And they didn’t muck around.

Less than a week after rugby union player Dom Punch dislocated his C5 and C6 vertebrae, publican Ben Bidwell and Raworth Rabbitohs pair Luke Glendenning and Luke Gilchrist combined forces to raise some money.

They put the call out and last Friday night the Commercial Hotel was packed with weekly raffles ­collecting $2227 for the Dom Punch Appeal.

It was so successful that they have decided to dedicate Friday night ­raffle takings from the entire month of October to the cause.

“We just wanted to do something to help,” Glendenning said.

“We thought we would give the ­raffle a go and it escalated really quickly.”

Bidwell reckons the Maitland community rallies particularly well in times of need.

“People around here are very ­generous with their money and their time for this sort of thing,” he said. 

“And it hits close to home being a sporting injury to a Maitland  boy.”

An auction will close proceedings at the Morpeth venue on October 30.

This is one of many fundraising efforts happening for Punch at this time.

The Family Hotel will chip in with publican and former Balmain Tigers player Derek McVey matching the amount donated from 3pm as part of NRL grand final festivities on Sunday.  There are also Dig Deep For Dom buckets placed at participating venues in Maitland.

A sportsman’s lunch featuring f­ormer Australian cricketer Mike Hussey will take place at Marcellin Park on Sunday, October 18. 

The Dom Punch Appeal page has been established on Facebook.

Punch, 27, remains in the intensive care unit at Royal North Shore Hospital in a critical but stable condition following the incident in Newcastle on September 19.

DOM PUNCH ACCOUNT DETAILS

Name: Margaret Barbara Punch and Michael John Punch in trust for Dominic Michael Punch

BSB: 062 247

Number: 103 018 47

*Please leave your name/organisation as a reference

**If you require a receipt please email mbpunch@hotmail.com