The BIG Interview: John Devereux

Hello and welcome back to The BIG League, your regular look back at Rugby League during the 1990s.

John Devereux joined Widnes in 1989 during the exodus of Welsh Rugby Union players 'moving north' as the professional 13-man code provided better financial opportunities for players as opposed to it's amateur counterpart. During his time at Naughton Park, the winger helped his side win the Lancashire Cup in 1990 and the Regal Trophy in 1992 as well as being selected for the Great Britain squad that toured the Southern Hemisphere in 1992 and the GB team that came so close to winning the World Cup in the same year. In 1993, Devereux also made the trip down under for a short stint with Manly Sea Eagles in the NSWRL competition.

After the resurrection of the Welsh national RL team in 1991, Devereux went on to become a pivotal part of the team that won the European Championship in 1995 as well as reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup, losing to England at Old Trafford. In the year 2000, whilst still contracted to Bridgend Rugby Union club, Devereux made a short term return to the 13-a-side game as part of the Wales team that came incredibly close to pulling off a shock win over Australia in the 2000 World Cup semi-final at Huddersfield.

Recently, The BIG League was lucky enough to speak to John and discuss his Rugby League career.

TBL: How did the move from Rugby Union to Rugby League come about? 

JD: 'I had just come from the British Lions tour of Australia in 1989 and I had a phone call from Jiffy (Jonathan Davies) and Paul Moriarty who were pre-season training with Widnes in North Wales. Doug Laughton had been talking about strengthening the squad and my name came up in conversation after Moz and Jiff had mentioned me. I took a call from the duo who told me that Widnes were coming in for me although I did say I wasn't interested as I believed I still had unfinished business in Rugby Union.'

John Devereux in action for Wales during the early part of his Rugby Union career.

'Bradford chairman Chris Caisley had chased me all over Australia during the Lions tour and I had told him I wasn't interested. I agreed to listen to Dougie Laughton out of courtesy, this developed into a meeting with Dougie and my dad at a Bridgend hotel. Dougie could charm the birds from the trees and I ended up agreeing terms. He sold the complete Widnes package to me and told me I could be a legend in the game. A week later he came to my home and I signed a five-year deal with Widnes.' 

Devereux played for Widnes between 1989 and 1997, scoring 104 tries during his time at Naughton Park

TBL: What would you say was the highlight of your Rugby League career? 

JD: 'Playing Rugby League for Wales for the first time as well as playing three times at Wembley for Great Britain and my time at Manly in 1993.' 

TBL: How did the spell at Manly come about? 

JD: 'I was invited to take up a contract with Manly through a link between Eddie MacDonald at Widnes and Graham Lowe who was Manly's coach at the time. I left for Australia the day after the 1993 Challenge Cup final and played 16 times for Manly before losing to Brisbane Broncos in the Premiership play-offs. I left at the end of the Australian season and started again for Widnes upon my return home. When I got to Australia, Graham Lowe had been taken ill so I had to win Bobby Fulton over who was the Australia team coach but had taken over from Graham.' 

John Devereux (right) played 16 times for Manly during the 1993 NSWRL season.

TBL: Who was the toughest player you came up against during your RL career? 

JD: 'Gary Connolly and Paul Newlove in the UK and then Laurie Daley and Steve Renouf in Australia.' 

TBL: How did it feel to play for Wales in prestigious tournaments including running England close in the World Cup semi-final in 1995? 

JD: 'For us Welshmen going into Rugby League from Union it was fabulous when the side re-emerged in 1991 by beating Papua New Guinea 68-0. There were then plenty of highlights including beating England in Cardiff, winning the European Championship against France in 1995 and then the World Cup with the famous win over Samoa in Swansea and then playing England four days later and only losing to two dodgy tries from Martin Offiah.' 

The Wales Rugby League team, captained by fellow dual-code international Jonathan Davies, won the 1995 European Championship and ran England close in the semi-final of the World Cup in the same year. 

'Finally after myself and Paul Moriarty had gone back home to Wales to play Union again, Clive Griffiths asked us to join the Wales squad at the 2000 World Cup due to injuries. We were famously beating the Aussies in Huddersfield after 58 minutes with Lee Briers putting in a man of the match performance although we ended up losing in the end. It was always a great time for the Welsh boys whenever we experienced playing for our country.' 

TBL: You mentioned earlier that you had 'unfinished business' in Rugby Union, was this a major factor in your decision to rejoin the 15-man game? 

JD: 'No, not really at the time I had some ambitions left which I wanted to fulfil in Union such as winning the league and playing in a Welsh Cup final as well as gain more Lions and Wales caps but when I signed for Widnes that was the end of that. I did feel that I could still do some damage in Union when I signed for Sale Sharks in 1997 but I broke my ankle which put me out of Wales and Lions contention for over a year. 

'After that, things didn't go too well at Sale and I had an option to go back to Wales and where it all started for me at my old club Bridgend. They were rebuilding and it was great to go back otherwise I would still be living in Widnes.' 

TBL: Finally, of all the matches you played in during your Rugby League career, do any stand out as a particular favourite? 

JD: 'There were many great games for Widnes, Great Britain and Wales as well  as some sad ones like the 1992 World Cup final and Challenge Cup final at Wembley in 1993. The Regal Trophy win in 1991 and the semi-final win over Leeds in 1993 were special as were the games I played for Wales. 

'I feel the 1993 series between Great Britain and New Zealand defined me and I felt like I had finally arrived on the international stage in Rugby League, especially after going on two tours with Great Britain and not making a single test match appearance. Sometimes things don't always work out well and you must take the highs with the lows. Even though I liked Malcolm Reilly and Phil Larder as coaches, I didn't like all of their methods and I felt too much pressure, especially during the 1992 tour.' 

Devereux scored a try for Great Britain at Wembley in the first test against New Zealand in 1993 before following the feat with a brace of tries in the second test at Wigan's Central Park. 

'Phil then came to Widnes in 1993 and helped us get to Wembley but a lot of that was down to the players pulling together and fighting for our futures as Widnes were in administration during '93 and we all had mortgages to pay. All our contracts had been frozen so we were playing for win pay only.' 

That brings our chat with John to a close, I must once again thank him for taking the time to speak to us here at BIG League HQ, hopefully we'll have a few more interviews coming up in the near future.

I hope you have enjoyed the interview, for more from The BIG League then why not follow our editor Dan on Twitter, he can be found @BarkerGray2.

We'll be back in midweek paying tribute to some of the homes of Rugby League that closed their doors for the final time during the 1990s.

Until then, take care.