Brisbane club players in the 1975 Australian team (from left) Lew Platz, David Wright, John Lang and Ross Strudwick with team manager, Ralph Stafford
Australian debutant halfback, Ross Strudwick described the World Series match against New Zealand as “too easy”, and admitted he had failed to play at his best because of the lack of intensity.
Strudwick (Valleys) was one of four players from the Brisbane club competition selected for the match at Lang Park, which the Kangaroos won 36-8, scoring eight tries to two. The other BRL players were hooker, Johnny Lang (Easts); second rower, Lew Platz (Wynnum-Manly) and prop, David Wright (Brothers).
“The trouble with the game against the Kiwis was that it was too easy, and so I didn’t extend myself,” Strudwick said. “I should have tried to do a little more.”
Australian captain, Graeme Langlands scored two tries from fullback while centre, Mick Cronin also crossed twice, as well as kicking six goals from nine shots. Australia’s other try scorers were Platz; centre, Bob Fulton; winger, Ray Branighan and prop, Terry Randall. New Zealand’s tries were scored by captain/halfback, Ken Stirling and centre, John Sullivan, with winger, Warren Collicoat, an Auckland customs clerk, kicking one goal from three shots.
Langlands was known to have a negative view of many Queensland players, and while he was not sole selector, his input obviously had an impact on the thinking of the selection panel. It wouldn’t have taken much of a below par performance for Strudwick to have to make away for a New South Welshman, and that proved to be the case, with Tom Raudonikis from Wests in Sydney preferred for next game – against Wales. Strudwick’s halves partner in the New Zealand Test, Tim Pickup from North Sydney, was retained for the Wales’ game.
Queenslander, Ralph Stafford was Australian team manager. Stafford, a former Mayor of Maryborough, lived at Hervey Bay. A former Australian team manager, Ern Keefer, was honoured before kick-off, after he announced he would be stepping down from the Lang Park Trust on June 30, ending his official association with the game.
Keefer first linked with the code as an official of the Toowong Junior club in 1921. In 1925 he began his association with Wests, and he was made a Life Member of the club and the Brisbane Rugby League in 1938. He was treasurer of the Australian Rugby League from 1958 to 1974 and was co-manager of the 1959 Kangaroo team which toured Britain, France and Italy.
One of his favourite players was Jeff Moores, a man with movie star looks, who played 16 games for Queensland from Wests in the mid-1920s, and then carved out a magnificent career in England, with Leeds and Hull.
I recall my predecessor as Queensland Rugby League History Committee chairman, Kevin Brasch talking at length about the deeds of Moores, a five eighth/centre destined for Test honours if he had remained in Australia. I also recall members of the Moores’ family being invited to a Queensland State of Origin training run at Coolum – around 2009 or 2010. I think the family lived on the Sunshine Coast.
Frenchman, Francois Escande, a former paratrooper from Mazamet in the Tarn region of France, refereed the Australia v New Zealand game with Australian Test referee, Don Lancashire one touch judge, and future Brisbane Grand Final (1981) referee, Stan Scamp the other.
There were three curtain raisers, as was often the case with Test matches in those days. The first game kicked off at 10.50 am with St Edmunds College, Ipswich playing Padua College from the Brisbane suburb of Kedron. Future Test forward, Paul ‘Fatty’ Vautin played second row for Padua, with future Brothers’ first grade players, Mark Butler (lock) and Peter Garozzo (halfback) also in the Padua side. (I played with Peter at Brothers in 1977).
The next match was between the towns of Warwick and St George, and I have feeling it may have been a men’s match, although it is not stipulated in the program. Bill Peel coached St George.
The next game was an open schoolboys’ representative fixture between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. The Brisbane side – coached by Alex Kolomeitz – featured future television reporter, Sean Lawson (Camp Hill High) on one wing; future Brisbane rep. forward Brett Ferguson (Kedron) and ‘Brad’ Bargenquast (Indooroopilly). I wonder if Brad is Dallas, who I played with at Norths in 1979. The Gold Coast side featured future Tweed Heads Seagulls’ identity, Kel Judd at prop, with future Queensland rep, Jay Hoffman at hooker.
I was playing with Wingham Tigers in the New South Wales Country, Group 3 competition when the World Series matches were being played in Brisbane, so I didn’t get to any of the games up there, or in Sydney, for that matter.
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