DIARY OF A RETIRED RUGBY LEAGUE WRITER
WEEK 7 2022
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14
John Whiteley, the man who coached Great Britain’s Ashes winning Rugby League side in Australia in 1970, has died, aged 91. Former Great Britain lock, Phil Clarke, a commentator on SKYSPORT, says John will be first man he looks up, if he makes it to Heaven. As a youngster in Hull, during World War II, Whiteley didn’t own a football, and had to improvise, with whatever he could get his hands on. In addition to coaching Britain, he played 15 Tests between 1957 and 1962, six against the Kiwis; five against Australia and four against France. He toured Australia with the 1958 Ashes winning side.
My wife, Marie and I and our daughter, Melanie Mariotto watch parts of the Super Bowl – Mel a lot more than us. Female singer’s rendition of ‘America’ leaves a lot to be desired.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15
We can rent. You beauty. $610 a week. We have sold our town house, in Hermitage Gardens, Grange, but our villa, at Samford, will not be ready until well after final settlement here. The bloke who has bought our unit, lives in London, and has acquired it as a rental. Managers of our town house estate, Harry Moore and his wife, Robyn, had a newsagency at Winton, in Western Queensland, when there were seven local shearing teams. Harry recalls a tough rugby league player, named Kavanagh, who turned out for Tambo.
Two women on the path dividing our town house estate chat forever – house renovations, toilet training etc. All that important stuff.
Australian Rugby Union legend, Paul McLean is part of a ‘turning of the first sod’ ceremony at Ballymore, for the new McLean Stand, named after his family. There is a 100-year old lady at my wife, Marie’s morning tea. Her secret to longevity? Exercise and a Scotch daily.
There is a disgusting photograph on the back page of ‘The Courier-Mail’, of a bloke kneeing an opponent in UFC. It just isn’t sport
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16
Pat O’Doherty is a large human being, and a larger than life personality. The much travelled, former rugby league prop, is having coffee with Men of League Foundation Queensland CEO, Andrew Blucher, at Newstead Brewery, as I pass by, on my way to a meeting of the Queensland Rugby League History Committee. Naturally, I have to join them. Pat loves recalling the time our paths crossed, at Whitelock’s pub in England, in 1986, when I was covering the Kangaroo tour, and he was in Leeds with London Crusaders. Pat’s older brother, Hugh played hooker for Queensland in the early 1970s. Pat, who is part of the Ipswich Men of League Committee, coached at Maclean Magpies (which I knew) in the Clarence Valley in northern New South Wales, but also coached at Wagga Magpies, in the Riverina, which I didn’t know. Former Canberra Raider, Adrian Purtell is to coach Eden on the NSW South Coast. Evidently there is a Coaches Association, with the likes of Mal Meninga, Neil Henry and legal eagle, Tim Fuller involved.
Peter Robison, a great nephew of former Australian Rugby League rep., Harry Robison, donates Harry’s travel trunk from the 1937-38 Kangaroo tour of Britain and France, and in it, are Test jerseys, including one he exchanged with a French player, as well as Harry’s tour blazer. Harry was selected for the tour from the Newtown club in Toowoomba.
Bill O’Neill has a lovely tribute to his late wife, Erika, in ‘The Courier-Mail’ today. The O’Neill’s are friends of the Ricketts’ family.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17
TotalRugbyLeague.Com has a story about the passing of Hunslet lad, Geoff Crewdson, who toured Australia and New Zealand with Great Britain in 1966, when he was contracted to Keighley. I understand, that in the first game, in Darwin, the giant prop lost a ridiculous amount of weight in the extreme heat.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18
Moves are afoot to save the Yangan Hotel/Motel (near Warwick) from closure, and one of those interviewed on television, is former Bronco and Brisbane Souths’ prop, Mark Meskell.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19
Xavier Coates and Josh King are among the club’s best trainers, says Melbourne Storm coach, Craig Bellamy, ahead of a trial against New Zealand Warriors at Casey Field in Melbourne. A bloke with a Tongan flag, greets Storm players, which is appropriate, as the match acts as a fund raiser for victims of the volcano which impacted the Pacific nation so severely.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 20
A ‘truckie’, driving across the Nullarbor, tells ‘Macca (Ian McNamara) on ABC Radio, he hasn’t hit a ‘roo since the rains, as the roos don’t need to look for feed on the road fringes.
There are so many familiar names in the NRL trials – Geyer, Iro, Dykes, Trindall, Humphreys, Ackland, Pezet, Wishart, Price – relations of former top players and/or officials. Riley Price (Cowboys) is the son of former Test prop, Steve. Griffin Neame, a product of Greymouth Rugby League on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island, brings off a huge hit for the Cowboys, at Barlow Park, Cairns. Parramatta player, Haze Dunster’s season is over before it began, thanks to a hip drop tackle. Whoever came up with the hip drop tackle – hang your head in shame. Go to UFC, where you will be welcome.
Queensland Reds’ Rugby Union coach, Brad Thorn sees shades of his former Broncos’ skipper, Darren Lockyer in Reds’ star, Jock Campbell, a product of The Southport School. Former Australian Rugby League player, John Muggleton is defence coach at Hunter Wildfires Rugby Union in Newcastle.
A jazz quartet belts out a few tunes at the Crown Hotel, Lutwyche, as Marie and I enjoy drinks. The hotel manageress is from Glasgow, but says she has never been to Hogmanay. Marie and I went to Hogmanay, in Glasgow, in 1977-78, but it was dead as a door nail. I’m sure it would have been different, if the people who were to put us up, had not had to dash elsewhere to see a sick relative. A primary school in the UK has banned kids bringing meat in their lunch boxes. Holy Cow. Beef comes from animals that fart too much and pork will probably offend some kids. I’m only guessing that they are the reasons. I wish there was a ban on Devon sausage sandwiches, when I was a kid – and hot, flavoured milk – from those dreaded cows.
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