CRAIG GREENHILL: WYNNUM FOREVER.

Craig Greenhill knew it must have been something special when his best mates, Paul Green and Adam Maher rocked up at his place with a carton of beer to celebrate his selection in the Queensland State of Origin side in 1996.

“They were both pretty tight with their money, so to see them arrive with celebration drinks made me realise just how significant the occasion was,” Greenhill said.

Craig’s Queensland roommate ahead of his Origin debut was Billy Moore, who assured him he could basically do as he liked, because ‘no-one ever gets sent off in Origin’.

All that changed when Greenhill took New South Wales’ enforcer, Paul ‘Chief’ Harragon high in Game 2 of the 1996 series at the Sydney Football Stadium, with referee, David Manson making the big call to march the Wynnum-Manly junior, who subsequently copped a four match ban.

“I just thought it was a good tackle,” Greenhill says, tongue in cheek. “But it was an accident. I saw ‘Chief’ heading towards ‘Aflie’ (halfback, Allan Langer), and I thought he (Langer) needed help.”

Greenhill played for Cronulla-Sutherland and Penrith in Sydney, and also had stints with Hull FC and Castleford in England. But his heart remains with Wynnum-Manly, the club which represents Brisbane’s southern bayside.

“My dad and uncles, and all my best mates, played for Wynnum,” he said. “I had a good little local business when I was a kid. I would catch mud crabs and sell them at the pub, with a different pricing structure, depending on the size, or whether they were missing a claw. Then the Fitzgerald Enquiry (into police corruption) happened and a lot of the SP bookies at the pub went to jail, so my clientele disappeared.”

Greenhill played first grade at Wynnum in 1992, aged 19. The club had been sent broke by the extravagances of the 1980s when the Seagulls boasted the likes of Internationals, Wally Lewis, Gene Miles, Bob Lindner, Colin Scott and Greg Dowling, leaving the coaching staff with little choice but to promote local talent.

Cronulla coach, Arthur Beetson invited Greenhill to trial with the Sharks after Greenhill wrote him a letter asking for a chance, having heard Beetson was hunting for forwards. John Lang succeeded Beetson in 1994, and Greenhill thrived under the mentorship of the former Queensland hooker.

“Arthur was very good technically, and at skills, but ‘Langy’ was good at breaking things down and making sure you understood your role,” Greenhill said.

In 1994 Greenhill played for Cronulla against Newcastle in the Reserve Grade Grand Final.

“I got knocked out and was treated in the dressing rooms with the Canberra Raiders’ first graders all around me, getting ready for their Grand Final against Canterbury,” Greenhill said. “They all had a laugh when I woke up wondering where the hell I was. They had a reunion for that side in Brisbane this year during Magic Round, and I reckon they should have invited me.”

Greenhill made his NRL debut against St George in Round 2, 1995, with Paul Green the halfback. Craig played 42 first grade games in 1995-96, and those two Origin matches. In 1997 there were two competitions, with Cronulla in the News Ltd backed Super League. While the ARL maintained the Origin concept, Super League experimented with a Tri-series, which also featured New Zealand.

Greenhill played for Queensland against New Zealand in Auckland, and also was chosen for the end-of-season Trans-Tasman Test at North Harbour, a match the Kiwis won. At the end of the season he was selected for the Australian Super League team’s tour of England, where he played in the first two Tests, in London and Manchester.

“It was an amazing year, making the Grand Final (against the Broncos) for Cronulla, and then going on such a prestigious tour,” he says. ‘Langy’ also coached the Australian side, and the pressure was on us to win the series, after the ARL side had won the 1995 World Cup.” 

The Super League tourists won the First Test against Great Britain at Wembley, but lost the return encounter at Old Trafford, before winning the decider at Elland Road. It was a tough pack to break into, with the likes of Gorden Tallis, Brad Thorn and Darren Smith also vying for selection. After the tour, Super League and the ARL sorted out their difference and the NRL was born.

In that first season of the NRL, Greenhill fractured two vertebrae in the neck in a round 2 game against St George, and it was thought his career was over when he was admitted to a spinal unit. A surgeon assured Greenhill he could get him back on the field, and such was the Queenslander’s love for the game, he had the operation. To complete an amazing tale of medical science, along with the grit and determination of Greenhill, the front rower bounced back following surgery, and played with the Sharks towards the end of the season. He joined Penrith in 1999, playing all three Origin games for Queensland, alongside Paul Green and another Wynnum product, Chris McKenna. The series was drawn, so Queensland retained the Origin Shield after winning the 1998 series.

The match in which Greenhill suffered the neck injury remains one of the most costly in Sharks’ history, with Paul Green suffering a serious shoulder injury and prop, Jason Stevens facing a long spell on the sidelines on a striking charge.

Greenhill played three seasons with the Panthers, before trying his luck with Hull FC in the English Super League, after 116 top level club games in Australia, and one final Origin game – in 2000.  He spent two seasons with Hull before a final season in the UK with Castleford. Greenhill loved his time in England, and urges Australian League fans who visit the UK to make sure they are in Hull when there is a derby between Hull FC and Hull Kingston Rovers.

“When I played over there not every match was televised, like in Australia, so you didn’t come under as much scrutiny,”, he said. “You always had more cuts and bruises after a non-TV game. The rivalry between the two Hull clubs has to be seen to be believed. The fans are so passionate.”

On his return to Australia, Greenhill played once more for Wynnum, where he finished his career.

Paul Green coached Wynnum to back-to-back Queensland Cup titles in 2011-12, before accepting the North Queensland Cowboys’ job, and he guided the club to an historic NRL Premiership victory in 2015, with the Cowboys defeating arch rivals, Brisbane Broncos in the Grand Final.

Green took his own life in 2022, after coaching the Queensland State of Origin side the previous year. His death shocked the league community, with former teammates, family and friends struggling to come to grips with the tragedy. It was later revealed Green had been suffering from a severe form of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, which no doubt contributed to his bouts of depression.

Adam Maher, who played with Greenhill at Cronulla, and then at Hull FC, died from Motor Neuron Disease (MND) in 2020, a brain disease which also claimed the lives of a number of other top footballers, among them Scott Gale, Carl Webb and English star, Rob Burrow, with Webb’s work for MND a major beneficiary of the Family of League Foundation’s welfare initiatives.

The death of Greenhill’s best mates at such young ages, has been hard for him to comprehend, but he is grateful that extensive medical research is being done into both neurological disorders.

“I knew ‘Greeny’ had his demons, but before his passing I thought he was in a good space,” Greenhill said. “It is wonderful that more research is being done into CTE, but it’s also important for players with mental health issues not to be afraid to reach out for help. It’s not a sign of weakness.”

Greenhill works for National Concrete Solutions in Brisbane, remaining actively involved with Wynnum-Manly. He is proud of the club’s history, particularly the role played by Lionel Morgan, the first Indigenous man to play rugby league for Australia – in the 1960 home Test series against France, and in the World Cup in Britain at the end of that season. Originally from the Tweed Valley, Morgan was chosen for his Test debut from Wynnum, where he made his home in 1959. Greenhill was among the many mourners at Lionel’s funeral at Wynnum Leagues Club on October 5, 2023.

“Lionel’s influence in the bayside area will always be remembered, because of his achievements as a player, and then as a coach, and also for the community work he undertook, particularly as a mentor for young people,” Greenhill said.

Craig Greenhill’s nickname is ‘Knuckles’, but people should not interpret that as a reference to his style of play on the football field.

“He is as strong as a bull, but Craig would never try to take a man high. It is not his style,” long serving administrator, Shane Richardson once said.

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