The plan is to stage a special game at Brinkburn over the Easter weekend [March 25 to 28th] in 2006 together with a celebration to honour Brett's loyalty, commitment and talent to his adopted club.
Any former teammate who wants to get involved, or who can help pass on contact details of former players, can contact me at dave@sportnetwork.net.
Brett was brought to Hartlepool by Mike Brewer who famously rang Andrew Mehrtens asking if he knew of a young up an coming prop. Brett was the first name on "Myrtle's" list. Within a couple of days Brett had given up his labouring job near Auckland and arrived in Hartlepool to be told he needed to beef up and eat half a dozen chickens a day.
He's lost weight since then but continues to be one of the most admired front rows in the North. Like first team skipper Davy Tighe and the likes of Henry Tones, Allan Milne, Peter Hodgson and Tim Sawyer his loyalty to West has been unflinching, despite numerous attempts to lure him to other clubs, and despite the pains of successive relegations and recurring neck problems which would have forced lesser men to take back seat.
He is, in short, a typical New Zealand forward and someone to whom the club owes a great debt.
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