DIARY UPDATE: Week 39, 2021

DIARY OF A RETIRED RUGBY LEAGUE WRITER

WEEK 39 2021

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27

One of the biggest stories around a player missing a Grand Final occurred in 1981, when International centre, Chris ‘Choppy’ Close was suspended. But that happened in the Brisbane Premiership, and doesn’t rate a mention when Sydney scribes look back on such cases. The Sydney Telegraph’s Paul Crawley has a column recounting some of the sad cases of players missing a Premiership decider, but the fact ‘Choppy’ was rubbed out of Redcliffe’s clash with Souths in 1981, is not among them. Without Close, Redcliffe went ever-so-close, only to be beaten on the bell by a Mick Reardon try. Close moved to Sydney the following year, to play for Manly-Warringah, and then became important to those south of the Tweed. Paul Kent, in writing about coaches and premierships, mentions that John Lang got one – with Penrith. No acknowledgement of the two titles Lang won, as a coach, with Easts in Brisbane.

Three blokes are kicking a Sherrin on Valleys’ Rugby League fields as I walk by – sacrilege.

The Dally M Awards are held in Sydney, and Souths’ Cody Walker says there are 100 kids just like him, back in his home town, Casino (where my wife, Marie was born). Hopefully, most of those kids get a chance to show their wares, and completing their schooling will go a long way towards helping them achieve their goals. My wife and I are moved by the Dally M Awards Dinner’s tribute to those who have died in the last 12 months, one of them my former ‘Courier-Mail’ colleague, Paul ‘Scobie’ Malone. Manly’s Tom Trbojevic wins the Dally M Medal, the first Sea Eagle since Matt Orford, in 2008. On 4BC, former Test lock, Paul ‘Fatty’ Vautin says super coach, Wayne Bennett’s main tactic in the late ’80s and into the ’90s, was to give the ball to Wally Lewis or Allan Langer, whenever they wanted it.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28

Our youngest lad, Lliam and his sons, Ethan and Connor enjoy a ‘counter lunch’ at Railway Hotel, Allora, where I once took a British Rugby League supporters’ group. The ‘boys’ are camping at ‘Gordon Country’ in the Great Dividing Range, near Cunningham’s Gap. A magpie stole chicken off their hot plate yesterday. Former Balmain, Penrith and Brisbane Norths’ prop, Ron Clothier had one of the pubs at Allora, many years back. Not sure which one. (There are three). His son, Tony has a mushroom farm at Strathpine. Speaking of pubs – a mate who lives in South Australia, says poker machine revenue is up 68 percent at his local, thanks to Covid.

On ABC Radio, a female caller says elocution, or lack thereof, is a real problem in Queensland. I agree, but it hasn’t stopped some ‘pronunciation challenged’ people landing jobs as newsreaders, on the ABC and commercial networks.

Former Brothers’ prop, Steve Telfer will coach ‘The Fighting Irish’ in 2022, I am reliably informed. Steve, who has been doing the job of strapper at Brothers, following the passing of the legendary, Jimmy Johnson.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29

Some sort of survey conducted in France, says 88 percent of people want the Rugby League World Cup held there in 2025. On my frequent visits to France, I found many French people knew little about league (sadly), and some did not even know the game was played in France. But those French people who follow it, are the most passionate league people in the world. Disturbingly, I have received reports from my contacts in England, that SKY threatened to drop its coverage of Super League, because the standard was not up to scratch. Former British Test prop, Sam Burgess is to coach the Orara Valley Axeman in the Group 2 competition (Northern New South Wales) next year.

“Wow, she’s fast – a black bitch”. So yells the commentator on RadioTAB. Don’t worry. He wasn’t being racist. He was calling the greyhounds.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

Archie Mutz, a follower of this BLOG, was a banana grower at Pimpama, in a former life, and a member of the Banana Growers’ Federation. I covered BGF meetings, in a former life, as a young journalist with the Tweed Daily News. I learned all about things like bunchy top and the cost of transporting bananas by train, to Sydney from Murwillumbah. Archie says Arthur Polonise (or is it Poloudis) from the famous Tweed Fruit Exchange shop in Murwillumbah’s Main Street, would take bananas to Brisbane, twice a week. Learn of the passing of Murwillumbah identity, Bede Shortis, aged 86. He ran a pharmacy.

