Steve Renouf
Test centre, Steve Renouf scored a 95 metre try six minutes from fulltime to give the Broncos a 26-22 win over North Sydney in a Toohey’s Pre-Season quarter final played at Parkes in Western New South Wales.
Renouf heaped praise on hooker, Kerrod Walters for putting him into the clear, with a sweetly timed pass after a cross-field run, which had the defence in two minds.
The Broncos led 18-0 after 30 minutes, with winger, Willie Carne having scored two tries. But Norths fought back, with fullback, Greg Barwick and Kiwi Test winger, Sean Hoppe crossing, while tries by Queensland forwards, Gary Larson and Billy Moore in the final quarter brought the score to 22-all, and extra time was on the cards.
Broncos’ prop, Glenn Lazarus was in awe of Renouf.
“I reckon I had only made it to our 20 metre line, by the time he scored,” Lazarus said.
Carne said Renouf’s capacity to show such dash over 95 metres in the dying minutes of the game was a tribute to the work of trainer, Kelvin Giles, and his 400 metre sprint training program, in particular.
Features of the match were the hard hitting defence of Broncos’ lock, Peter Ryan, and the clash of halfbacks, Allan Langer (Broncos) and Jason Taylor (Norths).
The Broncos’ win meant they would play Illawarra Steelers in a semi-final in Alice Springs.
Illawarra, coached by Graham Murray, defeated Canberra 18-12 in the early match of the Parkes’ double header. Former Illawarra winger, Alan McIndoe, who was coaching Tumut in the Riverina competition, rated the Steelers a premiership threat.
While the Broncos top graders were registering a win ‘down south’, the fringe players were suffering a humiliating loss to the Atherton Roosters in Far North Queensland.
Atherton, the 1993 Cairns club competition premiers, won 38-18, and featured nine players from the North Queensland Cowboys training squad, including brothers, Trevor and Colin Bradtke, who were outstanding. (The Cowboys were to enter the competition in 1995).
It was a huge weekend for the Tablelands town with Queensland State of Origin coach, Wally Lewis compere of a sportsmen’s night, while top jockey, Mel Schumacher rode in four races at a local meet.
Roosters’ president, Michael Nasser, a noted publican, said the match came about when he issued a challenge to Broncos’ chairman, Paul ‘Porky’ Morgan, in 1993 when he was in town for a Variety Club car bash.
Broncos’ coach, Steve Calder said his players didn’t expect the Atherton boys to be as good as they were. Lock, Sid Domic and Australian Schoolboys’ skipper, Ben Walker were rated by Calder as his best.
Another Broncos’ side, coached by Ivan Henjak, defeated Toowoomba 24-4 at Stanthorpe, with forwards, Brad Thorne, Matt McCosker and Glenn Hauff in outstanding form in the heavy going. Former Brothers’ and St George skipper, Trevor Bailey managed the Broncos’ side in Stanthorpe.
In other trials: Gold Coast Seagulls belted Logan City 52-4, while Brisbane Easts lost 16-14 to Beaudesert. Brisbane Wests defeated Wynnum 28-6 at Purtell Park with second rower, Steele Retchless; halfback, Adrian Lam and winger, Peter Tong best for the victors. Redcliffe defeated Central Burnett 58-6 in the Ian ‘Bunny’ Pearce Memorial match at Gayndah, with forwards, Brad Pike and Craig Spark dominant.
Halfback Peter Dodd was brilliant for Ipswich in their 46-0 win over Beenleigh. Valleys maintained their solid trials form with a 36-16 win over Norths.
Footnote: I covered the Parkes’ double header for ‘The Courier-Mail’ and had to file my stories from the ground’s canteen, as there were no phones in the press box. The smell of deep frying chips gave me hunger pangs as I dictated my stories to a copy taker, much to the amusement of the canteen workers.
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