An almost unheard of sliding doors moment these days which shaped a decorated dual sporting career from a bygone era.

One that featured a dropped catch from then NSW captain Richie Benaud in Sheffield Shield, afternoon tea at the South Australian home of Sir Donald Bradman, a 10-wicket haul bowling leg-spin for Waratah-Mayfield, a controversial “one flag up, one flag down” call in a one-point footy grand final loss and representative league matches against touring sides like Great Britain, New Zealand and France.

But undoubtedly the most poignant point for Marjoribanks came during the mid 1950s when a couple of well known identities travelled to the Hunter from the big smoke and met with the budding star’s family.          

“Dad had plenty of offers to go to Sydney, for football and cricket” Marjoribanks’ son Paul explained.

“The biggest one was for both. Ken Arthurson and Rex Mossop came up and met with dad and Hugh senior. 

“The story I’m told – it was pretty much over the line. He was going to Sydney to play cricket and league with Manly. And at that stage he was either in or on the fringes of the shield side and a local rep player. 

“Back in the day there was reasonable money involved, but in the end he knocked it back. It was mainly to stay in Newcastle and really just for quality of living.”

Marjoribanks died recently at age 83.

It’s believed he is the only person to have played for both NSW cricket and Newcastle rugby league teams.

And while a state capital venture didn’t quite come to fruition the Mackay-born and Hamilton-raised sportsman continued to kick goals at home on both fields.

He collected a handful of Newcastle district cricket premierships, four with the dominant Hamilton side of that era, and notched up more than 200 first grade rugby league games in Newcastle split between Central and the now defunct Waratah.

Many of those footy matches were alongside or against Kangaroo cousins Bobby and Gary Banks, with their surnames apparently shortened for the ease of commentators. 

But the most legendary winter tale occurred in a decider at No.1 Sportsground and during his eulogy in May, half a century later, it lived on.  

“Dad won cricket finals like they were going out of fashion, but he never won a rugby league grand final,” Paul said.

“His best chance was 1961 in a very famous match where they [Waratah] lost by a point to Wests. Dad had a kick at goal towards the end. One flag went up and one flag stayed down. The referee said no goal. 

“A lot of Waratah people of that era swear it went over and when I told the story during the funeral service someone in the audience yelled out ‘we were robbed’.”

There was no mistaking his summer masterstroke, the Saturday afternoon during the 1958-59 season that he dismissed every Wickham batsman at Waratah Oval. The final victim of the second innings captured by a wrong-un clipping the bails.

A gentlemanly maiden over delivered outside off stump at the other end apparently gave Marjoribanks the chance to achieve the rare feat, which has only happened three times in the 120-plus year history of Newcastle top grade competitions. 

“Marjoribanks has never bowled with such guile and his grand effort was secured in 12.2 overs,” the Newcastle Herald reported.

That same season, at the peak of his powers, Marjoribanks was plucked from the country and without ever playing in Sydney represented NSW under Benaud.

He was picked ahead of fellow leg-spinner Peter Philpott and lined up alongside Test greats such as Neil Harvey and Norm O’Neill. His four fixtures under the baggy Blue cap yielded eight wickets, including best figures of 3-34 subject to a spilled chance at gully from the skipper.

During a rest day of that same encounter in Adelaide he met Sir Don. A signed letter from cricket’s greatest remains hanging on the wall of his Waratah home.

Nearby is a framed English jersey swapped with opposite No.6 Alex Murphy. And of course there’s the unopened cutlery set that came with the Bert Agland Trophy for league’s player of the year prize in 1960.

Marjoribanks suffered from Alzheimer's disease and esophagus cancer in later years.

He is survived by wife Gwen, children Paul and Kerrie and his four grandchildren.