Scenes from the early days of Rugby League in Australia
MONDAY, MAY 9
‘Minder’ and ‘The Sweeney’ were two of my favourite English television shows, with Dennis Waterman a star in both. Waterman also featured in ‘The First Kangaroos’, a movie about the ground breaking 1908-09 Australian Rugby League side, which toured England, Wales and Scotland, with Dally Messenger the skipper. Waterman played the role of England and Hunslet rugby league star, Albert Goldthorpe. Waterman, 74, has died in Spain.
News Limited’s Robert ‘Crash’ Craddock says he loves the NRL Bunker and the suspense which comes with waiting for the decision. I respect Crash’s views, but I look at this subject from the angle of the long suffering fans at the stadiums, who pay their hard earned for non-stop action, and the hope of getting home before mid-night, when so many games kick off at 8 p.m., if you’re lucky. When a decision goes to the bunker, it’s not so bad when you are at home in the lounge room, because you can switch channels, or go to the fridge. But at the stadium, it’s a different matter.
My wife, Marie and I attend an information session conducted by Scenic Cruises at the Brisbane Convention Centre, at South Bank, looking ahead to our river cruise in France next year. Two lovely lasses provide the information we require, but they struggle with French pronunciations. OzWater conference has taken over most of the Convention Centre.
TUESDAY, MAY 10
Learn of the passing of former Welsh dual rugby international, Glyn Shaw at the age of 71. Marie and I were living in Widnes in 1977-78 when Shaw had his debut season in league. We saw him play half a dozen times for Widnes, and also in his League Test debut – for Wales against France. He was a workaholic forward who took to league very quickly.
Fellow History Committee member, Paul Hayes visits Brisbane Rugby League’s ‘captain blood’, Mick Retchless, who still enjoys a rum. At Stafford Tavern, a variety of subjects are tackled at ‘the table of knowledge’, including the days of tobacco growing in Queensland, at places like Texas and Inglewood. There is a mention of Alderman Les Dutton, the former South Brisbane alderman, who played rugby league for Souths Magpies and later became club secretary and a selector.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 11
‘The Back Page’ on FoxSports features footage of Sir Garfield Sobers hitting Malcolm Nash for six sixes off the one over, in a county match at the St Helens Ground in Swansea. Sobers, the West Indies legend, was playing for Nottinghamshire, while Nash was bowling for home side, Glamorgan. I have not met Sobers, but I did meet Nash, in his Swansea sports store in 1977, when Marie and I were staying in a B & B next to the St Helens’ Ground, ahead of catching the ferry to Cork in Ireland. Evidently Nash made money on the speaking circuit, as a result of the day Sobers lashed out.
Channel 7 News call Giru a suburb of Townsville, when, in fact it is a little town in the Burdekin region, south of Townsville, boasting a large sugar mill and ‘The Giru International Hotel’.
THURSDAY, MAY 12
Former History Committee chair, Kevin Brasch phones to say former Norths’ skipper, Bill Pearson has died, aged 90. Pearson, who played centre for Queensland, captained Norths to four successive Brisbane premierships – 1960-63. My barber, Eric Pappas, a former Souths’ player, proudly shows me footage of his daughter playing hockey for Queensland, in an age carnival in Cairns. Eric had a nightmare flight north, with the Jetstar flight getting in at 3.30 a.m. Evidently six tradies were thrown off the flight for loud, unruly behaviour. A bloke in the other chair at the barbers is grumpier than me and Peter Skerman (table of knowledge fame) combined, when it comes to his views on the way the world is going.
Our granddaughter, Parker has a profile from her soccer club in Ayr. Sam Kerr is her favourite player; lasagne her favourite food and chocolate milk her favourite drink. She describes herself as ‘fast and fair’. Funniest moment – teammate eating two watermelons at halftime.
FRIDAY, MAY 13
Marie has lunch at Norths Leagues, Nundah with other Pilates ladies, one of whom says her husband had 26 girlfriends, before he met her. Tonight Marie and I attend Broncos v Manly match at Suncorp Stadium, which is part of the annual Magic Round. Brisbane belt the Sea Eagles 38-0, with Selwyn Cobbo scoring three tries. Halfback, Adam Reynolds’ kicking game was a joy to behold in the wet conditions. He set up tries for teammates with his boot, and also scored a chip and chase try. The new Dolphins’ NRL franchise have a banner on the Lord Alfred Hotel in Caxton Street. That will be a Dolphins’ base, while the Caxton remains a Broncos’ stronghold.
My youngest brother, Stewart, is 57 today. A former Lismore Marist Brothers and St Laurences’ (South Brisbane) student, Stew is a storeman at Dan Murphy’s Sunnybank. Former Queensland forward, Scott Sattler features on a billboard ad for Nudgee College. Scott attended Nudgee.
SATURDAY, MAY 14
Former Australian Test cricketer, Andrew Symonds has died in a road accident, west of Townsville. I met Andrew at Broncos’ training a number of times. He loved his rugby league.
There is major flooding in different parts of Queensland’s south east, with Laidley’s main street going under, as well as Gympie’s. A Hervey Bay family, on their way to Magic Round, are cut off at Deep Creek (appropriately enough) and forfeit $1,800 in tickets and accommodation.Allan ‘Alfie’ Langer has been voted the number one Bronco of all time, in a Courier-Mail special feature. Jye Kinnane, the nephew of former St George halfback, Steve Linnane, is a promising player with the Kurri Kurri club in the Newcastle competition. Jye’s father, Danny is head coach at Kurri Kurri.
Adam Reynolds catches up for coffee with his former South Sydney teammates ahead of their match against the New Zealand Warriors. Souths hang on for a 32-30 win, after leading 26-0. Canterbury Bankstown are the first team since the South Queensland Crushers in 1996, not to score 100 points in the first 10 rounds. The Bulldogs lose 16-6 to Newcastle in an ordinary game.
SUNDAY, MAY 15
ABC News carries a report of the death of a 46-year-old man west of Townsville. That would be Andrew Symonds. There is a minute’s silence for ‘Roy’ before the Cowboys v Tigers match. A lot of his mates gather at the Story Bridge Hotel, to toast his memory. Cowboys’ hooker, Reuben Cotter scores an amazing long range try, to continue his push for Qld selection. He should have passed to a teammate, but got away with it.
Our daughter, Melanie Mariotto and her husband, Greg, are having a break on the NSW Central Coast, and go to The Entrance pub to watch the footy. “There are some serious Parramatta supporters at the pub,” Melanie reports. Former players turned TV characters, ‘Fletch’ (Bryan Fletcher) and ‘Hindy’ (Nathan Hindmarsh) donate $6,000 from the punt at Brisbane’s Port Office Hotel, to flood affected rugby league clubs in Lismore and District. Fletch and Hindy operated out of the Port Office during Magic Round, their escapades proving popular with the drinkers. Not sure about the Licensing Commission in the Nanny State we call Queensland.
On Matt Johns’ show on Fox, great chip and chase tries feature, in the wake of Adam Reynolds’ effort for the Broncos. Players on show include Phil Blake, Brett Mullins, Owen Craigie, Bob Fulton and Scot Gale. Blake was the master of the art. ON Radio TAB, Nicole Thomas describes ‘gelding’ as the ultimate gear change,.
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That should be Jye Linnane, not Kinnane, if you haven’t already worked it out. I know the Kinnane’s from Grafton and their name was on my mind!