Toby Daley (left) and Laurie ‘Lucky’ Allen
MONDAY, JANUARY 30
Former Queensland forward, Reg Cannon grew up at Paddington in Brisbane and recalls wild times in his younger years, when ‘bare knuckle fights’ outside the Paddington Pub were not that uncommon. One of Reg’s relatives – William Warmington – was the fifth and last Mayor of Ithaca Council, which ‘governed’ Paddington and surrounds. Ithaca became part of the Brisbane City Council in 1924. Reg is a cousin of the late Wally Young, who was a resident here at Samford Grove, where my wife, Marie and I live. The Cannons, Youngs and Halzegroves were stalwarts of Paddington, many years ago.
Fire has destroyed part of former Australian halfback, Ross Strudwick’s sportswear business at Loganholme, but the business’s primary location is not affected. There is no mention of Ross in ‘The Courier-Mail’ report. They probably don’t know who he is.
Former Australian opening batsman, Ian Redpath steals the show at the Allan Border Medal dinner, after being inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame. ‘Redders’ acceptance speech is ‘gold’. Mitchell Marsh wins the Medal.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 31
Former Brisbane Norths’ strapper, Joe Morris wants me to write the history of Papua New Guinea Rugby League – how the game was started up there by Queenslanders and New South Welshmen. That would be some task, and I’m sure there’s people better qualified than me. John McKeough, my captain-coach at Wingham Tigers in 1975, played for DCA in PNG, with his good mate, James ‘Digger’ Annand.
‘Cow cockies’, road workers and a few regulars make up the crowd in the Samford Pub’s public bar. The swearing is atrocious. One blokes tries to cash a cheque, which leaves the young barman dumbfounded. “Well, it used to happen,” this bloke says to the barman, who naturally turns down his request. So our Rhodes Scholar says he will go to the Post Office.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1
Former Australian and Queensland State of Origin hooker, Jason Hetherington is in my sights for a story for a future edition of the Men of League Foundation magazine. I have a long chat with Jason about his time in football. Tristan Sailor, the son of former dual international, Wendell Sailor, has been named at fullback for Wynnum-Manly for a Queensland Cup trial. Former NRL executive, Frank Puletua has joined Oceania Rugby Union as new G-M. Frank was in charge of the NRL Hall of Fame judging process. There has not been a Hall of Fame function since 2019, largely because of Covid. But surely something will happen this year.
Radio SEN’s Ian Healy has been to ‘Carole King The Musical’. He didn’t think he knew her songs, but that all changed when they were belted out from the stage. I have Carole King’s Tapestry LP, and it has been played hundreds, if not thousands, of times. Ian’s sidekick on SEN, Pat Welsh confesses to being a fan of Gary Puckett and the Union Gap. When I think of that band the song, ‘Young Girl’ springs immediately to mind. The lyrics would not pass first base today.
THUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2
Newton’s Ice Cream Factory comes up in conversation at Lismore Golf Club as I catch up with local characters, Toby Daley, ‘Lucky’ Allen, Terry McDermott and my boyhood mate, Doug Kaden. I was born in Lismore in 1952, and the family moved to Murwillumbah mid-way through 1960. We had lived in Conway Street Lismore, and the ice cream factory was just around the corner.
My former Murwillumbah Brothers’ teammate, Greg Grainger attends the funeral of his ex-Maitland juniors coach, Greg Adams. Also there is former Australian utility star, Greg Bird, who was coached by Adams.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3
Marie and I attend the funeral of her aunty, Nancy Landrigan (nee Donnelly) in Casino. It is a lovely service, with Tom Jones’ hit ‘Green Green Grass of Home’ played at the graveside. There are two Nuns at the service. Nancy was a beautiful woman in every sense, and comparisons were made with actress Ava Gardner in Nancy’s younger days. My wife’s sister, Carolyn Soward recalls staying with Nancy and her late husband, Alan at Maroubra in Sydney, when Alan was manager of Sydney Airport. That was in the 1960s, and it was a great adventure for a young girl from the bush. “It was such a thrill going to Mark Foy’s department store and also the airport,” Carolyn said. “Nancy also took me to Bondi Beach and Taronga Zoo, as well as the Wizard of Oz play.” A grave close to where Nancy is buried is that of (Lance Corporal) James John Bottrell (1919-2001). There is a photograph of him playing the bugle, and there is also an AIF Badge.
