NEXT Tuesday morning Peter Wynn will be at Australia Square in Sydney handing out State of Origin jumpers to the selected NSW Blues for the annual rugby league stoushes against Queensland.
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Yesterday, the former Werris Creek junior was in Tamworth watching his son's Mackillop basketball side win its way to a State PSSA Boys' Basketball Carnival semi-final at the Anne St Thunderdome in Tamworth.
It was a case of deja vu for the former junior Magpie who went on to become a first-grade star with Parramatta, play in the first winning State of Origin series for NSW and represent his
country.
The deja vu was related to 1975 when he was playing school football for Quirindi High and under 18s for the Werris Creek Magpies in Group 4.
"I played for Quirindi High on the Saturday, Werris Creek juniors on the Sunday but got hurt and couldn't play in the State CHS side on the Tuesday," he said.
"It's similar to Michael (his son). He's been here this week playing for Mackillop but broke his hand yesterday afternoon and couldn't play today."
Michael, 11, attends St Madeline's at Kenthurst in Sydney.
He plays basketball and rugby league but has a slight preference for basketball.
Yesterday his team mates lost their semi-final to Sydney East.
For Peter Wynn the chance to return to Tamworth rekindles some great memories of his junior days, when he and twin brother Graeme both starred in representative sides.
Peter finished high school at Quirindi and moved to teacher's college in Wollongong where he played football for Thirroul. Parramatta then picked him up and he served 12 seasons and played 151 first grade games from 1979 to 1990, winning three premierships with the Eels in 1982, '83 and ‘86.
He also played for NSW in 1979 and then in the 1984-85 State of Origin series. He played for City and Country and represented Australia.
These days he runs a thriving sports store business, Peter Wynn's Score, in Church St, Parramatta, and is a Parramatta sponsor.
"Handing out the State of Origin jumpers is a great honour," he said
yesterday.
He will present jumpers along with former greats like Peter Sterling, Ricky Stuart, Bradley Clyde and Eric Grothe.