Discover the larrikin moments that made Terry Hill a true cult football hero before his shock death aged just 52.

Footy great Terry Hill won a grand final and played for the NSW Blues and Australia before his shock death aged 52. So it’s telling that he is remembered as much for what he did off the field as what he did on it.

The Manly legend recently died of a heart attack in the Philippines, leaving the rugby league world reeling from the loss of one of the game’s most colorful characters.

Hill played 246 matches during a club career which saw him turn out for Souths, Easts, Wests, Manly and the Wests Tigers, as well as 14 matches for NSW and a further nine for his country.

He played an important role in leading the Sea Eagles to the premiership in 1996 and was known for his flawless style of play in both State of Origin and international football, but is also loved by fans for his larrikin ways.

His live crosses from Dapto greyhound racing on The Footy Show – including a classic interview with a near-toothless punter (pictured) – have earned him a cult following.

Hill’s talent for comedy and love of entertainment were showcased during his regular appearances on The Footy Show, at the height of the programme’s fame.

A noted greyhound racing fan and dog owner, he was best known for organizing live crossbreeds with Dishlicker races, particularly at Dapto on the New South Wales south coast.

During a particularly memorable cross that is still making the rounds on social media, he made the studio panel burst into laughter by interviewing a nearly toothless greyhound fan named George Baggana.

Dressed in a sparkling gold jacket and bow tie combination that was totally out of place in Dapto’s very casual setting, he asked Baggana to “give the crowd a big smile” – which prompted him to respond: “I have nothing to do. smile with it!’

Hill played a big role in the series by owning his own greyhound named “Nads” – so anyone supporting him in a race would shout “Come on Nads!” – and the dog became so famous in its own right that the football star even took him to movie premieres to interview famous actors.

Hill’s lisp became one of his trademarks and he used it for laughs on the program – while also making fans hysterical with his often creative approach to the English language.

Hill was also well known for his lisp – but instead of shying away from it, he loved to play it up and have the Mickey taken out of him.

In another live Dapto crossover, Hill pretended to be stunned and insulted when he read the odds for a race – only to discover they had all been changed to “66 to one” to make him show his speech impediment.

His errors in reading the Footy Show scripts became a trademark and demonstrated that he enjoyed making fun of himself by describing Dapto’s atmosphere as “electronic” instead of “electric”, and pronouncing “anticipation” “am-patip-patipitation”.

“Tezza” also made Hollywood superstar Keanu Reeves laugh during a one-on-one interview on the show by ambushing him with a hilarious question about one of his biggest films.

“Rugby league has had a lot of drug problems lately, you know, with drugs in the sport,” he began.

“But obviously not for you. You made a lot of money from speed a few years ago.

Reeves laughed, covering his eyes with his hand before responding: “Speed, yes, speed is good!”

Keanu Reeves was left in a fit of laughter when Hill hit him with a very cheeky question about drugs in sport during a memorable Footy Show segment.

It’s no wonder that former Footy Show boss Glenn Pallister described him as “the first player to really show a personality and we said: wow!” This guy is a talent! »

Pallister recalled that Hill – who was widely regarded as one of the best lugers in the sport – clashed with an Origin Queenslander who was also a regular on the program and knocked him out of the game, shouting: “Dude, your segment on The Footy Show. **House !’

The Newtown-born entertainer was also hilarious away from the TV cameras.

Wests Tigers teammate Joel Caine said the club asked players to buy new bikes for training purposes during Hill’s time with the team.

“He refused to buy the bike – and he was probably the highest paid player at the club,” Caine recalls.

“He comes in with the oldest bike he could find, one with a basket and pom-poms, no gears or anything like that, and so (coach) Tony Green is into him… and Terry said: “When was the last time you saw someone riding a bike to score a try?

“Tezza” didn’t reserve all his larrikin humor for the TV studio – as he proved when he pulled off one of the most hammy games you’ve ever seen when he pretended to be knocked unconscious during a Wests Tigers match against Parramatta (pictured). )

Former Footy Show boss Glenn Pallister said Hill (pictured in a more recent appearance on the show) was the first player with the personality to become a real TV star.

Hill also had all the fans at Leichhardt Oval laughing with a superb play during a match against Parramatta.

With the Tigers leading 12-0 and defending their try line, he attempted to tackle Nathan Hindmarsh but was sent off and put face first back onto the turf.

Hill got up straight, walked towards the marker, pointed at Hindmarsh as if to tell the referee he deserved to be penalized… then crashed to the ground as if he had been hit by a tranquilizer dart.

Looking at everyone as if he were fast asleep, Hill stood still with his eyes closed as trainers rushed to tend to him.

Suddenly, Hill opened his eyes, shook his head from side to side as if he had been awakened from a deep sleep by a bucket of cold water thrown on him, and made a complete recovery.

It was the kind of hammy acting you’d expect from a sketch on The Footy Show – and just the kind of hysterical display that has earned Hill as much fame and adoration as any tries he scored.