To offset the disappointment with my previous Mailday (crap packaging and damaged cards) receiving this card helped ease the pain.
Bio for John Wittenberg
Prop forward.
Qld rep (1962-63 & 1966).
NSW rep (1968-70).
Aust rep (1966 & 1968-70). 6 Tests.
Originally from Wide Bay, Wittenberg played for Toowoomba before shifting to Theodore, Queensland.
Wittenberg linked up with St George in 1968 but not before the QRL blocked his attempt to move to Sydney, thus forcing him to sit out the 1967 season and missing out on that year's Kangaroo tour.
Former Australian and Dragons captain-coach Graeme Langlands remembers John Wittenberg as one of the toughest forwards of his era.
"He was very, very tough," said Langlands. "He lost half a hand in an accident with farming equipment before he came to Sydney but it didn't worry him. He told me that when he resumed playing after the accident the tops of the finger stumps would bleed during matches. He didn't let it worry him."
John Wittenberg made 53 appearances for Saints, scoring four tries, and played six Tests for Australia.
One of the toughest rugby league forwards of the modern era, John Wittenberg died in November 2005, aged 67, after a suffering a heart attack while working on his Wauchope property.
Sweet card, got his auto when I was younger, his nickname was "Fingers". His son Jeff also played for the Dragons and then went onto Sth Qld Crushers I think.