DIARY OF A RETIRED RUGBY LEAGUE WRITER
WEEK 49 2021
MONDAY, DECEMBER 6
The Dolphins NRL outfit has signed Parramatta forward, Ray Stone, an ‘old school’ player, in the mould of Peter Ryan (Broncos) and Kevin Campion, the sort of players Dolphins’ coach, Wayne Bennett loves.
There are only eight males among 30 News Ltd cadet journalist trainees. Sounds like a primary school, teachers’ intake. Female wrestlers feature on Fox8 and there is a female caller at the Healesville Dogs in Victoria. Who says it’s a man’s world.
My wife, Marie and I attend Samford Grove (over-55) Christmas Party, to get the ‘vibe’ of the place we intend making our home in 2022. Local singers perform after the buffet dinner. I have a nice chat with Wally Young, who I know from my days as a rugby league writer, as he was one of the bar staff at Lang Park. Marie and I win a Christmas cake in the raffle. It was made by Bev Campbell, a long-term resident of the ‘Grove’, who grew up at Nudgee Beach and Cribb Island, the latter village swallowed by the airport development. At our table are the likes of Merv Coombs (ex-Hobart); Eddie and Margaret Carrington (ex-Christchurch) and long-term Samford Valley resident, Olive Gilbey.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7
The post office at Grange has Christmas music playing and the male manager is horrified when I mistake Elvis Presley for Perry Como. There is a ‘suffering succotash’ number plate on a car, near Wilston School. My late grandfather, William Ricketts from Maclean on the Clarence River, loved that expression, made famous by cartoon character, Daffy Duck.
Former Queensland State of Origin halfback, Adrian Lam is to coach Leigh in the English Championship, the tier below Super League. I covered the Kangaroos’ match against Leigh in 1982.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8
Broncos’ Head of Football, Ben Ikin likens young forward, Kobe Hetherington to Roosters’ big hitting, Victor Radley. I interview Ikin and former Jillaroo, Karyn Murphy at Brisbane Men of League Committee’s Christmas lunch. A couple of Samford blokes – Stu and Bevan, both real characters – say hello, because they have heard I am moving to Samford. Stu played rugby league for Inverell in New South Wales, as well as Nambour All Whites. Bevan owns an airport car park business. Brisbane Committee member, Bob Knight, a policeman, misses the lunch, because he is dealing with a hit and run, road incident.
Former Queensland State of Origin Team Manager, Bob Bateman has died, aged 85. He was manager in the period 1987-88, two series I covered, the first for the Telegraph and the second for ‘The Courier-Mail’. The ’87 series remains my all-time favourite.
Our granddaughter, Parker Ricketts gets an excellent report card for her first year at school – East Ayr Primary. “She is always ready to start work, willingly accepts challenges etc..”
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9
A male cyclist, on the path dividing our town house estate, mentions Dire Straits concert in Lyon, France, in 1992.
Captain Adele Catt takes me through Brisbane’s Victoria Army Barracks Museum. The Army is to loan the Bougainville Trophy to the QRL History Committee, of which I am chairman. The trophy, made from a Japanese artillery shell, was up for grabs when two army teams, chosen on the basis of ‘State of Origin’, played each other in Bougainville in the closing days of World War II. Previously such matches were played on the basis of ‘State of Enlistment’.
My former Murwillumbah Brothers’ teammate, Peter Nunan has been on television, crusading against a proposed giant battery installation planned for McKee’s Hill, mid-way between Lismore and Casino. Peter, a former police officer, has lived in the area for many years.
France has been awarded hosting rights to the 2025 Rugby League World Cup. The last time they had sole rights was 1972, when games were played in Paris, Marseilles, Perpignan, Pau, Lyon, Toulouse and Grenoble.
Former inter-state referee, Bernie Pramberg has lunch with fellow ex- Brisbane whistle blowers, Ian Smith and Bill McKenny.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10
Another comment from a passing cyclist, this one female: “How frightening, to drown like that.” God knows what that was about.
Albatross Travel Principal, Euan Landsborough attends Beer and Beef Club Christmas lunch at a packed Morrison Hotel. Euan had been a guest speaker earlier this year, and was invited by the club to say thanks. Fans from the Ashes Test at the nearby Gabba, arrive as we enjoy drinks outside. One of the guests at the lunch is Terry St Ledger, whose father, Harry, was a selector when I played with Brisbane Brothers. Harry obviously was a good judge, because he didn’t pick me in first very grade very often.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11
Brisbane house painter, Davie Callan is from Ardee in County Louth, Ireland, where there are 12 pubs in the main street. Sounds like a typical Irish town. Davie provides a quote to paint the courtyard of our Hermitage Gardens town house. He lives in the same estate.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 12
Many people in the big crowd at the Clermont v Ulster match are wearing masks. There is a band playing, and no doubt it is quite an intimidating atmosphere for the Irish side. When I think of Clermont, I think of the time Marie and I visited there, and I got food poisoning from eating tripe. Served me right, said Marie. All Blacks’ fullback, Jordie Barrett loves the NRL. He says he would have to play five eighth if he joined Manly-Warringah, because he wouldn’t tie Tommy Trbojevic’s boot laces.
Former Test halfback, Dennis Ward, has died aged 77. The first time I saw Dennis play was for Manly against South Sydney in the 1968 Sydney Grand Final, a match won 13-9 by Souths. Ward’s halves partner (and skipper) was future ‘Immortal’, Bob Fulton. Dennis won a premiership with Manly in 1972, this time with Ian Martin at five eighth, and Fulton in the centres. I had a lot to do with Dennis when he was QRL Director of Coaching. He was a real student of the game, and had many theories about how it could be improved. He wasn’t a great fan of the 10-metre rule, and believed five metres was more likely to produce clever ball play in the rucks, rather than constant dashes from dummy half. Dennis played six Tests for Australia, four in France during the 1972 World Cup, and two on the Kangaroos’ tour of New Zealand in 1969.
ABC’s ‘Landline’ features a warning: ‘The following story contains images of dead mice’. I mean, really. Country people in particular, would have been fainting in their droves, at the horror of it all, if they hadn’t been warned to turn the TV off or switch channels.
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