Des Morris playing for Brisbane Easts
Former Canterbury-Bankstown fullback, Peter Inskip was preferred to Queensland custodian, Wayne Bennett in the Brisbane side to play Wide Bay in the State Championship Final at Lang Park on the Exhibition Wednesday (show) holiday.
Inskip forced his way into the side with a solid performance for Wynnum-Manly in their shock 28-24 win over glamour side, Wests at Langlands Park, Stones Corner. A product of Tamworth football, Inskip was the only Wynnum player in the Brisbane squad.
Besides Bennett (Brothers), other notable omissions were Queensland captain, John Sattler (Wests) and State second rower, Des Morris (Easts). Sattler scored a try in Wests’ loss to Wynnum, but it wasn’t enough to get the nod of approval from the Brisbane selectors.
Inskip played five eighth against Wests, with Bob Patterson at fullback, with Patterson scoring two tries. But Inskip was man of the match in an action packed 80 minutes, featuring several memorable tries. One of the best was scored by Wests elusive centre, Eric Robinson, who danced his way past four defenders, at the end of a move started by halves, Greg Oliphant and Steve Williams. Robinson was Wests’ best.
Brothers caused another upset when they accounted for Redcliffe 16-14 at Corbett Park, Grange, after the Dolphins had led 11-0 after 20 minutes. Brothers’ prop, David Wright engineered the fightback, setting up speedy lock, Greg Thomas for a number of long runs. Brothers’ hero in defence was former North Sydney hooker, Ross Franklin, deputising for Test rake, Brian Fitzsimmons. Redcliffe’s most dangerous player was centre, Ron Carige, while second rower, Ray Higgs had a great all-round game. There were rumours former Test lock, Johnny Raper would take on the Brothers’ coaching job in 1974.
Norths and Easts played a 15-all draw at Lang Park, after Easts led 11-2 at halftime, but after a roast from coach, Bob Hagan, the Devils hit top gear, with centre, Glenn Harrison starting the comeback, scoring a 50 metre try, after a break by halfback, Steve Farquhar (now joint licensee of the Caxton Hotel).
Norths’ five eighth, Des Noble was the most dangerous player on the field, ably supported by Harrison. Easts’ skilful forward, Darryl Van de Velde was the Tigers’ best.
In the Saturday Lang Park match, Valleys defeated Souths 15-2 in a match labelled ‘dreary’ by The Courier-Mail’s Lawrie Kavanagh.
“It was one of those games in which both teams looked as if they got out of the bed on the wrong side – possibly the worst match at Lang Park this year,” Kavanagh wrote. John Crilly and Jeff Gill were Valleys’ best, while another forward – Mick Otton – was the Magpies’ star.
The Brisbane side named after the round was: Peter Inskip (Wynnum), Bob Beatson (Valleys), Ian Dauth (Brothers), Gerry Fitzpatrick, (Valleys), John Grant (Souths), Eric Lilley (Norths), Steve Williams (Wests), Lee Hutchinson (Easts), Ross Strudwick (Valleys), Jeff Gill (Valleys), Ian Thinee (Redcliffe), Greg Veivers (Souths), Rod Halley (Redcliffe), David Wright (Brothers), Paul Khan (Easts), John Lang (Easts), Hugh O’Doherty (Valleys), Kev Stephens (Easts).
Kedron High defeated Wynnum 22-4 in the Brisbane Secondary Schools Grand Final at Lang Park on August 1, while Banyo defeated Cavendish Road 17-13 in a memorable under-16 final, with an extra 10 minutes each way required to break a 8-8 deadlock on fulltime. Future Brisbane Rothmans Gold Medal winner, Neville Draper, scored two tries for Banyo.
The State Primary Schools Finals were played three days later at Lang Park. South Zone defeated West Zone 14-0 in the Opens. The other games were played in weight divisions, with Bevan Baptiste scoring three tries in North Sandgate’s 19-0 win over Wynnum, in the seven stone match. Individual schools involved in the finals, included The Gap, Nundah, Nashville, Nudgee and Watson Road.
Footnote: There were a number of changes to the Brisbane squad for the State championship match, in the 10 days following the naming of the initial squad. It didn’t matter in the end, with Brisbane thrashing Wide Bay 41-5, the country boys unable to match the attacking skills of the city boys.
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