DIARY UPDATE: Week 11, 2023

MONDAY, MARCH 13

One of our neighbours at Samford Grove, John Rothwell, a noted historian, is all in favour of the NRL including a team from Papua New Guinea. “From a geopolitical point of view, it is brilliant idea,” says John, who came here from South Africa many years ago. “It ought to get a lot more Federal Government support than Anna’s Olympics.” Although I have my reservations about electric vehicles, in one respect I can’t wait for them to become universal so we don’t have to put with vehicle noise at the Samford Main Steet roundabout, which seems to bring out the hoon in many motorists.

While walking in Chermside Forest I chat to a fellow who was born in 1936 – ‘The Year of Three Kings” he says. I knew what he meant. George V died; Edward VIII abdicated and George VI ascended to the Throne. This chap, like John Rothwell, is something of an historian, and is disappointed we don’t acknowledge the past “with more praise”. I agree. We seem have a sense of denial about the good things in our history, while looking for the bad.

Former Queensland cricketer and ABC commentator, Jack McLaughlin has died, aged 93. I mentioned my association with Jack in the previous diary entry.

My wife, Marie and I watch the movie, ‘Summerland’, which we enjoy. It is about a young woman, who lives near England’s South Coast, and a boy evacuated from London. The movie tries too hard in the multi-cultural stakes. I suppose it is to do with quotas, in terms of employing actors. But sometimes it just looks stupid. I suppose some people might say it is no more ludicrous then having an all-white cast in a Biblical epic.

TUESDAY, MARCH 14

Former Queensland halfback, Larry Brigginshaw is my next interview subject for the Family of League Foundation magazine. We meet in Bundamba Memorial Parkin Ipswich, not far from where Larry works for a car dealership. Larry had a short stint with Newtown in Sydney, but is mostly remembered in Queensland for captaining Easts Tigers to Brisbane premiership glory in 1983. In 1975 Larry played halfback for Ipswich under-16s v Brisbane in a curtain raiser to a England v Wales World Series match at Lang Park. His opposing halfback was future Immortal, Wally Lewis. Another member of that Ipswich side was Pat Shepherdson at lock. Pat, now deceased, went on to carve out a wonderful career in first grade football in Queensland. Larry Brigginshaw is the father of Jillaroos’ legend, Ali Brigginshaw.

AFL boss, Gillon McLachlan says his code will be the biggest winter sport in Queensland in a year or two. I presume he is referring to participation numbers, which can be fudged to suit any agenda. The new boss of the Rugby Football League in England is former Hull FC player, Tony Sutton. Chris Anderson, who  coached Australia’s World Cup side in Europe in 2000, is now coaching junior rugby league in Mullumbimby. Former Test centre, Tony Currie gets two season tickets a year from one of his former club’s, Canterbury-Bankstown (also Chris Anderson’s old club). Tony also played for the Broncos, but doesn’t get that privilege from them. He won a premiership with both clubs.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15

Tony Currie is my interview subject today – at Broncos Leagues Club where current stars, Adam Reynolds and Reece Walsh are having lunch. The Leagues club is also the venue for a RATS Lunch (Radio And Television Survivors), with recently retired Channel 7 sports guru, Pat Welsh a special guest. John McCoy is MC. The RATS normally meet at the Pineapple Hotel at the Gabba, but there is some sort of ‘upheaval’ there. I see quite a few familiar faces, including Michael Beattie. A couple of ex-FM104 chaps say hello to ‘TC’, who they worked with at Powers Brewing. TC says one of the few times he was racially abused on the footy field was by the mother of a rival player – during a game at Gilbert Park, Red Hill. Tony also has nice words to say about former Wallaby, Tony D’Arcy who didn’t make it in league, when he played with Penrith, and then with Wests in Brisbane. “One thing about Tony is that he was very brave,” Currie says. “He just couldn’t handle the pace of the game.”

On FoxSports, Paul Kent says Manly-Warringah coach, Anthony Seibold’s assistant, Shane Flanagan, should really be head coach. Our Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese wears a South Sydney Rabbitohs cap at an announcement about a nuclear submarine deal.

