St Helen’s’ players celebrate their World Club Challenge win
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13
Colourful rugby union personality, Peter ‘Doubles’ Daley OAM, has terminal cancer, but bravely acknowledges his fate in a telephone call to me. He had seen my references to him on this site and wants a chat. Two hours later we have finished dissecting both rugby codes, as well as reminiscing about all things Northern Rivers, given ‘Doubles’ has family down there. ‘Doubles’, who used to have a newsagency at Cannon Hill in Brisbane’s east, has been to Lismore in recent times to see his close cousins. His dad came from Mallanganee in Kyogle Shire.
‘Doubles’ also recalls the rattling, old wooden railway bridge at Bangalow, and how young blokes would park on the town side of the bridge when they were returning nurses to the hospital (on the other side) late at night. “They didn’t want to alert the matron,” he says. My Valiant Galant broke down on that bridge one September day in 1973, on my way back to Murwillumbah from Lismore, to play for Brothers in a Group 18 – Gold Coast preliminary final against Tweed All Blacks. I made it to the ground with barely enough time to put my boots on. Peter’s nickname was given to him at Brisbane’s St Laurence’s College, where he sold football doubles as a fund raiser. Doubles paid out on first scorers or first try scorers. Peter is a Life Member of the QRU and Souths Rugby.
Souths-Logan Rugby League club, have signed a former Wellington Hurricanes (New Zealand) rugby union prop, Alex Fidow and coach, Karmichael Hunt has big wraps on him. New Toowoomba coach, Jason Alchin, when asked about his coaching philosophy, replies: “Just bash and kick”. Alchin did play under Tom Raudonikis at Wests in Sydney. Former Burleigh Bears’ coach, Rick Stone is now in charge of Wests’ Newcastle. His son is a Newcastle Knights’ contracted player.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14
Former Bronco, Josh McGuire has been hit with a seven week ban for something he said on the field, playing for Warrington. Bramley born, Jordan Lilley scores a consolation try for Bradford in their loss to York in the championship, the tier below Super League. I mention this because Bramley is one of the great old names of rugby league, a foundation club, which no longer contests any of the professional leagues. In France, the daily national sports paper, L’Equipe’s television channel has agreed to televise Catalans’ Dragons games in the run home to the Super League finals.
Marie and I attend morning tea at Kev Wight’s place at Murrumba Downs. It is gathering of friends from St Flannan’s Playgroup from 35 years ago. Kev’s wife, Margaret passed away last year.
Panel members on Channel 7 show, ‘The Chase’ had not heard the term ‘damp squib’ before. Amazing. It means something of an anti-climax. Marie and I watch the movie, ‘Mothering Sunday’. Glenda Jackson, an actress I first saw in the movie ‘Women in Love’ in 1971, makes a cameo appearance. A big storm hits this evening, with hail falling at Holland Park and Mansfield, while cars go under at Ashgrove Marist Brothers. One of our neighbours, Fay Lergessner has her back courtyard flooded.
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 15
Greg Shannon, the North Qld representative on the QRL History Committee – which I chair – went to primary school at Tara on the Darling Downs and played rugby league for the school against Condamine. When I think of Tara, former Easts’ forward, Lachlan Bogle’s name comes to mind. “Lachlan was a year ahead of me at school,” Greg says. Bogle played for Easts in the 1980s. Shannon now lives at Mission Beach.
Former Australian cricketer, Darren Lehmann’s son, Jake cops a ball in the ‘Jatz Crackers’ while batting for South Australia v Western Australia. Darren, who is commentating on the game, chuckles when the physio come onto the field. “I don’t know what the physio can do,” Darren says.
RadioSEN’s Pat Welsh and Ian Healy take regular caller, ‘Cuzzy Bro’ for lunch at Breakfast Creek pub. ‘Cuzzy’ wore his All Blacks’ polo. No doubt he was an All Black trialist at some stage. Every second Kiwi I have met over the years has said they were an All Black trialist. I suppose I was trialling for the Kangaroos when I played for Murwillumbah Brothers.
Marie and I watch excellent World War II movie, ‘Operation Mincemeat’.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16
Rohan Swayer is to stand down as QRL CEO at the end of March. I have always found Rohan to be pleasant, and he has never had a problem with anything I have requested on behalf of the History Committee, which I chair. QRL Chairman, Bruce Hatcher and CFO, Graham Maher are in the board room when I arrive for a committee meeting. Afterwards I chat to ARL’s Troy Thompson, about participation levels and the changing demographics of the game.
