Joe "Chimpy" Busch

Joe ''Chimpy'' Busch is one of the most famous names in league history. Tall for a halfback, Busch was a lightning fast exponent of scrum-base play who could throw a bullet-like pass to his five-eighth and was a star in both hemispheres in the late 1920s and 1930s.

Busch gained his celebrity from an incident in the third Test of the 1929–30 Ashes series at Swinton. In the final minutes of a tense affair in which neither side had scored, Busch dashed 30 metres down the sideline after a scrum win and crashed over in the corner, with English lock Frank Butters making a desperate attempt to stop him.

Referee Robinson was about to award the try when a touch judge ran onto the field claiming Busch had touched the corner post while diving over. Robinson reportedly told the Australians, ''Fair try, Australia, but I am over-ruled.''

Busch's career had begun on the NSW Far North Coast in the 1920s. Invited to trial with Eastern Suburbs in 1928, he made an instantaneous impact.

After just a few games as first-gradehalfback he represented NSW and was then chosen for Australia for the final two Ashes Tests.

Though he played only three years with Easts, long-time supporters compared him favourably with Pony Halloway, the club's first great halfback.

Busch played six Tests for Australia, before signing with top British club Leeds. He stayed five seasons in England, and then returned to Australia to play out his career with Balmain.