Former Keighley (UK) rugby league player, Rob Cubis and Marie Ricketts
MONDAY, JANUARY 2
South Lismore rugby league product, Rob Cubis has only fond memories of his time playing for Keighley Cougars in West Yorkshire, England. Keighley, which switched from rugby union to league in 1900, will be coached by former Australian Schoolboys’ rep., Rhys Lovegrove, this season. Rob, who now lives at Brunswick Heads, went to the UK with another Lismore player, Primo Casagrande, back in the 1970s, and ended up marrying a Keighley lass. South Lismore was the club my father, Jon Ricketts played for, back in the late 1940s/early 1950s. Rob, who also played for Wests in Lismore, recalls future Manly-Warringah star, Tom Mooney playing rugby union on Saturdays and league on Sunday during his time at Teachers’ College in Lismore. Rob is a friend of my wife, Marie’s sister, Carolyn Soward.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 3
Former International Greats (FIGS) have a get-together at Tiffany’s, Coolangatta on the Gold Coast. In attendance are the likes of former Australian fullback, Graham ‘Wombat’ Eadie and former Kiwi centre, Bernie Lowther, as well as a host of other local league identities, not necessarily blokes who represented their country – men like Neil Pringle, Mick Ryan, Greg Bandiera and Peter O’Neill, as well as legendary boxing trainer, Johnny Lewis.
There is much debate in the cricket fraternity about an attempted (unsuccessful) Mankad by Stars’ skipper, Adam Zampa, on Renegades’ batsman, Tom Rogers in a Melbourne derby T20 cricket match. Indian/Australian Cricket journalist, Bharat Sundaresan says he was given a hard time by security at a Test match he covered in Australia, and calls what happened to him as an example of racism. Now, I think everyone assumes the security person must have been white, and that probably was the case. But if he was white, he is a rare beast, because nearly all the security people I see at sporting events are Polynesian, African or – dare I say it, from the sub-continent. It’s getting that way at airports as well. Not that there is anything wrong with that. Some people believe the term Mankad (named after former Indian cricketer, Vinoo Mankad) is also racist, and that it would not apply if such an attempted run-out had been tried by someone called Smith or Jones. No-one has gone to bat for former rugby league star, Mario ‘Maltese Falcon’ Fenech. The term ‘Falcon’ is now universally accepted as applicable to an athlete copping a ball directly to head, after an incident involving Mario in a match at Parramatta Stadium, in 1995, when a pass from dummy half hit the then veteran (South Queensland Crushers) forward in the head. I covered that match for ‘The Courier-Mail’.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4
Our eldest son, Damien; his wife, Emma and daughters, Parker and Evan return to Ayr in North Queensland, after a Christmas/New Year break here in South East Queensland.
Former Gold Coast Titans’ football manager, Scott Clarke has been appointed CEO at Redcliffe’s Hostplus Cup outfit. Former Catalans’ Dragons star, Tony Gigot joins French Elite 1 club, Albi.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 5
Top Sydney league journalist, Michael Chammas says former Australian skipper, Darren Lockyer was a good player, but not worthy of ‘Immortal’ status. I beg to differ. I think the fact Darren did not have a larger than life personality counts against him. There is a statue to him at Suncorp Stadium. Enough said. Newcastle cricket product, Belinda Clark’s Statue is unveiled at the SCG, in recognition of her services to our national game. There is a memorial service at Albany Creek for Marcia Hill, who was a a volunteer for Norths Aspley Devils Junior Rugby League Club in Brisbane. Also learn of the passing of Elwyn Mohr, father of former Queensland rugby league utility back, Clinton Mohr, who played for Brothers in Brisbane; St George in Sydney and Gold Coast Seagulls.
Have you noticed that in the drink/driving television ads, all the offenders are white? Must be one of the few ads that is not multi-cultural. It probably would be construed (by some) to be racist to have coloured people being idiots, so the advertisers play it safe.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 6
Our youngest son, Lliam has AI software, and asks it for a Bio., about me. It comes up with one, in three seconds. It’s not too bad, but there are a few errors. For instance, it has me starting my journalistic career in the 1990s, when in fact I started in 1971. The ‘article’ is very general in nature, and lacking in specific accomplishments.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 7
A Nippers’ (surf life saving) carnival at Kurrawa, is a reminder of all that is still good in Australia. There is a ‘last call’ over the p.a. for the Mooloolaba under-13 beach relay team to report to the starting line. Not sure whether they made it. Marie and I are on this part of the Gold Coast for a belated 70th birthday get-together for Marie’s younger sister, Carolyn Soward, from Lismore.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 8
Former top British Rugby League official, David Howes and his wife, Linda join Marie and I for lunch at Marinara, Hawthorne, followed by drinks at the Pineapple Hotel, Kangaroo Point, watching kids play cricket at a nearby park. Linda is envious of the variety of sports available to females now. “We only had boring hockey and netball,” she says. David, who also had stints as St Helens’, and then Leeds, as CEO, made his first visit to Australia in 1977, as an ‘observer’ with Great Britain’s Rugby League World Cup side. He went on to manage England and Great Britain sides, at home and abroad. David is a player/manager these days with ‘clients’ in both rugby codes. He and Linda are from Hull originally, but live now in Windsor, in Berkshire. Bob Ashby, who was Rugby Football League president from 1983 to 1993, has died. He was a stalwart of the Featherstone Rovers’ club.
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