THURSDAY, MARCH 16

I get a mention on ‘Bloke in a Bar’ podcast, which features former Bronco, Denan Kemp and journalist, Andrew Webster. Webster says he interviewed Queensland prop, David Shillington on a Four Nations tour in Europe, and asked him what he thought of Brisbane journalists. Evidently ‘Shillo’ said he “couldn’t handle Ricketts, because he gave me four (out of 10) in player ratings for an Origin game”. I can only imagine he played very poorly, or he came off the bench and got limited minutes. I would say the latter is more likely. I have chatted to David a number of times in recent years, and he has never mentioned anything. Andrew Webster, who calls XXXX beer ‘cat’s piss’, says the first rugby league game he covered was between Hunter Valley rivals, Cessnock and Kurri Kurri. The referee sent off one player, and fans chased the referee to the dressing rooms. Barry Toohey, who was also covering the match, knocked on the door of the referee’s change room, and when the referee tried to slam the door shut, Toohey put his foot in the door. It was a good lesson on perseverance for the young Webster. When Webster worked for sports magazine, ‘Inside Sport’ in Sydney, the publication shared a building with Penthouse magazine. Webster says he was at the Clovelly Hotel (in 2007) on the day Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs’ league star, Sonny Bill Williams had the infamous toilet tryst with ironwoman, Candice Falzon. So was I. But I left before it happened. I was drinking with ARL boss, Geoff Carr, and Clovelly Surf Club legend, John Chisholm, and when we saw the Bulldogs’ stars arriving, we decided it was time to leave.

My wife, Marie attends the funeral of Jean Thelma Vidler (nee Braid) at Ballina. Mrs Vidler died on March 4, aged 96. She was born in Ballina and knew the history of the Richmond River town. Her father was a long serving fire chief. Mrs Vidler’s wedding dress, which is to be donated to the Australian War Museum in Canberra, was made from a parachute. My wife, Marie and one of Mrs Vidler’s daughters, Jannell Bryant, are best friends.

FRIDAY, MARCH 17

Our youngest son, Lliam proudly shows us through his company building at 17 Mile Rocks in Brisbane’s west. One of Lliam’s employees at ‘Supply Parnters’ is my former Brisbane Brothers’ teammate, Ray Willey, who is more muscular now than when he played alongside me at Corbett Park in 1976. Ray is 108kg. He was 95kg when  he played for Brothers. Ray had played rugby union before league, and then went back to union after the ’76 season. He played union with Norths in Brisbane and then Rangers in Toowoomba. “It was very social in Toowoomba,” he says.

The man behind the ‘Simply The Best’ NRL Campaign – Brian Walsh – has died aged 68. The Brisbane Broncos 1993 and 1998 Premiership winning sides are honoured at a lunch at Brisbane City Hall. I covered both grand finals for The Courier-Mail. Coach, Wayne Bennett – now in charge of the Dolphins – was invited, but did not front.

It is St Patrick’s Day, of course, and there is an Irish theme at Happy Hour here at Samford Grove, with Guinness and green champers. Fellow resident, Keith Hall says he has lost his family history records on his computer. That would be terrible. Keith, ex military, is a West Perth Australian rules fan.

SATURDAY, MARCH 18

World Darts champion, Michael Smith parades the World Club Challenge trophy at halftime in St Helens’ home game against Hull. Smith is from St Helens. There is an interview with St Helens’ Lewisham born forward, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook before the game. It is funny hearing his London twang, among all those northern accents.

