Scott Prince playing for Queensland
Scott Prince played the 300th and last game of his distinguished NRL career, signing off with a sideline conversion in the Brisbane Broncos’ 16-11 win over the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.
Captained by Sam Thaiday, the Broncos’ win meant nothing in terms of the make-up of the NRL finals, with Brisbane finishing 12th on the ladder, three points outside the top eight, a result which angered many of the club’s Old Boys, with Steve Renouf going into print to bag the effort during the season. The teams to contest the finals were the Roosters, Souths, Melbourne, Manly, Cronulla, Canterbury, Newcastle and North Queensland.
The Roosters claimed the minor premiership for the first time since 2004, and finished the season with a 24-12 win over Souths, in front of a crowd of 59,708.
There were 26,599 at Suncorp Stadium for Prince’s farewell match. He played 22 first grade matches in his final season at the top level, scoring four tries and kicking 52 goals. Prince became just the 18th player to reach the 300 game milestone. He also represented the Indigenous All Stars, at the start of the year. Prince finished the year at five eighth, with Ben Hunt the Broncos’ halfback.
Winger, Corey Oates scored two tries for Brisbane and Jack Reed, one, while Josh Reynolds and Krisnan Inu crossed for Canterbury. North Queenslander, Ben Barba came off the bench for the Bulldogs, making a strong return to football, considering his lack of match fitness, and the fact he was under the cloud of an NRL Integrity Unit investigation into an alleged assault on his ex-partner. There were allegations Canterbury had had tried to cover-up the allegations.
In Townsville, Matt Bowen played his final home game for the Cowboys, and didn’t disappoint his legion of fans, scoring two tries in the 50-22 thrashing of Wests Tigers. Fellow Indigenous stars, Johnathan Thurston and Robert Lui also bamboozled the Tigers.
Newcastle trounced Parramatta 54-6 in Newcastle, giving Taree product, Danny Buderus the perfect send-off, with the former Test hooker to hang up his boots after a wonderful career with the Knights, and Leeds in England.
I attended the Suncorp Stadium match between Brisbane and Canterbury, and caught up with the likes of Gary Roberts Lyle Beaton, Wally Lewis, Yvonne Sampson and Wayne Heming.
On September 1, I attended the Norths v Redcliffe Queensland Cup match at Bishop Park, to see former Bronco, Petero Civoniceva’s last game before retirement. He played the 2013 season for his home city, Redcliffe. The match against Norths finished in a draw. I caught up with a cast of thousands on ‘The Hill’ at Bishop, including my former Norths’ teammates from 1979, Peter Clarke, Bruce Whittle and Mark Murray.
I was in the process of writing a book about the Broncos (Bennett’s Broncos) and interviewed legendary halfback, Allan Langer at his Caloundra restaurant in the week leading up to the Suncorp Stadium clash.
I was also invited to hear the case for ‘Brothers’ Bid’ for a place in the NRL, and caught up with ‘Bid Team’ members, Trevor Bailey and Justin Barlow on my return to Brisbane. A few days later there was a Brothers’ reunion and I interviewed Barlow on stage, at the Brothers/Crushers Leagues Club at Grange. Those at the reunion included Tim Dwyer, Gavin Darwin, Jeff Burns, Steve Davis, Matt O’Hanlon and Craig McAlpine.
The following day, Ballina defeated Murwillumbah Mustangs in the Northern Rivers Rugby League Grand Final. (Mustangs are effectively a combination of my old club, Brothers, and Murwillumbah High School Old Boys).
In the Gold Coast club competition, Anthony Watts – who hails from Murwillumbah – was accused of biting an opposition player on the penis, while playing for Tugun against Tweed club, Bilambil. Watts was banned for eight matches. I’m not sure what evidence was tendered at the judiciary hearing.
There was sad news from overseas, with the death of former Great Britain prop, Terry Clawson, and New Zealand great, Mel Cooke. Clawson played for eight clubs in the UK, and spent three off-seasons as captain-coach of Newcastle Souths. Clawson, who toured Australia with the 1974 British side, was 73 when he passed away, in Pontefract, West Yorkshire. Cook, named lock in New Zealand’s Team of the Century in 2007, died in Christchurch, aged 79.
On a personal note, I was saddened by the passing of renowned English journalist and historian, Raymond Fletcher, aged 73. Ray was the Rugby Football League’s official statistician, between 1991 and 2011, and wrote beautifully for the Leeds’ based, Yorkshire Post. My wife, Marie and I were close friends of Ray and his wife, Muriel. I first met Ray when he covered Britain’s 1979 tour ‘down under’.
There was sad news from overseas, with the death of former Great Britain prop, Terry Clawson, and New Zealand great, Mel Cooke. Clawson played for eight clubs in the UK, and spent three off-seasons as captain-coach of Newcastle Souths. Clawson, who toured Australia with the 1974 British side, was 73 when he passed away, in Pontefract, West Yorkshire. Cook, named lock in New Zealand’s Team of the Century in 2007, died in Christchurch, aged 79.
On a personal note, I was saddened by the passing of renowned English journalist and historian, Raymond Fletcher, aged 73. Ray was the Rugby Football League’s official statistician, between 1991 and 2011, and wrote beautifully for the Leeds’ based, Yorkshire Post. My wife, Marie and I were close friends of Ray and his wife, Muriel. I first met Ray when he covered Britain’s 1979 tour ‘down under’.
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