Henry Holloway
“Henry Holloway let too many Wynnum players brush through his weak tackles.”
So wrote an anonymous contributor to the Brisbane Rugby League Program, after the first round of the 1964 BRL premiership season.
The contributor wrote under the heading ‘Without Apology’, and he (or she) came up with some controversial stuff, which is always easier when you don’t have to put a name to it. Just ask today’s social media keyboard warriors.
Anyway, it made for interesting reading.
Here is the item, in full, which relates to Test forward, Holloway, one of the great characters of rugby league.
“Henry Holloway will want to do more for his money than he did against Wynnum-Manly at Redcliffe Showgrounds last week. Henry let too many Wynnum players brush through his weak tackles. Henry was well off the mark with his goal kicking and organisation of his forwards in attack.”
Holloway played prop for Redcliffe with future Test prop, Arthur Beetson in the centres alongside another Indigenous star, Kevin Yow Yeh.
Wynnum-Manly’s Bill McDermott also came under fire in ‘Without Apology’.
“That spare tyre Bill is sporting is taking a long time to run off. It was more noticeable than ever last Sunday against Redcliffe when ‘Puffin Billy’ tried, and failed, to run down a couple of forwards.”
Brothers’ Test forward, Peter Gallagher also came under fire, for his performance against Norths at Lang Park.
“Come on now ‘Pedro’. Spectators who pay to see a Test player in action, are entitled to see something better than a quiet stroll around the field.”
Poor old ‘Pedro’ was not long back from the Kangaroo tour of Britain and France, so he was probably entitled to ease himself into the new domestic season. Gallagher was named captain of the Brisbane representative side to play Toowoomba in the first Bulimba Cup game of the season, with Brothers’ teammate, Peter Hanna at halfback. Dennis Manteit and Mick Veivers were named in a star studded Toowoomba pack.
There was excitement in the Brothers’ camp ahead of their first ever Premiership match to be played at the club’s new home ground, Corbett Park, Grange – against Wynnum-Manly.
Former First grade star, Ned Green had taken over the reserve grade coaching duties at Wynnum, with original choice, Kev Pobar taking on managerial duties for first grade.
Rockhampton football was drawing big crowds with the likes of representative stars, Ray Laird and Bob Duncan (Railways), Garth Budge (Norths) and Ben Wall (Fitzroys) turning out for local clubs.
Representative Primary Schools and Secondary Schools sides were named from Brisbane and Toowoomba. The Toowoomba Primary schools side included ‘P Wicks’ in the second row. I wonder if that is my former Queensland Newspapers’ workmate, Paul Wicks, who was a rugby league writer at the ‘Telegraph’ before I took on the role.
The Brisbane Secondary Schools side was chosen from Wavell, Kedron , Salisbury, Cavendish Road, Balmoral and Mt Gravatt Highs.
In New South Wales Country, Lithgow Workmen’s signed two State basketball reps, Kevin Martin and Barry Hill, who played basketball with Workmen’s Kangaroos’ star, Barry Rushworth. Another Kangaroo, Greg Hawick announced his retirement from rugby league, after having his jaw broken in a club match in Wagga Wagga.
In Sydney, New South Wales’ representative centre, Tony Paskins also announced his retirement, saying it was time for his club, Manly-Warringah to give Alex Tennant his chance in first grade. Manly, who had signed centre, Fred Pickup from Leeds in England, announced that Kangaroo tourist, Frank Stanton would captain the side in 1964.
In England, Test legend, Derek ‘Rocky’ Turner announced this would be his last season with Wakefield Trinity.
The English rugby league had trialled a new rule which meant, instead of the play-the-ball, a scrum would be set, with the side making the tackle having the loose head and the advantage of feeding the ball into the scrum. In one match there were 88 scrums in 80 minutes. Thank heavens that rule never passed the experimental stage.
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