Charlie Frith playing for South Sydney
Big hitting defence from Charlie Frith and Tom Duggan got Valleys on the front foot against Souths Magpies in their Woolies’ Pre-Season rugby league clash at Neumann Oval. Another member of the formidable Diehards’ pack, Ian ‘Elke’ Sommer scored two tries in the 23-14 win, after Valleys trailed 9-2, just before halftime.
Frith went on to earn the nickname ‘hitman’, for his enormous front-on tackles, when he joined South Sydney in 1979. The Roma product had Brisbane Souths’ players on high alert whenever they attacked, but sometimes Frith came off second best, because of his ‘take-no-prisoners’ style. After one such kamikaze shot, Frith left the field with a broken nose.
Souths’ best were Test centre, John Grant and former Townsville lock forward, Pat Phelan.
On the same day at Kougari Oval, Wynnum-Manly’s signing from Murwillumbah Brothers, Brian Walsh, scored two tries in the Seagulls’ 19-10 win over Norths. Had former New Zealand Test prop, Robert Orchard’s kicking been more on target, the margin would have been much greater. Orchard landed only two goals from eight shots.
Wynnum forwards, Roger Lavis (ex-North Sydney); Will Tarry and Bernie Ernst played well, with Lavis breaking the line a number of times. Former Australian prop, Barry McTaggart was side-lined by a broken toe, the result of a work accident.
The round began with a Friday night, Lang Park double header, with Redcliffe inflicting the first defeat on Easts in the series, getting home 11-10, thanks to a late try by former New South Wales’ prop, John Barber.
Brothers’ centre, Kerry Fraser scored two brilliant tries in a 24-5 win over Wests, with The Courier-Mail’s Jack Reardon describing it as the best performance by a centre in the pre-season competition. Brothers’ best forwards were lock, John Alroe and prop, Peter McNamara, with Alroe throwing out a challenge to the incumbent, Greg Thomas.
Former Brothers’ players, David Wright, Ian Dauth and Bob Cock were included in an 18-strong Gold Coast squad to contest the Amco Cup knockout competition. The trio had quit Brothers and joined the cashed up Nerang Roosters, after an ugly contract dispute. The Coast squad also included future Brisbane Brothers and Canberra Raiders’ hooker, Jay Hoffman (Southport) and attacking maestro, Kevin Byrnes (Cudgen Headland). Rugby League ‘Immortal’ Clive Churchill was coach of the Coast side.
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