Future Immortal, Arthur Beetson (Redcliffe) and diminutive halfback, Ross Threlfo (Valleys) tied for first place in the Courier-Mail Best and Fairest competition for the Brisbane Rugby League.

Beetson, had moved to Brisbane from Roma the previous year as a 19-year-old centre, but Redcliffe coach, Henry Hollaway, a former Test forward, groomed the aboriginal star for a career in the pack.

Threlfo had moved to Brisbane from Newcastle club, Waratah-Mayfield the previous year, and was rated a shock omission from the Brisbane representative side in 1965, when Test halfback, Barry Muir was ruled out through injury.

Beetson signed with Balmain in Sydney in 1966, and that season made his debut for Australia. Threlfo remained in Brisbane where he became a stalwart of the Valleys club, playing over 200 games.

Each player received 25 pounds from The Courier-Mail for sharing first prize. Third on the points count was Norths utility, Elwyn Walters, who had joined the Brisbane club from Tweed Heads in 1964.

Walters joined South Sydney in 1966.

Before the start of the 1965 season, Queensland had lost a host of players to Sydney clubs, among them Mick Veivers, Ken Day (both Manly); Arch Brown (Parramatta) and Ivan Jones (Souths).

Many Sydney scribes rated Jones and his Souths’ teammate, NSW Country import, Jim Morgan, the buys of the season.

Ross Threlfo tackles Souths’ Fijian import, Isola Volavola in a Brisbane club match at Lang Park.