The six million dollar Cronullan

This blog was saddened to hear that 1970s Rugby League star, Steve 'Sludge' Rogers, was found dead at his South Cronulla apartment yesterday.

The President of the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, and father of current Wallaby fly-half Mat Rogers, had apparently died alone of a heart attack. He was 51.

Still outwardly fit, but secretly suffering depression, Sludge was the Sutherland Shire's favourite son. He was the embodiment of times not so long ago when you didn't have to pack mace for a Sharks v Canterbury game.

He had a deft kicking and punishing defensive game, and used to glide toward the tryline like a bipedal hovercraft.

Sludge never seemed to get cranky with referees, and never came across as arrogant. When I was a kid, I thought of him as a mix between Steve McQueen and Steve Austin.