AUGUST 1982
A record Neumann Oval crowd hailed the Ross Strudwick coached Valleys outfit, after their 29-20 win over Redcliffe, a result which cemented the Diehards’ position at the top of the Brisbane Rugby League table.
Strudwick had boasted his side would win with an 85 percent effort, meaning they would keep something up their sleeves for the finals series. He also had raised the ire of Redcliffe coach, Arthur Beetson by claiming Beetson had used his influence, as Queensland State of Origin coach, to promote Dolphins’ players for representative selection.
In the lead-up to the match, Strudwick had sacked centres, Mick Neil and Ziggy Strasser, replacing them with bigger men, Peter Fisher and Darryl Duncan. He also moved Wally Lewis from lock to his Test five eighth position, with Rob Moore the new lock.
“The new centre combination played a strong part in the win,” wrote The Courier-Mail’s Lawrie Kavanagh. “But not as much as did Lewis, with more room to show his individual brilliance and use his seemingly unlimited skills at five eighth.”
Valleys’ hooker, Terry Koorockin was outstanding, with Strudwick fearful he would be lost to a Sydney club in 1983. Another fine contributor in the forwards was prop, Bob Arnold, while for Redcliffe, Wally Fullerton Smith was a tower of strength in the rucks.
Beetson described his side’s defence as ‘soft’ at crucial stages of the match. In the previous six matches Redcliffe had conceded an average of only eight points. Redcliffe winger, Steve Bax scored two tries and kicked four goals against Valleys.
The Neumann Oval match coincided with the turning of the first sod of Valleys’ proposed $600,000 clubhouse. It was an amazing turnaround by Valleys, given they had been found to be $170,000 in debt in 1975, with the club in danger of folding.
But club president, Dr Tom Dooley and a strong band of supporters were able to turn the club’s fortunes around.
Makeshift Wynnum-Manly lock, Brian Walsh scored three tries in the Seagulls’ 20-12 win over Easts at Kougari Oval, two of the tries coming from sensational backing up. Normally a five eighth, Walsh showed the skills of a number 6 when he used a dummy and a neat side-step to score the other try.
Walsh, a product of Murwillumbah Brothers, was pushed for man of the match honours by five eighth, Brad Samuelson. Easts’ best was second rower, Zac Sarra who is now a magistrate.
Norths’ winger, Gary Warnock became the competition’s leading points scorer when he crossed for a try, and kicked six goals in the Devils’ 25-12 win over Wests at Bishop Park. Warnock’s haul took his tally to 99 points, three more than Valleys’ Mick Neil, who had been dropped to reserve grade.
Norths led 25-4 at one stage, but Wests came back into contention when former Test halfback, Greg Oliphant replaced Russell Houston. Oliphant played a big role in tries scored by Peter McDonald and Len Standen. Adrian Coolwell. who came on a as a replcaemtn for Jim Vanderham, converted Standen’s try.
Five eighth, Dennis Cook was Norths’ best with lock, Neville Draper also in fine form. Veteran State lock, Norm, Carr turned in a typical whole hearted effort for his beloved Panthers.
To make matter worse for Wests, reports indicated that outstanding young players, Tony Currie and John Tapp might be lost to the club, with Brisbane and Sydney clubs looking to sign the duo in a package deal.
In the other match, Souths defeated Brothers 16-13 at Lang Park with veteran centre, Bruce Astill scoring two tries for the victors in a highly entertaining contest.
Brothers’ coach, Wayne Bennett was disconsolate. “Again we did everything right, except win. It has happened far too often this year,” he said.
Souths’ match winning try – by Bruce Astill – came from a complex move involving five players running as decoys off dummy half, Billy Johnstone.
Souths’ best was five eighty Bruce Harry, who celebrated his 22nd birthday with a masterful display, his crisp passing a delight to watch. Best among the Souths’ forwards were Johnstone; former State fullback, Allan Power; Millmerran product, Ash Lumby and late replacement, Lydon Cullen, while for Brothers, prop, Bob Kellaway was outstanding. Brothers’ halfback, Greg Smith was in fine touch, while wingers, Bligh Davidson and John Weier produced several amazing cover defending tackles.
After the game, reports emerged that former Test fullback, Graeme Langland had held talks with Brothers about taking over the coaching reins in 1983. Langlands was approached by a Queensland based company in the hospitality industry, and was keen to move from New South Wales to continue in the hotel trade. Langlands, a former captain-coach of St George and Australia, was great mates with Brothers’ legend, Peter Gallagher, a teammate on the 1963-64 and 1967-68 Kangaroo tours.
Footnote: Valleys new leagues club didn’t last long, as the club again plunged into the financial mire. Today it is part of the cricket centre at Allan Border Field. In 1984, the Queensland Rugby League Writers Association hosted the touring British media at Valleys, and the lunch was a great success, with seafood provided by Valleys’ stalwart, Peter O’Callaghan, who got it ‘straight off the trawler’.
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The match at Neumann Oval saw winger, Michael Curran make his Brisbane Rugby League first grade debut – for Redcliffe. Curran was rated the fastest player at the club since former State winger, Brian Gardiner, a beach sprint champion. The first time Curran took the ball up, he was flattened by Vic Wieland, who earned a stint in the bin for his trouble.