League: Mountford left great legacy

Ces Mountford coached the Kiwis, but, remarkably, never played for them.

Rugby league legend Ces Mountford, who died in England yesterday aged 90, was rated probably the best New Zealand player to never play for the Kiwis.

Mountford made his name as a player for Wigan then as coach at Warrington in a 15-year English rugby league career, New Zealand Rugby League general manager Peter Cordtz said.

He also coached the Kiwis to some of their finest wins.

"The thing that makes him unique is that he never played for New Zealand, and could be considered one of the best never to play for the Kiwis," Cordtz told NZPA today.

Five-eighth Mountford, born in Blackball on the West Coast, made his name at Wigan, helping the club to two championship and two Challenge Cup successes after leaving New Zealand in 1946.

His man-of-the-match performance in the 1951 Challenge Cup final against Barrow saw him become the first Kiwi to win the Lance Todd Trophy.

He left Wigan later that year to begin a successful decade-long coaching career at Warrington, a period in which the club won seven major competitions, including a league and cup double in 1954.

He returned to New Zealand in 1961 and remained in the game as a coach or official for many years, having a spell in charge of the national team from 1979-82.

Cordtz said Mountford was a pioneer of the game, making a strong commitment to the English game after World War 2 when most players were looking to play in New Zealand or Australia.

"He's probably better known and more highly regarded as a player in England than here, where he's more know for his exploits as a coach.

"But Ces was a trailblazer for many more New Zealanders who travelled north, and he was a dominant figure in their game for a very long time."

Cordtz said Mountford was a "real stickler" for the basics of rugby league.

"Ces was very hot on what modern coaches refer to as micro-skills - passing, catching, kicking - he was leading the charge on those decades ago.

"He was before his time on plenty of things, but for the most part he was timeless because it was just always about the football and always very simple.

"He certainly leaves a very big hole in our game."

- NZPA