lost Stef and Zach, but I believe we have the quality within the team to be able to challenge and to be able to win things, but it's about finding that consistency and finding that quality on a daily basis.' Read related topics: Adelaide Marco Monteverde Sports reporter Marco Monteverde is a Brisbane-based sports reporter for NCA Newswire. He worked in a similar role for The Courier-Mail from 2007 to 2020. During a journalism career of more than 25 years, he has also worked for The Queensland Times, The Sunshine Coast Daily, The Fraser Coast Chronicle and The North West Star. He has covered three FIFA World Cups and the 2000 Sydney Olympics, as well as a host of other major sporting events in Australia and around the world. NewsWire A Tasmanian couple who were last seen departing George Town airport in a light plane on Saturday have been identified. NewsWire Melbourne City has added AFC Champions League-winning experience to its squad for the club's 2025-26 campaign and beyond.
