DIARY OF A RETIRED RUGBY LEAGUE WRITER
WEEK 43 2021
MONDAY, OCTOBER 25
When I think of junior rugby league in Murwillumbah the name John Conaghan springs immediately to mind. Without John, I’m sure junior football would have folded in the 1960s, when I started playing, and Murwillumbah struggled at times, to field one team per grade. It was strange really, because there were three senior clubs in town – Souths, Old Boys and Brothers – and there was no doubt rugby league was the dominant winter sport, certainly in terms of spectator appeal. But the game seemed to be on the nose with many parents, who sent their kids to hockey and soccer. John Conaghan’s son, Danny has contacted me wanting to known when junior league started in Murwillumbah. I’m pretty sure it was around 1962. I started playing in 1963. This year marks the 40th year of the staging of the Conaghan Shield Carnival, named in John’s memory. The Tweed Historical Society’s ‘Timelines’ newsletter, mentions Bill McCabe, who was in charge of the printing presses at the ‘Daily News’, Murwillumbah, when I was starting my journalist career. Bill had some great sayings. ‘Timelines’ also mentions that Johnson Creek at Condong, is named after Johnsons from Somerset in England.
Super coach, Wayne Bennett attends the funeral of ‘Immortal’, Norm Provan on the Sunshine Coast. I am reliably informed that there is no-one there representing the Australian Rugby League; Queensland Rugby League or NRL. Former Queensland State of Origin winger, Adam Mogg steps down as coach of Redcliffe, which surprises me, as I know he was keen to work under Bennett, at the new Dolphins’ NRL Franchise. English rugby league legend, Brian McDermott is to coach West Yorkshire club, Featherstone Rovers, in 2022.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26
Busy at Stafford Tavern, where a fellow patron says he saw a women’s rugby league match between Cudgen Cane Fires and Brisbane Bonfires at the Exhibition Grounds in 1955. The referee, Noel Horne, made a hole for the goal kicker. No kicking tees then. Dennis also tells the story of top rugby league official, Peter Scott driving his car onto the hill at Lang Park, and placing the microphone on the horn, which was used to signal half time and full-time, during matches. At one stage, Scott used the microphone to tell the ‘ambo’ (ambulance officer) to ‘hurry along’, as he trudged out to treat an injured player. It was my experience that many ambulance officers did not want to be at the football, and thought it a brutal, stupid game. Some of the ‘ambos’ were also quite elderly. In the Tweed Valley, the two teams which led the competition ladder at the end of the first round, played for the Ambulance Shield, at Knox Park, Murwillumbah with gate takings going to the ambulance service. Dave Corbett tells a story of a prominent public servant from the old days, who would fall out of a taxi in front of his home, blind drunk, every night of the week, but he never missed the 8.30 a.m. bus the next day, and always looked smart, with his Bryl Cream hair.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27
Learn of the passing of Peter Burley, from Jindalee, at the age of 77. Peter was part of the Burley clan from Murwillumbah, with younger brother, Tony a former classmate, and rugby league teammate of mine. I worked with Peter and Tony’s father, Frank at the Daily News, where he was a proof reader. I would sometimes catch up with the Burleys at Christmas, when they took over the Conaghan house in Prince Street, while the Conaghans enjoyed a beach break. The Burleys knew how to have a good time. The last time I saw Peter, Tony and another brother, Ken, was at Armidale, when I stayed overnight on the way to Newcastle, and they were there for a golf trip. They stayed up late playing cards, which is not my scene. I wasn’t all that social, if the truth be told. The last time I saw Peter was at a rugby league function at Ipswich.
Warren Ryan, the great rugby league coach of the 1980s, turns 80.
‘Escape to the Country’ features Hatton, on the Grand Union Canal, and the show mentions Hatton’s two pubs. I tried to get into one, for a well-deserved drink, on my walk along the Canal from London to Birmingham in 1993, but they wouldn’t accept me, because of my muddy boots, even when I offered to leave them at the door. Miserable bastards. I would have them for discrimination against Colonials these days.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28
A strategy session precedes my address to the QRL Conference at Marcoola. My topic – The History of Women’s Rugby League. I had to do a lot research and I think the content matter was well received by delegates. There is a panel discussion about the women’s game afterwards, and Jillaroo, Meg Ward is hilarious. She (jokingly) calls for security, when Sarah Kelly from Minerva Allied Health Services, mentions Aussie rules. Nice chat to Grant Bignell from Miles (ex-Charleville), who is set to become the QRL’s new well-being boss. The Staff Awards at tourist attraction, ‘Aussie World’, are well done, and QRL G-M Rohan Sawyer praises my work on the Rob Moore Tribute booklet, which I spent many hours writing. The book is presented to the outgoing G-M. The night is fancy dress, and Rob comes as a circus ring master. The team award goes to those dressed as ‘Carnies’, which is appropriate, given ‘Aussie World’ has a sideshow alley.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29
Morning beach walk is tough. Strong wind and ‘tumbleweeds’. Coffee with former New Zealand international, Sam Panapa, who works for the QRL. Sam played for Wigan and lived in a house near the club’s home ground, Central Park. He rates Wigan’s Great Britain halfback, Andy Gregory up there with former Cowboys’ Australian halfback, Johnathan Thurston, in terms of his influence on a footy side. A Ponsonby (Auckland) product, Panapa switched to Te Atatu when Ponsonby went down a division. Also chat to Bryce Holdsworth from Bundaberg, the QRL’s Well Being Officer for Central Queensland. An Englishman (from Bradford), he intends becoming an Australian citizen.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30
Watch highlights of 1993 Trans-Tasman Test and Australian halfback, Allan ‘Alfie’ Langer does a classic Cumberland throw on Kiwi centre, Jarrod McCracken. Former Great Britain Rugby League rep., Jamie Langley is now peak performance coach at English rugby union club, Sale.
Marie and I watch excellent George Clooney movie, ‘The Descendents’, which is set in Hawaii.
There have been three deaths in the last 24 hours or so, that have caught my attention. On the cricket front, great all-rounder, Alan Davidson has passed, aged 92, while former spin bowler turned journalist/author, Ashley Mallett has gone at the age of 76. The other to pass is Bert Newton, probably the greatest ever television MC.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 31.
Peter Badel, who succeeded me as chief rugby League writer at Queensland Newspapers, has a nice yarn on former Test forward, Carl Webb in The Sunday-Mail. Carl is battling motor neuron. I wrote the very first story about Carl, after he joined the Broncos from Dalby. Carl played Colts at then Broncos’ feeder club, Past Brothers, with our eldest son, Damien, with the club based at Crosby Park, Albion in an (often unhappy) share arrangement with Brothers’ Rugby Union. Damien and his wife, Emma enjoy locally caught, freshly cooked mud crabs, after Nippers at Alva Beach. Our son-in-law, Greg Mariotto recalls the decommissioning of HMAS Perth. I had sent him a recruitment advertisement from a 1982 copy of Rugby League Week. Greg was 17 at the time of Perth’s decommissioning, and had to render the 4.5 inch turrets unserviceable, before the vessel became a museum piece.
Scotland beat Tonga in Rugby Union Test at Murrayfield. The best Tongan rugby talent is in the NRL. Watch the start of Wales v All Blacks Rugby Test in Cardiff. Wales’ line-up includes Ross Moriarty, who was born in St Helens on Merseyside in England, the son of Paul Moriarty, which switched to rugby league with St Helens, and played for Wales in the 13-man code.
Learn of the passing of former Australian spin bowler, Peter Philpott. I remember him most for Gillette ads, with Philpott giving himself a smooth shave.
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