There is a minute’s silence before the Gold Coast Titans v Melbourne Storm game at Robina for recently departed Titans’ foundation chairman, Paul Broughton. The game also marks the NRL debut of Storm five eighth, Jonah Pezet, who has strong Tweed/Gold Coas connections, with his father, Troy. A former South Queensland and Parramatta halfback, a product of Murwillumbah Mustangs. Paul Broughton’s first coaching job was as captain-coach of Murwillumbah Brothers in their inaugural season in the Tweed League in 1958. The Titans start with a great team try to rookie winger, Alofiana Khan-Pereira. Even a security guard claps, and they are usually stern and unmoved by on-field endeavours. Pezet scores a try and displays a good turn of pace. Queensland Reds’ Rugby coach, Brad Thorn, a former Bronco, is in Broncos’ coach, Kevin Walters’ box for the home game against St George Illawarra. Brad has a laugh with former teammate, Allan Langer, in the dressing rooms after the game, which Brisbane won 40-18 following an absorbing struggle. The Reds are to play Fiji tomorrow at the same ground. (The Reds win).

Brisbane Family of League patron, Ron Atkins, who is originally from the Tweed, rings me from his hospital bed. “I’m on my last legs,” says the former Broncos Leagues Club director, and he is serious. Ron, an Indigenous man, is in palliative care at Chermside. We have a nice chat and he reminds me that legendary rugby league player, Stokel Currie (grandfather of Tony) married Rita Booker, with the Booker name also famous in the Tweed Valley. I also have a lovely chat to fellow Samford Grove residents, Len and Joy Oppermann, who had a dairy farm at Binjour Plateau near Gayndah in Queensland’s Central Burnett.

Valleys host Normanby in a Round 1 Brisbane Rugby League fixture at Emerson Park, Grange. Valleys induct the likes of former president, Dr Tom Dooley; long serving official, Vince Buckley and his son, Shane, a Queensland Residents rep.; players Mick Rathbone, Alan Wieland, Peter Affleck, David Bourke, Alan Beauchamp and brothers, Joe and Brian Canavan as ‘True Blue Diehards’. Legendary Diehards, Marty Scanlan and Wally Lewis are there, with Wally giving the first grade players a pep talk before the game. Media identity and author, Steve Haddan, a Diehards’ fan, is MC for the ‘True Blue’ event.

SUNDAY, MARCH 19

The Bora Ring and Griffin Sports Complex are our destinations today for junior rugby league matches involving our grandsons, Ethan and Connor, who play for Norths Devils. Connor scores two tries in the match at Banyo’s Bora Ring, where our eldest son, Damien, won an under-17 Grand Final with Norths Brighton Roosters. The canteen is ‘run’ by people of Indian descent. I wonder if they are volunteers, or whether the Banyo club has sub-let the canteen. It is extremely hard to get volunteers these days. For instance, Easts Tigers’ canteen was once run by a large band of volunteers, but my understanding now is that canteen staff are paid. At Griffin Sports Complex, Ethan scores a try, almost gets a second and tackles well. The referee in Ethan’s game is Polynesian, which is good to see. We need more people from the Polynesian community participating as referees, officials and volunteers.

On our way back to Samford, Marie and I walk the wetlands at Dohle’s Rocks on the Pine River and call into Osprey House Environmental Centre. One of the volunteers says she was abused by an American lady from Adelaide earlier in the day, because she couldn’t name the local indigenous tribe. This delightful Adelaide lass says she will report the volunteer to the Moreton Bay Council. We get a ham and cheese toasty from a cafe near the boat ramp. The staff at the canteen had to deal with a lady who went berserk when the barista asked if he could dispose of her rubbish. Probably the same woman from Adelaide.

Back at Samford Grove, Marie and I enjoy an afternoon at neighbours, Peter and Lyn Williamson’s place to celebrate the 80th birthday of another neighbour- Fay Lergessner.

Newcastle beat Riverina in the final of the New South Wales Country Rugby League Championships at Woy Woy. There are a couple of famous surnames in the Newcastle side – Glanville and Butterfield. Newcastle were coached by Adam Bettridge, while former St George player, Aaron Gorrell was in charge of Riverina. Maitland players dominated the Newcastle side, while most of Riverina’s players came from Tumut. Northern Rivers – the rep, side I was eligible for when I played for Murwillumbah Brothers – had been beaten 22-18 by Riverina in the semi-finals. I’m told another of my country clubs, Wingham, has bolstered their first-grade ranks with a few Fijians. I think they might be employed at the local abattoir.

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