DIARY OF A RETIRED RUGBY LEAGUE WRITER
WEEK 6 2022
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7
A mural planned for North Queensland Cowboys’ stadium in Townsville is set to cover every region, in what is a huge catchment area. Greg Shannon, a member of the Queensland Rugby League History Committee, is also the Cowboys’ official historian, and has been helping the club with heritage matters. There are reports Marc Brentnall, son of former Test fullback, Greg, is favourite to replace Craig Bellamy as coach of Melbourne Storm, if Craig retires.
The School Year begins, and our youngest grandson, Connor starts at Eagles Junction Primary, with older brother, Ethan.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8
Former Queensland forward, Reg Cannon reminisces about the 1970 World Cup trials, held at the Sydney Showgrounds. Reg’s jersey is to be framed by his family, and he wants a few match details. Reg recalls teammate, Des Morris being knocked out early, and still being crook at half time. There were four teams involved in the trials.
Former Widnes (England); Murwillumbah Brothers; Wingham Tigers and Taree United forward, Brian Atherton celebrates his 73rd birthday at Taree Sailing Club. Brian recalls attending the North Coast v Great Britain match at Wauchope in 1984, when a prominent local footy personality got in a stink, and Brian intervened as a peacemaker, only to finish with a black eye. The local league man was unscathed. Brian was identified as a rising star at Widnes, and was one of several players from the club sent to an elite training camp at Bisham Abbey, on the Banks of the Thames, in Berkshire, in the late 1960s. The others included John Mullarkey and Dennis O’Neill, with O’Neill going on to represent Great Britain. The squad also featured future Test great, Phil Lowe, from Hull.
Watch English comedy, ‘Open All Hours’ on Foxtel Classics, and lead actor, Ronnie Barker, talking about a local brothel, says: “I’ve seen Negroes go up there, and come out quite pale.” Not sure whether a line like that would make into a sitcom now.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9
Rugby League legend, Johnny Raper, dies, aged 82. His brother, Ron was to be interviewed by Queensland Times (Ipswich) reporter, Michael Nunn today, but that has been put off. I follow a car with St George Illawarra number plates, as I drive through Wilston village. Appropriate. I first saw Raper play, in 1968, when I attended the World Cup Final at the SCG. It was his last game for Australia. I interviewed him a number of times, particularly when he was an Australian selector. FoxSports shows some of Raper’s old games.
Former St George coach, Roy Masters has a column in the Sydney Morning Herald about former Test halfback, Steve ‘Turvey’ Mortimer’s battle with dementia. Roy says Raper burnt the candle at both ends – ‘with a blow torch’
It had to happen – a young bloke spikes himself at the Stafford Tavern. The ‘spike’ is used for order dockets. I recall spikes on the desks in newspaper offices, and journalists always feared having their stories spiked, because it meant the story was not going to make the paper. These were the days of writing stories on paper. One of the Stafford regulars says Nudgee Golf Club female members have been dobbing in male members (excuse the pun) for having a sly pee while playing a round (another terrible pun). My spies tell me a prominent professional had a sly pee at Royal Queensland.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10
Ayr in Scotland features on ‘Escape to the Perfect Town’. Not sure whether Ayr in Queensland’s Burdekin Valley would feature on a similar show. Only kidding. It’s a lovely town, and the home of our eldest lad, Damien and his family.
My wife, Marie and I enjoy lunch at the Samford Pub, before being shown progress work on our villa in Samford Grove, Over-55 Village, by sales manager, Desley Arnold. There is still a lot to do, and we are told we will have to wait until late April, before moving in. Originally we were told February, and we sold our town house on that basis. That’s just a fact of life now, with a shortage of trades people, thanks to the market upheaval brought about by Covid. Samford locals tell us that former Test rugby league forward, Sam Thaiday lives here and plans to play this season, for the local side, the Stags. Evidently the number plate on Sam’s Mustang is ‘Stallion’. Another local, we are told, is a member of the rock group, Powder Finger. Not sure which one, and wouldn’t know him if I fell over him. But I will recognise Sam.
