RICK THACKERY'S NAME TAG

[somber music] He was someone who I would turn up at training excited every day to play under.

You know, he just, he...

I, I talk a lot of ti- to people that don't know John back in Australia that, you know, he, he's very similar to a Wayne Bennett in his ability to motivate a group of people and get them excited about playing footy every week.

He was, you know, he was by far the best man motivator I've worked for.

And, um, you know, I'd probably push me body as far as I could just 'cause I just loved playing for him.

And I was just...

But even when, you know, I lost, I lost my job at Souths, you know, and probably the toughest point in my career, one of the first blokes on the phone, I hadn't spoken to him for must have been close to 10 years, was JK.

And that sums up the quality of the bloke he is.

You know, just a, a good human being who loved rugby league.

His legacy w- w- has touched many people.

You know, I, I wouldn't be sat where I am without my time under John Kear.

There's, there's no way I would've gone on and done what I've done in coaching without being influenced heavily by JK.

He's by far the, the man who influenced me the most and, um, I'll always treasure those, those moments.

But he, he, he- the game at the moment ne- needs people like him.

They need people that absolutely fundamentally love rugby league and want British game to be successful, and that oozed out of John, no doubt about that.