TONY Karalius – the Widnes-born hooker who was a member of the last Great Britain World Cup winning squad – has died aged 75.

Bother of former Widnes skipper and coach Vinty and also former Saints player Dennis, Karalius was a classic rugby league rake, adept at winning the ball in competitive and often messy scrums.

It was a tough world, but he also possessed the full bag of tricks for play in the loose, with that trademark Karalius strength, with hands like shovels assisting his offloading out of the tackle.

Karalius’ vision and tactical nous from dummy half was a key starting point to St Helens’ attacking game in the 1970s.

A Wembley winner in 1976 with Karalius being one of a trio of Widnesians - along with George Nicholls and Peter Glynn - who helped Saints defeat their hometown club.

That was the pinnacle, and after 355 appearances for Saints he was sold to neighbours Wigan in October 1978 – but he still had some lines to pen in his rugby career.

And he skippered new boys Fulham, packed with fellow Widnesians, to a famous win over relegated Wigan in their first ever game at Craven Cottage.

Fulham won promotion that year, but Karalius had one final job as a pro – joining fellow former Saints George Nicholls and John Mantle at Cardiff Blue Dragons in 1981.

Away from the game, Tony worked in the scrap industry for the majority of his life and opened a scrap metal firm with former Great Britain scrum half Andy Gregory in Wigan which was run by him and his son Graham.

This business lasted years before Tony eventually retired.

The scrap metal genes live on through his grandson Ben (WMR on the St Michael’s Industrial estate in Widnes), a former Saints Academy product who eventually left to play Sheffield and Whitehaven.

Tony was a strong supporter of Ben, always offering his advice.