Norths' Devils' star, Neville Draper. The referee is Keith Bichel
MONDAY, MARCH 7
Norths Devils, the club where I played in 1979, celebrate 90 years. The Toowoomba Clydesdales have been accepted into the 2023 Queensland Cup competition, and have formed an affiliation with Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, who will set-up an Academy on the Darling Downs. Former Canterbury CEO, Bob Hagan, once coached the Clydesdales to a famous Bulimba Cup (inter-city) victory over Brisbane, and his side was tagged ‘Hagan’s Heroes’. Bob also coached Norths Devils, in 1973-74. The Cherbourg Hornets, who play in the South Burnett competition, have an all-female committee. Sharon Hickey is Chair of the Brisbane Rugby League.
TUESDAY, MARCH 8
My former Brisbane Brothers’ teammate, Mark Thomas is my interview subject for the next edition of Men of League Foundation’s magazine. It is 45 years since Mark’s break-out season, when he represented Queensland and Australia from Brothers. The previous year – 1976 – the former Villanova College student had largely played reserve grade for Brothers, sometimes with me at five eighth, feeding him perfectly timed passes. Of course. Like me, Mark misses ‘Rugby League Week’.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9
Lots of English fans in the crowd as Johnny Bairstow scores a century for England on tour in the West Indies. There is a Bristol Rovers Flag in one stand. My wife, Marie and I have bought a new bed, and one of the delivery chaps – a South African – asks about my rugby league Centenary jersey on the wall. He was fascinated to learn (no, really) that the Australian Rugby League side wore the same maroon and blue jersey design, when they played the touring South Africans, in 1963. The delivery guy played union (of course).
Radio legend, Ray Hadley mentions ‘Tables of Knowledge’. There is one at every pub and club in Australia. Former Brothers’ rugby league winger, Peter Skerman is head of the Table of Knowledge at Stafford Tavern. People come and go, but ‘Skermo’ is a constant.
THURSDAY, MARCH 10
Ben and Shane Walker are guests at Ipswich Jets 40th Anniversary launch. The brothers, sons of my former Norths’ teammate, Gary Walker, coached the Jets for a number of years, winning a premiership in 2015. Canberra Raiders’ coach, Ricky Stuart takes his players to lunch with eight members of the inaugural, 1982 side. The Raiders are to play Cronulla tomorrow night. Former Cronulla and Australian player, Greg Bird is to play with Southport Tigers, who are sponsored by billionaire, Clive Palmer, and play in the Gold Coast competition, out of Owen Park, where I played many games for Murwillumbah Brothers, and also covered a number of Gold Coast Vikings’ games in the early days of the State League.
Penrith beat Manly 28-6 in the first match of the 2022 NRL season, and could have won by 50. It was a wonderful start to their premiership defence, especially as star halfback, Nathan Cleary was side-lined, following shoulder surgery. Our daughter, Melanie Mariotto and her husband, Greg watch the match in the ‘Dog House’ Bar on Koh Samui, with cheesy ’80s music in the background.
FRIDAY, MARCH 11
A not-so-young bloke, in a blue shirt, goes up and down the Kedron Brook connection path on roller skates, and is very shaky indeed. I feared for his safety.
My wife, Marie and I sit beside former Sydney Wests’ skipper and ABC commentator, Warren Boland at Suncorp Stadium, for the Broncos v South Sydney game. Warren once scored a 90 metre try in the mud, against Souths, at Redfern Oval. Darryl Braithwaite sings ‘Horses’ as part of the Suncorp Stadium entertainment. The Broncos win a thriller, 11-4. On the bus, on the way home, a bloke in a South Sydney jersey, tells those around him all about the ‘Super League War’ of 1995-97. He had no idea that I had been in the thick of it, and some of the younger people around him thought he was talking Swahili.
SATURDAY, MARCH 12
Former SKYSports rugby league commentator, Eddie Hemmings is in the crowd for the Super League clash between St Helens and Warrington at St Helens. Current SKY man, former Wigan prop, Terry O’Connor compares Saints’ forward, Alex Walmsley to former Widnes’ destroyer, dual international, Apollo Perelini. Former London Broncos’ coach, Danny Ward is now an assistant at Rosslyn Park Rugby Union in London. Former Parramatta rugby league fullback, Ken Thornett had a stint with Rosslyn Park, before being signed by Leeds Rugby League, back in the 1960s. Thornett went on to play rugby league for Australia, alongside his brother, Dick, a former Wallaby. Their older brother, John captained the Wallabies. (See ‘Thornett Boys Were a Product of a Golden Age’ on this website). The first half of the Reds’ match against Fiji takes 64 minutes. The ball was probably in play for 24 minutes.
Former Test winger, Rod Wishart is a proud dad at Storm v Wests Tigers match in Parramatta. Tyran Wishart makes his NRL debut for the Storm. Craig Smith, a teammate of Rod’s at Illawarra Steelers, is beside him. There are lovely scenes afterwards as Rod, Tyran and his mates celebrate the 26-16 win, achieved despite an horrific injury toll. Storm coach, Craig Bellamy can’t remember a braver effort. Alec McDonald had not even played a Queensland Cup game. Referee, Chris Sutton awards a penalty for a pass to a man in an off-side position. Should be more of it. Opposition Leader, Anthony Albanese, a South Sydney supporter, attends the NSW Cup match between Newtown and Canberra at Henson Park. Newtown win 36-22. Albanese has promised $2.5 million for improvements at Henson, which is also home of Sydney Swans Women’s side. Sydney Roosters wear Mullumbimby Giants socks, in a tribute to the Byron Shire rugby league club, whose ground and clubhouse was devastated by the recent floods. The Roosters have donated $50,000 to Mullum. I played against Mullumbimby many times, at the Mullumbimby Showgrounds and then the Botanical Gardens Ground, but never at their ‘new’ grounds on the road to Byron Bay. The Roosters were beaten 20-6 by Newcastle at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Jamie-Lee Lewis, daughter of ‘Immortal’, Wally Lewis, travels to Sydney as a standby player for the Broncos’ NRLW match against St George Illawarra.
SUNDAY, MARCH 13
Parramatta halfback, Mitchell Moses takes forever to kick a penalty goal, against Gold Coast Titans, and referee, Grant Atkins doesn’t signal time off. There are a couple of Sikhs in the crowd, which is great to see. Fijians ands Sikhs have been doing great work in the flood affected areas of Northern New South Wales.
Our daughter, Melanie and her husband, Greg visit the Elephant Sanctuary on Thai National Elephant Day. Our granddaughter, Parker is age champion at Ayr Surf Club, Alva Beach in North Queensland.
About Author
