As such George Piggins had to speak in front of crowds of up to 80,000 at protest rallies. He was also much sought after by media outlets for comment.

However, Piggins admitted today that he’s not a natural public speaker. A teak-tough hooker in his playing days with the Rabbitohs, Piggins was happy to let his actions do the talking for him. He’ll be the special guest at Taree-Wingham Race Club’s Taree Cup Caluctta dinner tomorrow night at the Winning Post Function Centre, where he’ll speak, or at least be interviewed.

“Yeah, this is the first time I’ve been a guest speaker anywhere,’’ he said as the second day of the club’s cup carnival started at the Bushland Drive course.

“I’ll probably be a bit nervous before I’m called up. But it’ll be alright.’’

He has connections to the Mid North Coast Racing scene. Along with the great coach Jack Gibson he raced horses here that were trained by Earle Morcombe at Wauchope.

Piggins doesn’t go to South Sydney matches these days, falling out with the club when Russell Crowe took charge. He attended the 2014 grand final where the Rabbitohs broke a 42-year premiership drought.

“But I still want them to win,’’ he quickly added.

“And I watch all their games on TV.’’

Piggins admits he doesn’t know why the Rabbitohs have fallen from the top of the ladder so quickly after the stellar year in 2014.

“This year I think there was some trouble in-house, but otherwise I have no idea,’’ he said.

However, he believes the loss of Sam Burgess and Ben Te’o from the 2014 squad caused the wobbles last year.

“They were two top forwards and they’re hard to replace,’’ he explained.

Tough is a word usually associated with Piggins. He had the celebrated head butting battle with Manly’s English enforcer Malcolm Reilly during a match at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1972.

“Well, he started it,’’ Piggins chuckles.

“He kicked me in the mouth.’’

Piggins rates Reilly as among the hardest players in what was a hard era. But he quickly adds there were plenty others.

“Johnny Sattler, John O’Neill, Terry Randall – they were all tough men,’’ he said.

He laments the edict banning punching in the modern game, believing it frustrates players. Piggins described the decision as ‘an over reaction.’

 “A player breaks his jaw – these things happen – yet a few people go up in arms and suddenly they can’t punch anymore,’’ he said.

Piggins was also part of a South Sydney squad that won four premierships in five years (1967-68/70/71) and famously lost the 1969 grand final to Balmain. He played second fiddle to the incumbent Australian hooker Elywn Walters but took his place when Walters was injured before the 71 decider and starred in South’s 17-10  victory over St George. No club has gone back-to-back since 1992/93 when Brisbane claimed the double.

Piggins believes this has been caused by the intensity of the modern game.

“A club puts so much into winning a premiership that it’s so hard to get back up again for the following year,’’ he reasoned.

Piggins tips Melbourne to win the title this year.

“I was impressed by Canberra the other night, but I like the way Melbourne plays football,’’ he explained.