JANUARY 1988
Former Queensland State of Origin hooker, John Dowling promised new levels of fitness at Wynnum-Manly, after he hired Brisbane Bears’ Australian rules fitness guru, Ian King as a consultant.
Dowling, a fitness fanatic, described King as ‘the best in the business’, with King looking after the Brisbane Bears (AFL) and the Queensland Reds (rugby union).
King said some of the Wynnum players were as motivated as any sportsmen he had met, but the overall fitness levels and skills were below that of the Bears.
“The Bears are elite sportsmen, competing in a national competition, so it’s probably an unfair comparison,” King said. “But even in the Bears’ squad, there are players who lack motivation.”
Dowling succeeded Australian skipper, Wally Lewis as coach of Wynnum, with a host of elite players from the Brisbane competition having been snapped up by NSWRL clubs, following the entry of the Brisbane Broncos, Gold Coast Giants and Newcastle Knights into the Winfield Cup. (Lewis had been named captain of the Broncos, who were coached by Wayne Bennett).
Dowling began his senior career with Murwillumbah Brothers, before moving to Brisbane to play with Easts, alongside older brother, Gary, who had the nickname ‘Mouse’. John switched to Wynnum, and then was signed by St George in Sydney, from where he was chosen for Queensland,
in 1982.
Australian Test lock, Bob Lindner, a former Wynnum player, said it was unlikely he would play for Castleford again after a disappointing second stint with the West Yorkshire club. Lindner, whose English stint was cut short by injury, said he had lost respect for Castleford coach, David Sampson, because of Sampson’s “inflexible approach” to the game.
“Sampson spent a month with St George coach, Roy Masters in Australia last year, going to training and studying Sydney league,” Lindner said. “Yet he ignored everything he had seen. If he had adopted from the Sydney methods, maybe English prop, Kevin Ward would have done for Castleford, what he did for Manly-Warringah last year (Ward was one of the stars of Manly’s 1987 premiership win).
“Kevin was disappointing for Castleford, but it wasn’t his fault. Sampson used him wrongly and put him under unnecessary pressure. He put too much emphasis on Ward, rather than the overall effort of the side.”
Redcliffe’s former State centre, Trevor Benson trained with the Dolphins for the first time since returning from a stint with English club, Hunslet, where he suffered a fractured arm
Johnny White quit as Ipswich Jets Colts coach because of work commitments, with former first grade forward, Franco Scarpelli taking his place. Scarpelli had not played since being injured in a road accident in 1986.
St George under-23 premiership players, Dean Ponting and Trevor Barnes had signed with Ipswich, after being cut by the Dragons. St George had signed five players from Brothers’ 1987 Brisbane premiership side – Trevor Bailey, Clinton Mohr, Mark Coyne, Steve Carter and Peter Gill. Ponting had a stint with French club, Marseilles in 1986-87.
In Avignon in France’s south, Great Britain defeated France 28-14. The match featured the Test debut of Oldham’s Hugh Wadell, a Scotsman from Ayrshire, who played rugby union for Burton RFC in Staffordshire, before switching to league with Blackpool Borough, in 1983.
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Thank you for the great memories! Franco Scarpellie was in the Brothers U19 side that I managed in Mt Isa . Pinky O’Riely brother of The Bear stole him quickly and won the premiership in Mt Isa that year. Cheers Peter Millsy… Always a Clydesdale!