Graham Lowe (right) and Brian Lochore, coaches of the Kiwis and All Blacks respectively, in 1985
New Zealander, Graham Lowe was rated the success story of the 1979 Brisbane Rugby League season after he took Norths Devils from the wooden spoon the previous year to within an ace of reaching the finals.
Writing in the ‘Big League Annual’, The Courier-Mail’s Jack Craig said the loss of the likes of Darryl Brohman, Nick Geiger, Paul McCabe and champion goal kicker, Bruce Warwick in the 1978-79 off-season left the club with a bunch of inexperienced youngsters and a coach of unknown quality.
Craig said Lowe had moved from New Zealand because his five-year-old daughter, Sarah was an asthma sufferer, and needed a warmer climate. Besides, his wife hailed from Brisbane.
His record with Auckland’s Otahuhu was five premierships in six years, including two first grade titles – in 1977 and ’78 – when he was named Auckland coach-of-the year.
At Norths, his skipper was 19-year-old Mark Murray, from Millmerran on Queensland’s Darling Downs. Murray said Lowe made the players believe in themselves, and his confidence rubbed off on members of the squad.
The fact Norths exceeded expectations helped get the likes of Murray; fullback, Peter Dutton and forward, Shane Bernardin into the Brisbane representative side. Hooker, Greg Conescu was named BRL Colt of the Year, while lock, Neville Draper won the Rothmans Medal as Brisbane’s Best and Fairest. Halfback, Ross Henrick; second rower, Gary Walker (father of Ben, Shane and Chris) and utility, Ziggy Strasser also earned their share of headlines.
The Devils’ biggest win of the season was a 27-15 result against eventual Premiers, Valleys.
Bill Mordey was editor of Big League in 1979, and the annual was a 120 page gala production, Two pages were devoted to the Brisbane premiership and two each to the Illawarra and Newcastle competitions. The rest of the magazine featured the Sydney premiership, and rep games. Of course, there were a host of Queenslanders playing in the Sydney competition, men like Rod Morris, Greg Oliphant (Balmain); Graham Quinn, Mitch Brennan (St George), John Ribot (Newtown) and Paul Vautin (Manly).
There was a club by club assessment of the season, with writers from The Mirror, Daily Telegraph and The Australian contributing, men such as Ian Heads, David McCamey and Ray CHesterton.
For instance, Neil Cadigan from The Mirror wrote an assessment of Parramatta’s season. He was full of praise for coach, Terry Fearnley for transforming the club from battlers to a power house. Cadigan said former Wallaby, Ray Price was ‘most people’s choice’ as the world’s best forward, while second rower, Peter Wynn had been sensational.
Mordey himself was moonlighting, as his fulltime employment was with The Mirror. He went on to become media manager for the ARL, and it was in that capacity that he accompanied the Kangaroos on their 1982 tour of Britain and France, a tour I covered for Brisbane’s Telegraph newspaper. In 1979 I was working for the Telegraph as their Industrial Roundsman. I was also a contributor to the Brisbane program, Rugby League News, edited by Neil Groom, from the Telegraph.
And I also played for Norths – in First Grade during the Woolies pre-season, then in reserve grade, although I got 50 minutes off the bench in First Grade in a match against Redcliffe, on the day they officially opened Dolphin Oval.
Graham Lowe now Sir Graham Lowe – went on to coach the New Zealand Test side, and then Wigan in England as well as Manly-Warringah and the North Queensland Cowboys.
FOOTNOTE: Big League ceased publication in 2020 when Covid hit, but a special edition of the magazine was brought out ahead of the 2024 NRL Grand Final between Melbourne and Penrith.
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Of course, Graham Lowe also coached the Queensland State of Origin side.