Learn of the passing of great Tweed character, Kevin ‘Dordy’ Graham at the age of 94. My wife, Marie, knew him as ‘Old Mr Graham’. He was a regular at the Windsor International, where my wife worked in reception, and never missed the Brisbane Show. New Zealand rugby league Test representative, Isaac Luke’s farther has died in floods which have been ravaging the North Island. Also learn of the passing of movie star, Racquel Welch. I wonder how many teenage lads had posters of Racquel in their bedrooms back in the 1960 – you know the one – from the movie ‘One Million Years BC’
Marie and I watch the movie, Serena. It is crap. Set in North Carolina during the Depression.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17
Former Test halfback, Andrew Johns says most of his concussions came from low tackles gone wrong. That is still the case, I believe, with many players having poor technique when forced to go low for a change.
Marie and I get our tax done at Sandgate. It is the changing of the guard. For the last 30 years or so either the late Kevin Mead or his son, Tim have been our accountants. Now Tim has taken a step back and today our accountant is Dinesh, and while he is fine, it is not the same. In the past we always had a great chat with Kevin and/or Tim, about family, rugby league and the northside of Brisbane.
Marie and I attend Happy Hour at Samford Grove, and fellow resident, Bev Campbell recounts her days as manager of St John’s Home for Homeless Men at Toowong. Another resident, Barry McPhee was a Catholic Tennis Club champion in his younger days.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18
English champions, St Helens defeat the NRL’s top guns, Penrith in golden point extra time, thanks to a field goal by Lewis Dodd. Perhaps it was the good luck message from world darts champion, Michael Smith before the game which got them home. It shouldn’t have needed golden point for Saints to win. They were the better side and were denied a try by referee, Ashley Klein, who ruled a forward pass, much to the dismay of the visitors – and yours truly. While it is apparent to anyone who knows rugby league that the English Super League is not up the same standard as our NRL, I have said for many years that the top four clubs in the UK could hold their own with our clubs, and that the Super League is entertaining in its own right.
Newly promoted Super League side, Leigh Leopards put on a great entertainment package at their home game against Salford. The club’s owner, Derek Beaumont, where’s a leopard jacket.
I started the day by buying The Courier-Mail at Samford Garage. The bloke in front of me pays for diesel, soft drinks, sausage rolls and a packet of Winfield Reds. I dread to think how much that came to. The bloke behind the counter says: ‘Mate. You told me two years ago you were giving up smoking.” News Ltd’s Paul Kent has a column about the AFL blitzing the schools, while the NRL sleeps. A mate of mine says today’s player’s don’t care about the grassroots. “They came through academies, and they haven’t worked a day in their sheltered lives.”
In the afternoon I attended a Samford Stags (rugby league) home game, arriving at the ground as a local lad is sent off for a spear tackle, in a derby against Dayboro, for the Pine (Rivers) Cup. Samford hang on for a 24-20 win.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19
After Mass at Sacred Heart Church, Samford, fellow parishioner, Adrian Peterie tells me of his cricket days in Queensland’s South Burnett playing for Brooklands, near Nanango. Marie and I enjoy morning tea at Spoke’s Cafe with other parishioners, one of whom didn’t know Welshmen had played rugby league for Great Britain. He thought there were only lads from England’s north. In fact, there have been hundreds of Welshmen play professionally in England, with probably 60 or 70 playing for Britain. That is just a guess. Gus de Groot is at our table. He is one of eight kids who came to Australia from the Netherlands. Their dad was a bike shop owner. Gus’s wife is related to Phil Carmichael, a fullback on the first Wallaby tour of the UK in 1908. Born at Sandgate, Carmichael went to Nudgee College. Also enjoying brunch at Spoke’s is Broncos’ winger, Corey Oates; his wife and their daughter.
The ball kids are sleep at Kayoh Stadium – better known as Dolphin Oval. It’s professional football, and the ball needs to be returned to the field quick smart. News Ltd’s David Riccio’s coverage of St Helens’ win over Penrith is largely in defence of a depleted Penrith side. St Helens also had key men missing; they were playing in unfamiliar heat after leaving UK during the height of winter; they were playing in front of a parochial crowd and were done no favours by Klein.
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The Leigh owner was wearing his jacket. He wasn’t wondering where it was.
R.I.P. Dordy. He was a Korean Vet – wounded in the thigh and partly paralysed which accounted for his limp. I believe he rode a horse to become the Australian or World Buckjumping Champion. Only person I knew who could die laughing (and not make a noise!). A real character and icon of the “Imperial”. Regards Crowls.