The Samford Pub
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21
The great Duncan Thompson’s grandson, Phil tells me the family will publish a book, written by Duncan back in 1974. The only time I met Duncan, who played 17 games for Queensland and nine Tests for Australia, was in 1972 when I attended a coaching clinic conducted by the great man, at Miami High, on the Gold Coast. It turns out Phil was a student at Miami that year, and it was then a noted league school, turning out players like future State reps, Brad Kennedy (Qld) and Steve Hage (NSW), with Kennedy chosen from Gympie and Hage from Sydney. The foreword was written by QRL supremo, the late Ron McAuliffe, and Phil is trying to find relatives of Ron, to let them know about the book.
There are now 25 registered players training with new NRL franchise, the Dolphins, at Redcliffe. “It looks like a footy team training now,” says Media Manager, Trad McLean. Ten of the 25 are NRL first grade regulars.
Learn of the passing of John Heyward, a former Wests Magpies’ (Sydney) player, who represented City Seconds in 1972. Also learn of the passing of former Wests, Balmain and North Sydney centre, Tim Murphy.
Harry Chadburn, who is part of the Gold Coast Titans’ Northern Rivers squad, is a nephew of Gerald Chadburn, who was a top centre in the Group 18/Gold Coast competition in the 1970s. Playing for Brothers in Murwillumbah, I got pushed out to the centres once, to mark him. It didn’t go well for me.
There are widespread reports of feral behaviour by Schoolies on the Gold Coast, litter part of their misconduct. Those same ferals will be lecturing us oldies about climate change in the coming years.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22
Australian coach, Mal Meninga implores administrators to put an international schedule in place. It is one of the great shortcomings of our game, that since the ‘Super League War’ ended in 1997, the international program has been made up on the run.
At Samford Patisserie I chat to a chap (Dave) from Hull in England, who talks warmly of his rugby league club, Hull FC (The other rugby league club in the city is Hull Kingston Rovers, while the soccer club is Hull City). This fellow praises the club’s former Australian coach, Peter Sharpe. “He changed the attitudes at our club – made it more professional,” he says.
Pakistan cricket great, Wasim Akram, who is on a book tour of Australia, says hockey and squash are ‘dead’ in his home country – it is all cricket now. My former Brisbane Telegraph workmate, Dave Argus toured Pakistan with the Australian hockey side back in 1971. In 1979, when Dave was captain-coach of Redcliffe hockey, he took his players for a run around the streets of the city, and couldn’t understand why a number of passers-by were heckling them. It turns out the locals thought it was the Redcliffe rugby league side, which was on the nose at the time, because they were going so badly.
Murwillumbah races are on TV as I enjoy a Toohey’s in the public bar. Another drinker says: ‘Where’s Murwillumbah’, as the races from the Tweed Valley town are shown on television. I tell him it’s just south of Condong. A bloke with an educated sounding voice comments that Australia plays France in World Cup soccer tomorrow. A cow cockie retorts: “Who fucking cares”. Another group talks climate change, and the ‘cow cockie’ is a climate change denier. “But, if it does happen, I hope it (the rising seas) claim the Gold Coast, hopefully when Schoolies are on”. I added that last bit about Schoolies.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23
Our good friend from Dover in England, Maggie Dobson, texts about the Socceroos’ 4-1 loss to France in the World Cup. She didn’t text once during the rugby league World Cup in the UK. She probably didn’t know it was on, given the south of England has little interest in ‘that northern game’. Maggie says the female licensee of the Louis Armstrong Pub (formerly the Grapes) in Dover, has passed away, but the family has carried on in her name. I had drinks there a few times during my regular visits to Dover, on one occasion being part of a ‘lock-in’ after hours. The licensee lit up a cigarette behind the bar. “Feel the evil,” she said. The no smoking policy damaged trade at many licensed establishments.
My wife estimates that a grocery shopping trip is now is $50 dearer than 12 months ago.
There is a big welcome at Sydney Airport for the Samoan rugby league side, beaten by Australia in the World Cup final. The Kangaroos will arrive home to family and friends. Such is the changing face of Australia. Or maybe, we just take the Kangaroos for granted.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24
Radio TAB’s sports expert, Leo Hanrahan says he played schoolboys rugby union with League ‘Immortal’, Wally Lewis. Radio 2GB’s Ray Hadley tells Men of League Foundation chair, Helen Wood Grant he is in favour of the name change to Family of League. I have no problem with it, given the Foundation has been helping men, woman and children, since its inception 20 years ago.
I have a sneezing fit at PerioCare, Chermside, a reaction, I think, to a photo I just saw of our Defence Minister, Marles with a uniformed Chinese Defence Minister. My dental hygienist is going to Brunswick Heads for Christmas – her first time there. It was a popular family destination for me, when I was growing up at Murwillumbah. It’s where I got to like oysters.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25
Veteran coaches, John ‘Knuckles’ Connolly (rugby union) and Wayne Bennett (rugby league) are my interview subjects at Family of League Foundation lunch at Maroochydore RSL. John, who is a paraplegic following a fall, is accompanied by his wife, Jo (A Kiwi from Wellington) and a NDIS carer. John, who played front row for our Queensland journalists rugby league team, in 1979 (it’s a long story) is inspirational, although, to my way of thinking, he overdoes the ‘Rugby is a world game’ thing, sticking it up us ‘Leagueis’. Wayne, to use his words, has his ‘happy socks on’, and is entertaining. Our eldest son, Damien asks if I have told Wayne I loved him in Grand Torino. Wayne recalls colourful rugby league forward, John Elias phoning him from jail on Christmas Day. Elias was part of Souths’ Magpies 1985 Premiership winning side, which was coached by Wayne. I have a nice chat to my former Brisbane Norths’ teammate, Danny Castle and former Brisbane Easts’ players Rod West, Greg Carson, Brad Price and Col Foran, before I leave.
A Group 3 Hall of Fame function is held at Wingham in the Manning Valley of NSW, a town where I had a season with the Tigers rugby league side – in 1975. Former Tiger, Jake Kennett is inducted, along with radio commentator, Marshall Loadsman. Kennett was tough as they come, unlike an Iranian soccer player I saw take a dive in a World Cup game against Wales. He stayed down forever, when absolutely nothing happened to him. He was just embarrassed because a Welsh bloke got past him.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26
Scotland rugby union great, Doddie Weir has died, a victim of Motor Neuron Disease. English league great, Kevin Sinfield, one of Wayne Bennett’s favourite players, praises Doddie for his work for MND. Sinfield has been a tower of strength for another MND sufferer, fellow Leeds’ favourite, Rob Burrow. Former Australian centre, Geoff Starling has his 70th birthday party at Tweed Heads. Starling’s first assignment in the Australian jersey was the 1971 tour of New Zealand, Wayne Bennett was also on that tour. Marie and I attend a Christmas buffet with friends from the ‘Playgroup Mob’.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27
Dan Andrews is re-elected Premier of Victoria. Either the Opposition is crap, or voters are brain dead.
The Wallabies have an amazing win over Wales in Cardiff. They were down by 19 points with 20 minutes left! Our daughter, Melanie Mariotto is in Seoul, Korea, on assignment, as an events manager.
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