FAMILY, friends and rugby league royalty helped departing Newcastle Knights captain Danny Buderus celebrate his decorated career at a soul-stirring tribute lunch at Wests Leagues Club yesterday.
Buderus was blown away by the presence of his childhood hero, former Queensland and Australian captain "King" Wally Lewis, and dozens of current and ex-teammates including former Knights captains Andrew Johns and Paul Harragon.
Lewis was a surprise guest among the capacity crowd of more than 500, which included Buderus's wife Kris, their 22-month-old daughter Ella, his parents Chris and Gus and older brother Brock, and coaches including Brian Smith, Michael Hagan and Phil Gould.
Bound for English club Leeds at the end of this National Rugby League season, Buderus left the Knights a few weeks ahead of schedule when he ruptured the biceps tendon in his right arm in the final minutes of their 38-24 victory over North Queensland at EnergyAustralia Stadium last Saturday night.
But he said yesterday's emotional roller-coaster ride had helped lift his spirits after that disappointment, which denied him the chance to say goodbye on his terms at the team's final home game against defending premiers and title favourites Melbourne at EAS on Saturday.
"It's totally mind-blowing," Buderus said.
"I still see myself as a boy from Taree with casual parents who did a great job raising their family, and to sit here today and have blokes like Wally and Joey [Johns] and Chief [Harragon] and everyone else speaking such kind words [about] my standing in the game, it's very humbling and probably makes me feel a bit uneasy."
Lewis, Johns and Harragon presented Buderus with a pair of his boots, which had been bronzed and encased in a glass presentation box.
Buderus, who left his Taree home as a 16-year-old to chase his dreams in Newcastle, was joined on stage by a variety of influential figures in a This Is Your Life-style tribute.
His parents shed some light on his first footballing steps as a four-year-old.
Chris Buderus, reflecting on a broken leg he suffered in his first year at the Knights, even shed a few tears, saying: "It was tough. It's still emotional."
"Mum, it was 15 years ago," Buderus said.
Wearing the same grey-and-pink ensembles they wore as groomsmen at his wedding, Johns and Mark Hughes painted a different picture of the squeaky-clean Buderus with some hilarious off-colour stories.
One was about Kerry Packer, another involved John Laws and Buderus's fascination with Laws's hair, and another detailed an emergency toilet break in Johns's courtyard early one morning after a big night out.
The Knights have "retired" Buderus's No. 9 jersey for the final two games of the regular season. His replacement, Matt Hilder, will wear No. 14 against Melbourne.
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