Bryan Milthorpe is one of the great names in Dragon's history. He was already big news when he arrived in Moss Vale in 1981.
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He had a storied career in league down the coast playing with Dapto and Corrimal and representing Illawarra in the Country Championship and the Amco Cup.
This gave him the chance to play alongside such great names as Brian Johnson, Steve Morris, Peter Wynn, Rod Henniker and against many stars including the "King" Wally Lewis and Henry Tatana.
On his journey, he learned from a couple of great coaches in Tommy Bishop, Allan Fitzgibbon and Arthur Beetson. Lessons he brought with him to Moss Vale included the entire Dragon's defensive line shouting "NOW" the moment the play the ball occurred and rushing up, frustrating the opposition attack and driving them nuts at the same time with the constant noise.
He brought a level of professionalism to Group 6 that was unheard of at that time and made the Dragons the most feared team in the group, leading Moss Vale to two Premierships in 1982 and 1984.
North Sydney Bears Captain-Coach in 1972, Merv Hicks, tried to bring the young Milthorpe to the club as a future replacement for their all-international prop stocks in Hicks, "Big Jim" Mills and Australian representative, John Payne, but he chose to stay in the country for a while where, as a youngster from Griffith, he survived dating Robert Trimbole's daughter and damaging her brand new Mini on Formal night.
Every member of his Dragons' teams of that period will tell you the same thing; that he always led from the front, he treated every player of every grade with respect and he brought on great depth in the Moss Vale playing squad.
The spark for the Dragons' great run came in 1981 against reigning Premiers Campbelltown City at Community Oval. City had scored a try and Joe's former Illawarra team-mate, Kim Patrick, celebrated by shouting "get that up 'ya" at JB (stupid at the best of times).
Big Joe wouldn't let it lie, and walked over to his good mate Patrick, and flattened him, breaking his nose in the process. Just like Big Artie in the first State of Origin, Milthorpe had set a standard for his young team to follow. Now that's a leader!
After the Dragons, Milthorpe went to Cronulla as assistant to Alan Fitzgibbon for 4 seasons, followed by a season as Sharks reserves coach under Arthur Beetson.
A mark of the respect he was held in came when Cronulla legend Gavin Miller was offered the chance to play his last game in Sharks colours in first grade, but he refused and said he wanted to play for his mate, Bryan Milthorpe, in reserve grade.
Moss Vale players of that era still remember "Joe" as a great leader and a great mate.
