Paul Broughton with the pre-season trophy his Balmain side won in 1976
MONDAY, DECEMBER 5
Legendary coach, Phil ‘Gus’ Gould rates the late Paul Broughton the most intelligent and passionate rugby league man he has known, while radio commentator, Ray Hadley calls Paul a visionary. Hadley says Broughton and Peter Corcoran masterminded pathway systems for youngsters wanting to make it to the top in rugby league. I interviewed Paul many times during his time as Gold Coast Titans’ Chairman. I also wrote a feature article about him for Men of League Foundation magazine. Paul died on December 3, aged 91.
TigersTV’s Darryl Bogan wants me to write the script for a film, marking the Centenary of Easts Tigers. Peter Psaltis has already agreed to provide the commentary. I respectfully decline, simply because I don’t feel I can devote the necessary time to the project.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6
Dallas Johnson, one of rugby league’s great tacklers, is helping Gold Coast Titans with their defensive techniques. Former QRL History Committee Chair, Kevin Brasch donates badges to the League, for display at RLHQ.
My former schoolmate, Bob Swales bumped into former Brisbane Brothers and Wynnum-Manly forward, Lester Young, in Darwin, during his recent travels. “A nice old bloke,” says Bob, about Lester. Bob and I are old blokes as well, Lester.
Learn of the passing of Kirstie Alley, aged 71, the actress from the US comedy, Cheers. I thought she was great in the role.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7
Radio SEN has all sorts of dramas, going off air at regular intervals, so I switch to RadioTAB. My former Brisbane Brothers’ teammate, Clem Hovi and I have morning tea in the library of Samford Grove over-55 village, where my wife, Marie and I live. Clem came to Brisbane from the Burdekin Valley in 1970, and now lives at Eaton’s Hill, not far from Samford.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8
Trevor Kirk, founder of The Magazine Publishing Company (TMPC) has died. I did some work for TMPC, most notably writing programs for the Great Britain Rugby League tour of Australia in 1992. The programs copped some criticism in the Sydney press, for team list errors, and that was partly to do with the fact the magazines were done well in advance. But there was no praise for the fact the magazines contained many excellent feature articles, something I was proud of, given I spent so many hours or my spare time interviewing the likes of Will Cordwell, Pat O’Doherty, Chris Phelan, Mick Adams, Sonny Nickle, Cavill Heugh, Phil Blake and Dennis Ward. I interviewed former Test halfback, Ward ahead of Britain’s game against Newcastle, given Ward had played in the Newcastle club competition, as well as with Widnes in England. Dennis also coached the Newcastle representative side to a win over France in 1981.
An SBS reporter covering the Socceroos, says our national soccer team represents our diversity, ‘the real Australia’. I would imagine this reporter would view rugby league as strictly for Anglo-Celts, Polynesians and the Indigenous. I don’t see many indigenous involved with soccer, and they are the ‘real’ Australians. It’s ironic that many soccer people preach diversity, while at the same time being intolerant of other codes of ‘football’, always citing the fact there’s is the ‘world game’.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9
Inaugural Brisbane Broncos’ coach, Wayne Bennett recalls the club’s first pre-season camp – at Kooralbyn Golf Resort in 1987 – with a host of Brisbane journalists descending on the complex, near Beaudesert, me included. Alongside me was Channel 7’s Pat Welsh, who makes his last appearance on the station today. Bennett is one of those to pay tribute to Pat, acknowledging the Bundaberg lad’s longevity in the media.
The flood damage to Queensland Rugby League headquarters, Milton, is still being assessed. One thing is for sure, a lot of historical items have been lost or ruined.
Marie and I have drinks at Crown Hotel, Lutwyche after attending birthday party for our grandson, Connor, in Melrose Park, Wooloowin, opposite where Marie and I lived (in Rose Street) from late 1978 until mid-1980. Happy Hour at Samford Grove is called off because a number of residents have Covid.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10
Jane Cadzow has a feature on golfing great, Greg Norman in the Sydney Morning Herald. Jane was writing sports features in ‘The Courier-Mail’ in 1981, my first year as a fulltime rugby league writer – with Courier stable mate, the ‘Telegraph’. I particularly recall one feature article Jane wrote about Souths’ Magpies skipper, Bruce Astill.
St George Illawarra’s 2010 NRL Premiership side has a belated 10 year reunion, with Covid ruining plans for 2020. I covered the Grand Final for ‘The Courier-Mail’, hoping the Roosters would win, and things looked good when they led 8-6 at halftime. But tries to winger, Jason Nightingale in the 46th and 60th minutes effectively ended the Chooks’ hopes. It must have been super coach, Wayne Bennett’s halftime address. Another former Bronco, Darius Boyd, won the Clive Churchill Medal as Man of the Match. It was another heartbreaking loss for Roosters’ coach, Brian Smith, after his Dragons’ outfits had been beaten by the Bennett coached Broncos in 1992 and ’93.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11
Former New South Wales State of Origin forward, Bob Cooper has died, aged 67, after a battle with prostate cancer. Cooper played in the inaugural Origin match, at Lang Park, in 1980. He played 94 first grade games for Wests Magpies and North Sydney. His career was marred by an incident in 1982, when he copped a 15-month ban for his role in a brawl in a match between Wests and Illawarra. According to his coach, Roy Masters, Cooper was a sacrificial lamb at a time when administrators were trying to clean up the game.
Noted sports author, Geoff Armstrong says one of his heroes was St George five eighth, Tony Trudgett, who played five eighth in St George’s 1979 premiership side. Geoff recalls Brisbane based ABC sports caller, Clive Harburg, having a voice like Prime Minister, Sir Robert Menzies. Clive, who came from Longreach, called the last few overs of the historic tied Test between Australia and the Wests Indies at the Gabba, after the ABC’s number one caller, Alan McGilvray took an early flight back to Sydney, thinking the match would finish in a boring draw.
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Always enjoy your posts Steve, brings many great memories of yesteryear and modern times. Hope you and your wife Marie are well