Marie Ricketts in Roma Street Gardens
MONDAY, DECEMBER 19
Former Canberra Raider, Wayne Jensen, has died, aged 62. A product of the Kingaroy Red Ants in Queensland, Jensen played for the Toowoomba side which beat Great Britain in 1979. I attended the match to support my good mates from Widnes, Eric Hughes and Mick Adams, who were in the touring side. The loss was their first on tour, and no doubt dissuaded quite a few people from attending the First Test at Lang Park a few days later. Jensen, who joined the Raiders in 1983, also played for Wests Magpies in Sydney, and Souths Magpies in Brisbane. One of my good mates, Dennis Moore, another Kingaroy boy, attended Wayne’s funeral. Jensen had been living at Woodgate on Queensland’s Fraser Coast.
St George Illawarra and the NSW Waratahs Rugby side hold a joint training run. A member of the Waratahs’ squad is Tane Edmed, a son of former Balmain prop, Steve Edmed. Evidently the Dragons’ players’ attempt at a rugby line-out was hilarious. Former Great Britain rugby league lock, Kevin Sinfield is the new England Rugby Union Defence coach, replacing another league man, Brett Hodgson, an Australian. My former league writing compatriot, Steve Mascord, now based in England, catches up with mates at Forrester’s Pub, Surry Hills in Sydney. Also there are former NRL Media boss, John Brady and current NRL media reporter, Brad Walter, who wears a French Rugby League jersey. Brad is a noted league internationalist. There aren’t many of us left.
I started the day watching highlights of the soccer World Cup final between Argentina and France, alongside our daughter, Melanie Mariotto and her husband, Greg, who are ‘home’ for Christmas. It is a great game and the ‘Argies’ win in a penalty shootout. Argentinian goal keeper, Emiliano Martinez, is a beast.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20
Marie and I walk in Roma Street Gardens. There is a ‘BODGIE’ number plate on a passing car. For those of you who don’t know what a bodgie is: It refers to a male delinquent teenager of the 1950s. The female equivalent is a ‘WIDGIE’.
Greg Carey, who returns for a short stint on 4BC, touches on former Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd’s appointment as Ambassador to the USA. Rudd’s posting is universally bagged by listeners. Carey encourages people who think Rudd will do well, to call in, but there are no takers. I thought Kevin was one of Queensland’s favourite sons. I’m being sarcastic.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21
Celtic Rangers win 3-2 with two goals in injury time against Aberdeen in Scottish soccer. Aberdeen players are gutted because they thought they had a famous victory at home. The Courier-Mail’s Chief League writer, Peter Badel phones, wanting telephone numbers for former Broncos, Julian O’Neill and Joe Kilroy. He reckons I should have written the O’Neill Bio. (Jules had asked me to do so, when I interviewed him at Chandler, for the book ‘Bennett’s Broncos’, back in 2013. It was a task I considered too risky).
Christmas drinks at Stafford Tavern with the likes of Len O’Brien, Dave Corbett, Peter Skerman and Jimmy Whitbourne, prove enjoyable. Jimmy was in the same class – at St Flannan’s, Zillmere – as our youngest son, Lliam, and says a female teacher (not a nun) once kicked Lliam in the shins, for misbehaving in class. I was probably tempted to do the same a few times. But if that happened now, there would be hell to pay.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22
In the wake of Covid, lower tier rugby league in the UK has taken a hit, with Wests Wales, Oxford, Gloucester and Hemel Hempstead having withdrawn from League One. Former Penrith, Parramatta, Canberra and Huddersfield (England) player, Brad Drew features on ‘Selling Homes Australia’. Brad is a sales manager at BCM Property.
Prominent Queensland Rugby Union official, Lyn Crowley has died. He had no love for the 13-man code and would not allow the Brisbane Rugby League match of the day to be shown on the television at Wests’ Rugby Union Club. Toowong, a ground which I think was once home of Wests Toowong Rugby League. When Crowley played first grade hooker for Wests in 1959, there were just 16 rugby union clubs in the whole state of Queensland. A solicitor, he was noted as the QRU’s ‘ideas man’ in the 1970s, and coined the phrase ‘Boo a Blue’, which became an eye catching promotional tool for the inter-state clashes with New South Wales.
Marie and I watch Aussie movie ‘The Drover’s Wife’, which we enjoy. But it’s not something the author of the original ‘Drover’s Wife’, Henry Lawson, would recognise.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23
Legendary Newtown Jets rugby league player, Ken Wilson, has died aged 71. When someone mentions Newtown, I automatically think of Brian ‘Chicka’ Moore, Lionel Williamson AND Ken Wilson. Wilson was a prolific points scorer, and one of those rare players able to slow a game down to his pace. He kicked the field goal in Sydney rugby league’s only 1-0 result – for Newtown against St George in 1973. Born in Sydney, Wilson also played Australian rules, before concentrating on league. He also played for Penrith and Port Kembla (Illawarra League), but is best remembered as a star at Henson Park (Newtown’s home ground).
Page 1 of ‘The Courier Mail’ screams ‘Don’t Kiss Nana’ a reference to the fact the kids have to be careful with the oldies this Christmas, with Covid going around.
A flare is let off at a Roar (soccer) home game at Kayo (previously Dolphin Oval) Stadium, Redcliffe. That would be a first at a ground which is traditionally host to rugby league, as ‘our people’ don’t generally indulge in that sort of dangerous behaviour.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24
Noted author, Hugh Lunn asks for my permission to use stuff from my ‘What a Put Down’ story, on this Blog. (It’s about Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam attending a rugby league Test). Hugh, like me, attended the 1972 inter-state match in which NSW forward, John Elford ironed out Queensland glamour boy, Richie Twist. Hugh also recalls working with David Falkenmire at ‘The Australian’. Dave was writing rugby league at the Brisbane ‘Telegraph’ when I joined the sports department from general, early in 1981.
Sydney Swans’ Aussie rules pioneer, Barry Round, has died, aged 72. I remember the publicity shots surrounding Round’s arrival in Sydney. He was a big bloke, built in the same way as rugby league players, rather than the slender AFL types you see today. Originally from Warragul (my grandfather, William Ricketts’ home town), Round was popular across the sporting spectrum.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25
Marie and I host family Christmas Day at our place at Samford Grove, and our grandsons, Ethan and Connor have a go at the oysters. To my relief, they don ‘t like them.
Learn of the passing of noted fashion designer, Daniel Lightfoot, aged 58. I was part of a Miss Norths’ judging panel, with Daniel, back in the 1980s. Daniel was a Norths’ Devils Rugby League fan. I think Pam Randall and Kevin Brasch were other members of that judging panel. It was not a bikini parade, but it still might be considered politically incorrect today.
About Author
