Cronulla Sharks are mourning the death of former five-eighth and Sutherland junior, Chris Wellman.
Wellman, 64, died of a suspected heart attack while sleeping at his home at Cabarita near Tweed Heads on Sunday, May 3.
Tough, skilful and uncompromising, Wellman was highly rated as a player during what was perhaps the most physical era that rugby league has ever known.
A member of the formidable 1973 Sharks grand final team, he was the perfect sidekick at five eighth for captain-coach and British international halfback Tommy Bishop.
Manly defeated the Sharks 10-7 in the Sydney Cricket Ground grand final.
Wellman was graded by the Sharks from the Sutherland club in 1969 and went on to play 132 games for Cronulla over five seasons; 81 were in first grade.
He had played for Western Suburbs in 1975.
In emphasising his abilities, Wellman was named by the club in 2006 as the five-eighth in the Sharks ‘‘Dream Team’’ — a squad selected by a panel of former and current officials as being the best players to pull on the blue, black and white jersey for the Sharks.
Bishop praised Wellman in Colour Me Blue Black and White by Gary Lester.
“And when you looked at the backs, Eric Archer and Steve Rogers in the centres, and Chris Wellman, a brilliant player, he should have gone on the tour (1973 Kangaroos), he could score a try from nothing too,’’ Bishop said.
Wellman’s funeral is scheduled at 11.30am on Tuesday, May 12, at South Tweed Crematorium; a wake is yet to be determined.