Back in Lismore I catch up with my former St Carthage’s schoolmate, Jeff Jones at the Heights Bowlo. I don’t think I have seen Jeff since I left Lismore in 1960, but it’s funny – I remember him clearly. Jeff has had his health battles and is wheelchair bound. I also catch up with former Murwillumbah Souths’ centre, Geoff Cahill; another ex-Murwillumbah lad, Paul Corcoran, and ‘Lucky’ Allen. Cahill won a premiership with Lismore Marist Brothers in 1981, a team which also included Primo Casagrande, a skilful halfback who I associate more with South Lismore, my father’s old club. Another patron recalls baseball games being played at the ‘Lismore Recs’, and the wild brawls that were part and parcel of the sport. He says prominent baseball identities, ‘the Baxters’, were often in the thick of it. There are four games of twilight cricket being played on ‘The Recs’ as I return to Carolyn’s.
Dinner at Golf Club where Carolyn introduces me to former Manly-Warringah and Canterbury-Bankstown winger, Rod Jackson. Rod, who played rugby union in Goulburn as a schoolboy, also had a season in England (1970-71) with Hull Kingston Rovers. He says former British coach, Colin Hutton’s daughter is currently on holidays in Australia. Colin, who died in 2017, is a Hull rugby league legend. Also at the club is one of Carolyn’s neighbour’s, Fay York, who knew my former Murwillumbah barber, Tom Alder, a stalwart of the Murwillumbah High School Old Boys’ Rugby League Club.
Over 600 people attend the launch of new NRL franchise, the Dolphins. It is revealed that coach, Wayne Bennett tried to get his former Broncos’ halfback, Allan Langer on board as an assistant, but ‘Alfie’ has remained loyal to the Broncos.
Liza Kirk, resident hair dresser at Samford Grove, has a daughter, 27, who is to join the Army’s dental unit. She will do her training at Kapooka, near Wagga Wagga, in the near future.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4
The little village of Clunes boosts an excellent butcher shop, and Marie buys a whole rump there on our way back to Brisbane. At Bangalow we buy fruit and
vegetables at Foodworks and then dine in one of the main street’s trendy cafes. Marie’s parents, Kevin and Mary Donnelly, had a jersey dairy farm just outside Bangalow in the 1960s, and Marie would catch a train from the town, to Byron Bay, to work in the Norco Dairy Factory. Marie is delighted the Bangalow CWA Store is still trading.
Rugby League is already underway in New South Wales, with the start of the Andrew Johns and Laurie Daley Cup age competitions.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5
Our grandsons, Ethan and Connor follow in my footsteps by signing with Norths Devils. While I signed on the back of a beer coaster, these two lads sign a proper registration form. Ethan’s under-8s coach is Patrick Heagney, while Connor (under-6) will be coached by Angus Cameron. When I signed in 1979, the First Grade coach was New Zealander, Graham Lowe, while solicitor, Bill Millican had charge of the reserves, where I spent most of the season. Peter Fraser was involved with the Devils back then, and remains a fixture at Bishop Park. Peter, who has been on the board of the Juniors since 1998, says registrations are excellent, but things are not looking so good down the road at Virginia’s Norths St Joseph’s club where our two sons, Damien ‘Flash’ Ricketts and Lliam (father of Ethan and Connor) played. I catch up with new Norths’ first grade coach, Dave Elliott, who has moved here from Townsville, where he coached the Blackhawks’ colts. Dave, who played Universities Rugby League with our son, Damien, has three sons who have signed with Norths’ juniors.
By the way, it was legendary coach/official, Bob Bax who signed me to Norths in 1979, after he met me and my former Brothers’ teammate, Dennis Moore over a beer at the Leagues Club. ‘Baxxy’ got us to sign our names on the back of a beer coaster. That was as good as a contract to him. Naturally we had to sign proper registration forms later on, so it was all above board. Former New South Wales’ rep., Anthony Mundine reveals he was paid ‘under the table’ by the Broncos when he played with the club in 1997.
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