JOHNNY GLEESON HONOURED

When Johnny Gleeson played the last of his 25 matches for Queensland, he was mobbed by Lang Park fans, after leading the Maroons to a drought breaking 13-11 win over New South Wales.

The fans are not allowed on the field these days, but they embraced the players in spirit, after the Maroons’  gutsy 22-12 win over the Blues in the Origin decider at Suncorp Stadium on July 13.

Johnny Gleeson died on Christmas Day, 2021 but his contribution to the cause of Queensland Rugby League was remembered in the build-up up to Origin III. Johnny’s brother, Joe and two of Johnny’s sons – Terry and Joe – were special guests of the QRL at the Captain’s Run training session on July 12, along with family friend, Reg Cannon, a former Queensland forward.

The Gleesons travelled from the Darling Downs to witness rookie coach, Billy Slater put his men through their final workout before the decider. Joe Snr., played alongside Johnny in the Brothers’ side which defeated Easts 21-4 in the 1968 Brisbane Grand Final, at the old Lang Park, in front of a crowd of 37,000.

“Where we are sitting now, was the Frank Burke Stand when ‘Jack’ (Gleeson) and I played,” said 82-year-old, Joe, a second rower/prop in his playing days. “It’s an honour to be here, and it’s lovely to see that my brother’s deeds have not been forgotten.”

After watching Queensland go through their paces, Joe, Terry, Joe Jnr. and Reg Cannon met with Maroons’ coaching staff member, Cameron Smith, like Johnny Gleeson, a proud captain of his State, in his playing days.

A student of the history of the game, Cameron acknowledged that the number 6 jersey, given ‘Immortal’ status by Wally Lewis, had been to the fore in the days of Gleeson, and his predecessor, Bobby Banks.

Johnny Gleeson played 25 games for Queensland from 1961-67, and represented Australia in 10 Tests, as well as touring Britain and France with the Kangaroos in 1963-64 and 1967-68. He also captained Australia in a provincial game on the 1965 tour of New Zealand.

Gleeson played all three Tests in the clean sweep of the Kiwi touring side in ’67, scoring a try in the First Test in Sydney and playing important roles in a number of other tries throughout the series. For instance, in the Third Test at the SCG, he combined with halfback, Billy Smith, to set-up a classic for winger, Ken Irvine. Smith ran towards the right wing, flicked the ball back inside to Gleeson, who evaded two tacklers, drew the fullback and sent Irvine over. Gleeson backed up the next day to play for his Brisbane club side, Brothers in a 9-7 loss to Norths at Lang Park.

Gleeson played all three Tests in the 2-1 series win over Great Britain in England in October/November, 1967, but missed the French leg of the tour through injury.

But arguably his finest moment came on June 24, 1967, when he led Queensland to their first win over New South Wales in five years.

“No Queensland team, in my time, has ever received such an ovation as Johnny Gleeson’s 13 got yesterday from the big crowd at Lang Park,” wrote The Courier-Mail’s Jack Reardon, who was vice-captain of the 1937-38 Kangaroos in Britain and France. “Gleeson, who gave a courageous and clever display, despite receiving two bad knocks, was cheered off the field by the crowd. The Frank Burke Stand patrons gave the team three cheers, at least four times, as the players tried to gain their dressing room, through the masses who had invaded the field.”

Different times, and perhaps more genteel times, given the team was greeted with three cheers.

But there is no doubting victory against the ‘old enemy’ meant as much then, as it does now, and today’s players and fans should not forget ‘those who dug the well’, men like Johnny Gleeson.

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