The incident which left John Sattler with a broken jaw in the 1970 Grand Final. John Bucknall is the assailant
John Bucknall, the man who smashed John Sattler’s jaw in the 1970 Sydney Rugby League grand final, was chosen in the ‘Thiess-Toyota’ Country side to play City in a Queensland selection trial at Lang Park.
Bucknall, who played club football for Townsville Brothers, captain-coached North Queensland in the State Championships in Townsville, with Wide Bay winning the tournament and gaining six players in the Country squad.
Sattler’s broken jaw is part of rugby league folklore, with the South Sydney skipper playing 75 minutes of the 1970 Grand Final with the injury, after he was belted off the ball by Manly-Warringah’s Bucknell.
In what shaped as a mouth watering re-match, Sattler made the City side, from Brisbane Wests, where he was the skipper. Both men were chosen in the front row. They had come together in a club match in 1971, and also in an inter-state game in 1973, when Sattler captained Queensland in his first year in the northern state. Bucknall represented New South Wales.
Country, coached by former Test fullback, Ray Laird, include Toowoomba’s Wayne Lindenberg, a player rated one of the most exciting halfbacks produced on the Darling Downs for years. There also were big hopes for Nambour second rower, Ray Higgs.
Former Great Britain Test five eighth, Alan Hardisty, who was a player-coach in Rockhampton, played for Central Queensland in the Country titles, and while he performed well, the selectors wisely went for ‘local’ talent, in Wide Bay five eighth, Bernie Ward.
But the City selectors didn’t worry about the import status of the players they chose, with former Great Britain skipper, Tommy Bishop the halfback; Sattler and Kiwi, Robert Orchard in the front row.
The City selectors were former internationals Duncan Hall and Barry Muir and former State centre, Mick Retchless. Muir, who was State coach, also coached the City side.
In Brisbane club football, Easts brought off a stunning upset with a stirring 17-13 win over Brothers at Lang Park, with prop, Kev Stephens in outstanding form, his defence often the reason why Brothers met a brick wall when trying to crash through the middle of the ruck.
Brothers scored the try of the match with Ian Dauth, Brian Bennett, Graham Roberts and Graham Quinn all handling before an inside pass to lock, Greg Thomas saw him swerve past desperate defence to score between the posts, completing a 54 metre movement.
Skipper, Ron Raper threw the decisive pass in three of Redcliffe’s four tries in the Dolphins’ 16-7 win over bayside rivals, Wynnum-Manly at the Redcliffe Showgrounds.
Wynnum youngsters, lock, Gary Seaton and second rower, Neil Kingston were non-stop in defence, with Seaton making four tackles in a row at one stage. Wynnum halfback, Des Lee provided excellent service for his backs and cover defended brilliantly. Lee’s former Murwillumbah Brothers’ teammate, Alan Nunan, won the scrums 23-12 for Redcliffe.
Valleys confirmed their premiership favouritism with a 13-10 win over Souths Magpies in a game rated the best of the season, by The Courier-Mail’s Jack Reardon. Valleys’ prop, John Crilly finished with 10 points from a try; three goals and a field goal. The former Ipswich Bulimba Cup representative was determined in defence, and thrilled purists in the 15,000 plus crowd with his excellent ball skills in the rucks.
Reardon was full of praise for Souths’ 1972 World Cup representative, John Grant. “It was one of Grant’s best ever games,” Reardon wrote. “He made many powerful, fast bursts; handled cleanly and was magnificent in defence. On his game yesterday, Grant is Queensland’s top centre. The game and the chanting of fans reached a crescendo late in the second half when Souths made a wonderful comeback, repeatedly launching attacks at the Valleys’ goal line. Rival club barrackers chanted ‘Souths Souths’ and ‘Valleys Valleys’, while the game moved from one end of the field to the other in hard hitting exchanges.”
Souths’ coach, former British Test forward, Brian Briggs described the spectacle as “a lift for the rugby league game. That is what counts most (not the result)”. Can you imagine a NRL coach saying that.
Reardon said the match proved that Valleys’ halfback, Ross Strudwick was the best number 7 in Brisbane, while his halves partner, Marty Scanlan was the best five eighth.
Wests Panthers showed a welcome return to form in defeating Norths 19-13 in the Labor Day clash at Lang Park. Goal kicking proved the difference with Wests Test winger, Wayne Stewart landing five from five, while Norths’ schoolboy prop, Darryl Brohman kicked only two goals from six shots.
Wests’ skipper, Sattler showed a return to form, with some of the pressure taken off him in the ball distributing area, with the return to the side of another former Sydney footballer, Bob Green, after Green had languished in reserve grade for a few weeks.
Norths’ former Great Britain halfback, Tommy Bishop brought off the defensive play of the game, producing a cover defending classic on Wests’ speedy lock, John Ribot.
Footnote: Bucknall withdrew from the Country side a few days before the match against City, with a hamstring injury. His place was taken by Mick Close (Wide Bay), who moved off the bench, with Ipswich forward, Darryl Harrower coming into the squad.
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Great to read 15,000 attending the Souths v Valleys club match. Those type of crowds were the norm at Lang Park in the early-to-mid 70s. These are great old reports Steve – keep them up.