Our daughter, Melanie Mariotto, arrives home from Singapore for a visit. Melanie was named after singer, Melanie Safka, who our daughter got to meet, at a concert in Brisbane a few years back.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11
St Helens v Catalans Dragons Super League match from Merseyside, is quality, and the fans are not wearing masks. Catalans’ former Queensland prop, Dylan Napa is sent off, which does not come as a shock. Micky Lewis is so sharp scoring a try for Hull Kingston Rovers against Wigan. Wigan’s Ausralian fullback, Jai Field is exciting and I reckon new NRL franchise, the Dolphins, could do worse than target him.
Queensland Rugby League legend, Des ‘DJ’ Morris is a hit as guest speaker at Beer and Beef Club lunch at Morrison Hotel. Club member, Reeve Kruck, the owner of Titan Sheds and Garages, said he once withdrew $200,000 worth of advertising from ‘The Courier-Mail’, because it no longer covered Speedway, which is his passion.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12
Mark Shulman, halfback for St George in the drawn 1977 Sydney Grand Final with Parramatta, has died, suddenly, aged 70. The last time I saw him, was at the Story Bridge Hotel, when he breezed in with former St George teammates, Graham Quinn and Mitch Brennan. Mark had to be one of the smallest men ever to play top level rugby league. He was a product of the Arncliffe Scots club, in the heart of St George territory. John Bailey was halfback in the 1977 replay, which St George won 22-0.
Newtown Jets historian, Glenn Dwyer, shares a story, by Barry Ross, about New South Wales Country Rugby League legend, John Hobby.
In England’s Challenge Cup (knockout) competition, Royal Navy beats York Acorn, in a match at Portsmouth.
Prominent New Zealand sports journalist, Trevor McEwen says ‘Sharko’ (Mark Graham) and ‘O’ (Olsen Filipaina) were the biggest Kiwi league heroes of his time. Mark Graham is to be guest speaker at our Brisbane Committee Men of League lunch at Norths, Nundah. Filipaina died, aged 64, on February 10.
The Maori v Indigenous All Stars match, from Parramatta, is quality, with the Maori winning 16-10. Maori prop, Joseph Tapine from Canberra, wins the Preston Campbell Medal as Player of the Match.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 13
My wife, Marie and I and our daughter, Melanie are enjoying a short break on the Gold Coast and have coffee Sea Urchins, the cafe replacing the much loved ‘Beaches’. In the Southport Pavilion there is a photograph of men shooting sharks at Main Beach, back in the 1930s.
FoxSports’ cricket commentator, and former Australian spin bowler, Kerry O’Keefe says former West Indies all-rounder, Gary Sobers would get $5million at the IPL auction.
“Nothing spells spirit of rugby league, like French Rugby League,” writes UK sport historian, Tony Collins. How true. If you are a rugby league supporter in France you are part of what could almost be termed a persecuted minority, although this is a minority which does not have millions of dollars thrown at it by Government departments. French Test hooker, Elois Pelissier, from L’Aude Province, says he wanted to be a professional rugby league player from the time he was four years old.
Harry Moore, manager of our Hermitage Gardens Town House estate, has lunch with legal eagle, Robert Bax, who tells Harry to remind me there are teams other than Brothers in Queensland. Robert’s father was the late Bob Bax, the legendary Norths’ coach, who also coached Brothers. I presume Robert was referring to this site. I think there are heaps of stories relating to other clubs, but I’m sure he was just having a dig.
Learn of the passing of Margaret O’Neill, 94, the mother of my former Tweed Daily News workmate, the late Terry ‘Irish’ O’Neill, a fine rugby league player with Souths Murwillumbah. Another son, Kevin, also a fine footballer, also predeceased her.
About Author
