Valleys’ halfback, Brett Daunt
Sunday, February 26, 1989 provided a couple of choices for the rugby league faithful in Brisbane – the Broncos’ Fan Day at Red Hill or the Woolies’ Pre-season Final between Valleys and Norths at Lang Park.
The Fan Day drew the biggest crowd, with just 1,500 turning up at League headquarters for a match won 19-16 by Valleys.
It was a reflection on the changing face of rugby league in the Queensland capital, with the Broncos – coached by Wayne Bennett and skippered by Wally Lewis – playing in the ‘Sydney competition’ and relying mainly on the elite players from the Brisbane Premiership, which had previously been the focus of the sports media.
The last ‘great’ Brisbane Grand Final was played between Brothers and Redcliffe in 1987, and then, it seemed, every top line first grader signed with Sydney clubs for the following season, with the Broncos, Gold Coast Giants (which then became the Seagulls) and St George taking most of the elite for the their first and reserve grade sides.
At the start of the 1989 Brisbane season there were even more defections, including Cameron Wade (Wynnum to St George); Pat O’Doherty (Ipswich to Wests Magpies); Glenn Haggath (Ipswich to Canterbury-Bankstown); Jason Wallace (Logan City to Wests). Hardest hit were Valleys who lost centre, Kelly Egan to North Sydney; Prop, Shane Kelly to St George; second rower, Tim Fuller to Gold Coast and five eighth, Peter Coyne to England. Souths Magpies lost former Queensland State of Origin forward, Bob Kellaway to retirement. There were no outside gains of any note.
One of Valleys singings – Murray Fiechtner from Canberra (but originally from Pittsworth) – scored the vital try in the Woolies final, crossing in the corner with 13 minutes remaining. Norths, coached by former Test halfback, Greg Oliphant, were leading 16-10 at that stage.
Steve Hegarty, who had landed only one goal from five shots, kicked the conversion. Hegarty missed with a penalty shot four minutes later and from the resultant line drop-out, Ziggy Strasser sent a field goal shot under the cross bar. But halfback, Brett Daunt made no mistake in the 75th minutes for a 17-16 lead and then landed a penalty goal in the dying seconds.
Valleys’ halfback, Ross ‘Angry Ant’ Henrick was confident his side could defend its Brisbane Premiership title, despite the loss of Egan, Kelly and Fuller as well as halfback, Wayne Cullen (Pittsworth) and Stephen Boys to Collinsville.
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