Julian O'Neil playing for the Broncos
Brisbane Broncos’ chairman, Paul ‘Porky’ Morgan described fullback, Julian O’Neill as ‘a naughty little boy’, after he turned up for a pre-season trip to Roma a bit worse for wear, following the notorious University of Queensland Toga Party.
O’Neill was not allowed to board the team bus, with coach, Wayne Bennett telling the then 20-year-old to go home and sleep it off.
Morgan described Bennett as a ‘father figure’ in O’Neill’s life, and urged the former St Brendan’s College, Yeppoon schoolboy star to abide by the rules laid down by the club’s coaching staff.
“Julian’s been a naughty little boy,” Morgan said. “Hopefully, now that he has had six of the best, he will get back on track. Through football he has the opportunity to set himself up for life. The rules Wayne lays down might be viewed as autocratic, but they’re the rules our players must abide by.”
The ‘Six of the best” referred to be Morgan, no doubt meant a fine, although club CEO, John Ribot said the punishment was between the club and the players.
“Julian turned up for the bus trip in no fit condition to play top class football,” Ribot said.
Former Channel 7 Sports Guru, Pat Welsh, was present at the Broncos’ Leagues Club, with a camera crew, to film the players as they set off for Roma for a match against a South West Selection. He recalls O’Neill sitting by the road, chomping into a leg of ham from the Leagues Club kitchen. When Jules saw Bennett walking up the street, he threw the ham onto the roof of the club.
“I don’t imagine it’s still there,” Welsh said.
When I interviewed O’Neill for the book ‘Bennett’s Broncos’, he conceded he had done ‘some pretty stupid things.”
“To be catapulted from school, straight into the most prestigious rugby league club in the world, the age factor made it a hard thing to do. I regret some of the things I did, but I can’t go back and change them.”
O’Neill’s toga party episode, saw him relegated from the starting side for trials, seemingly giving Paul Hauff the inside running for the number one jersey. But, as things transpired, O’Neill retained his fullback spot for the Round 1 away fixture against Cronulla.
Queensland Residents’ winger, Guy Harvey scored two tries and kicked five goals in Norths’ 30-4 win over Bothers in a Brisbane pre-season clash at Bishop Park.
Norths’ coach, Grant Rix admitted he thought Harvey was little more than a goal kicker. when he took on the coaching job at Nundah.
“He’s changed my mind in the past fortnight,” said Rix. “He’s a better footballer than he is a goal kicker.”
Norths played the last 23 minutes against Brothers with 12 men, after centre, Brett Kelso was sent off, for “attacking the head” of a player on the ground – Marcus Gaffney.
Colts’ graduates, Phil Cameron and Dean Smith were outstanding in Souths Magpies’ 22-6 win over Wynnum-Manly at Brandon Park, Acacia Ridge.
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