Tom Raudonikis in action for Australia against Wales in Swansea in 1978. The referee is Englishman, Ron Campbell
The Queensland Rugby League said it would consider offering ABC Television a ‘remote areas’ package to ensure country people could see the big matches in what promised to be an enormous season, with Great Britain to tour, and Wally Lewis favoured to captain Australia.
QRL boss, Ron McAuliffe, a former Labor Party Senator, said if the ABC rejected the offer, he would take the case to Prime Minister, Bob Hawke.
Channel 0 (now Channel 10) had exclusive rights to Brisbane Premiership and State League matches, but the station did not cover wide areas of Queensland.
McAuliffe said the QRL and Channel 0 would offer to the ABC – free of charge – the right to replay all matches from Lang Park, throughout Queensland, at any time which did not directly clash with the commercial channel telecast.
“The ABC is expected to do much more for remote areas, in view of the Federal Government’s policy on sporting events of major interest,” McAuliffe said. “If the ABC declines our club football package, we will ask the NSWRL and the ARL, to approach the ABC to have the three State of Origin games and three Test matches telecast throughout Queensland. The next step is to approach the PM.”
The 1984 Brisbane Woolies pre-season draw was released and it was confirmed premiership points also would be up for grabs. The competition was to kick-off with Brothers hosting Easts at Corbett Park, Grange, in a Friday night clash.
Brothers, coached by former Test halfback, Tom Raudonikis, were labelled one of the competition’s big spenders, but president, Frank Melit debunked those claims.
“We don’t want to win a premiership on hire purchase,” Melit said.
‘Newcomers’ to the Brothers’ camp included ‘Smokin’ Joe Kilroy (Norths), Mark Crear (Wests), Peter Lehman (South Sydney), Brad Garrett (Parramatta), Gary Smith (Caloundra), Gary Johnson (Newcastle), Henry Foster (Penrith), Greg Smith (Rockhampton), Brett Ferguson (Wests), Jim Heery (Gold Coast), Phil Horton (Norths) and Paul Beauchamp (Valleys).
Meanwhile Sydney ‘Super coach’, Jack Gibson was being mooted as coach of the Queensland Country side to contest the knockout KB Cup competition, and to tour New Zealand.
About Author
