Vince Karalius - International Career and The "Battle of Brisbane"

International Career and The "Battle of Brisbane"

At 25, Karalius was selected to make the 1958 Tour to Australia - a tour that would go down in rugby league history. It was during the Battle of Brisbane in 1958, when Alan Prescott led the Lions to victory with a broken arm that the Karalius "hardman" status was well and truly enshrined. With Prescott in agony with a broken arm, Karalius was also in trouble with an injury to his back. Tour Manager Tom Mitchell recalls in his book, The Memories and Sporting Life of Tom Mitchell:

“The team went out with Karalius at the far side of the dressing room still on the bench. "Vinty we are out. Come on" "Sorry, Thomas, can't - it's me back". I got in behind him and did enough to get him standing up. Slowly across the room to the sunlit opening leading to the pitch - then a step or two and like a boxer getting up after a knockdown, he teetered with a push onto the arena, gaining movement with every stride. Without him on the field the position was the same as the captain - certain defeat. How he stood up to the first ten minutes I will never know as my eyes steered their gaze from him to Prescott. As I write this 39 years on I permit myself a heartfelt "Phew! No Ashes! No basking in the future unending sunshine of happening to be there as Team Manager".

During this tour one Australian was moved to write:

"Long-jawed Vince Karalius, the wild bull of the Pampas, is a dedicated wrecker of Australian forwards."

Thereafter, the nickname stuck and Karalius was firmly embedded in the sporting public’s conscience as what a rugby league forward should represent.

Karalius represented his country 10 times in his time with the Saints. He also won five Lancashire caps.