Wests Tigers would like to extend their condolences to the family of Pat Devery following his recent passing.
Devery came to the Balmain club as a 21-year-old from Tweed Heads, after playing in the Brisbane competition with Fortitude valley. He played four years with the Tigers, and was an integral part of the club’s premierships in 1946-47. Devery was selected to play for City Firsts and then NSW in 1946 and ‘47 and represented Australia in 1946. He was the Balmain club’s top point-scorer in 1947 and also captained the NSW team against Queensland in that year.
Devery signed to play with the Huddersfield club in the UK at the end of the 1947 NSWRL season on a then record contract for an Australian player. He played seven years at Huddersfield and still holds the record for the most points scored in a season with the club — 332 in the 1952-53 season. During his time at Huddersfield he played in several Yorkshire Cup and League Championship finals and the 1953 Challenge Cup final (won by Huddersfield) against St Helens, with fellow Australian Lionel Cooper.
Devery returned to Sydney and coached Manly-Warringah in 1955 and 1956 before departing Australia to live in the US. He retired to Portland, Oregon where he passed away on 17 December 2017 at the age of 95. He was the last surviving member of Huddersfield's 1952–53 Challenge Cup Final winning team.
During the second World War, Devery also served in the Australian Navy.
Wests Tigers thoughts are with Pat's wife Delores and his family at this time.
