Mark Geyer has come clean 25 years after his absence from the last major rugby league game at Anfield, admitting he conveniently "misplaced" his passport because he didn't want to play.
It's perhaps typical of rugby league and its reluctance to celebrate its history that in the five weeks since the launch of the Four Nations tournament at the football citadel, few have mentioned the last match between international opposition played there ahead of Sunday's Australia-New Zealand final.
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History means nothing for Australia
Greg Inglis knows that the past will count for nothing in finals and Australia must be well prepared in order to bring the four nations trophy back home.
Neither Masco.... was the last thing I wanted to after winning the comp. So let's say it was 'Mis-placed' 😎 https://t.co/UCIgCXxb7m
— Mark Geyer (@markMGgeyer) November 19, 2016
The most recent league event was a 1997 regular season game between St Helens and Castleford but for a title match you have to go to six years previously. Fresh from their 19-12 grand final success over Canberra and perhaps still celebrating, the Penrith Panthers set off for Liverpool to take on a star-studded Wigan just two weeks later.
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But big MG was first reported to have a "passport problem", then an ankle injury, when the Australian tour of Papua New Guinea rolled around. At the end of a season that featured his famous Origin clash with Wally Lewis, he missed both.
Tweeting on Saturday after being quizzed by Fairfax about rhe circumstances of his withdrawal, the Sydney radio host said: "It was the last thing I wanted after winning the comp. Let's say it was "mis-placed"."
Asked if he had any regrets about missing playing at a venue that Australian teams did not go back to for a generation, he said: "None what so ever. Had 10 days on the gold coast instead."
None what so ever. Had 10 days on the Gold Coast instead 🏄🏊🏻 https://t.co/fEL5C6RXpW
— Mark Geyer (@markMGgeyer) November 19, 2016
In any case, a Wigan side featuring Joe Lydon, Andy Gregory, Andy Platt, Shaun Edwards and Denis Betts was too good in front of 20,152, beating the hungover Panthers 21-4.
Despite there being no home involvement, the crowd is expected to be as much as twice that on Sunday.
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