Chap at Stafford Tavern – Mike Lamb – studied journalism, but didn’t go on with it, because he hated pestering people.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1

Wake to the last few seconds of Catalans Dragons win over Hull Kingston Rovers in Perpignan, a result which sees Catalans win the League Leaders (minor premiership) Shield. There are amazing scenes, as fans celebrate. Now for the Grand Final at Old Trafford, hopefully. Former Parramatta and Hull (England) halfback, Peter Sterling rates dual rugby international, Ray Price the best player he played with or against.

Former Central Queensland rep., Jim Batzloff is a visitor to our Grange residence, armed with information from the Gladstone Brothers’ 1971 reunion, which I am going to write-up for the next Men of League Foundation magazine. Jim played for Brothers, and later was a captain-coach of Charleville All Whites – in 1973.

We have my mother’s cutlery box restored at the Antique Polishers at Grange ($462). Marie and I watch last three episodes of ‘The Trial of Christine Keeler’. I vaguely remember the coverage of the trial in the press, in the 1960s, when I was a young lad. Today I saw my first Halloween pumpkin of 2021 – at a private residence at Gordon Park. My views on Halloween are well known to regular readers of this BLOG.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2

News Ltd’s top sports writer, Robert ‘Crash’ Craddock picks his top 10, Queensland sporting moments. He has the 1982 Commonwealth Games at Number 1 and the inaugural State of Origin game in 1980 as Number 2. I’m proud to say I covered both.

My former Murwillumbah Brothers’ teammate, Greg Grainger sends photos of Cabarita Surf Club from the 1970s, including him, Mark Cummins, Jim Byrnes and Phil Batty. Mark is father of former Wallaby, Nick ‘Honey Badger’ Cummins, and is friends with my brother, Jeff. Our eldest son, Damien and his wife, Emma, are to do a patrol this week for Ayr SLSC at Alva Beach.

Brisbane League Old Boys (BLOBS) have a get-together at Tugun Surf Club and former Valleys and Brothers’ winger, Russell Klein attends for first time.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3

A caller to Macca (Ian McNamara) on ABC Radio, says the once quiet Richmond Coast between Lennox Head and Ballina, has been transformed by a busy road and out of control development. It’s like driving along Parramatta Road,” he said. Nothing could be that bad. Trawlers were once built at the mouth of Belongil Creek near Byron Bay, and then towed to Brunswick Heads to have the motors put in, another caller (from Corndale) recalls.

Marie and I walk the Nudgee Beach wetlands. There are race horses exercising on the tidal flats. Morning tea from Pam’s. Marie wears my mother, Lola’s South Sydney polo and gets plenty of comments. While we are having brunch at Banyo, Andrew (originally from Derby in England) sees the polo and stops for a chat, telling us about his two sons, who went to Nudgee College, and the building projects he oversees. A bloke in a wheel chair tells Marie he is having rabbit stew for dinner. The Banyo newsagent is wearing a Brisbane Norths (Devils) jersey, which is good to see. South Sydney’s greatest player, Clive Churchill, was captain-coach of Norths in 1959. Souths are brave in the NRL Grand Final, but succumb 14-12 to Penrith, in a match played at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium. The decision to play the decider in Brisbane, instead of Sydney, was made on September 8, following the continued Covid lockdown in NSW. It was a brutal and thrilling game, with Penrith halfback, Nathan Cleary winning the Clive Churchill Medal as player of the match. Our son, Lliam attended, along with clients of his Supply Partners’ Solar Energy business. Former Broncos, Petero Civoniceva and Steve Renouf attend the pre-match function at Newstead Brewery. Channel 9’s coverage of the Grand Final includes highlights from Wally Lewis’s career (Valleys and Wynnum get a go) and also ‘that try’ scored by Paul ‘Fatty’ Vautin, for Wests Panthers in Brisbane.

Former Queensland representative forward, Darryl Van de Velde, well known in Australia and England for his coaching prowess, turns 70. ‘Brow’, as he is known, is a Queensland Rugby League director.

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