DIARY UPDATE | Transition from 2024 to 2025

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30 2024

The 1971 Lang Park lock-in attracts the attention of our sports minded daughter-in-law, Emma Ricketts. She enjoys reading about the sports science of the time – in a Lawrie Kavanagh penned article in one of my Rugby League Life magazines. Col O’Brien was the head conditioner and Dr Kevin Hobbs the medico. A squad of 20 players stayed in the dressing rooms at Lang Park, and were subjected to a rigorous training regime, with the aim to see the Queensland side match it with New South Wales, at least in terms of physical fitness. Future QRL Chairman, Bruce Hatcher, was ‘captain’ of the squad which included future coaching legend, Wayne Bennett and future Australian skipper, Greg Veivers.

I take Emma; husband, Damien and their daughters, Parker and Evan on a walk in Samford countryside, feeding horses (with hay gifted to us by a land owner) and negotiating stepping stones across Samford Creek, before pies from Brumbies back in Samford Village. My wife, Marie and our daughter, Melanie attend the Brisbane Open Tennis at Tennyson.

Learn of passing of former Welsh rugby league player, Frank Wilson, a former Cardiff rugby union star. Wilson toured Australia with Wales (Rugby League) in 1975, and was here again in 1976 with the St Helens’ club side.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31

Australian Rugby League Life Member, Kevin Brasch is reading Andrew Webster’s book about Wayne Bennett, ‘The Wolf You Feed’, and is perplexed about the title, just as I’m sure others are. It refers to the decisions you make in life – do you feed the good wolf or the bad? Kevin reminisces about his role on a coaching panel with Wayne in the 1980s.

Hogmanay celebrations in Edinburgh have been called off because of the weather. I thought they had been called off in Glasgow in 1977 when Marie and I went there for New Year. Just about the deadest New Year’s I have experienced. I don’t think they had big events organised around New Year’s in those days.

Damien puts on new release movie – ‘Wild Robot’ -for his daughters. I love the fact Bill Nighy provides the voice of Longneck (a goose). Damien, Emma and the girls attend a New Year’s Eve party at the home of Chris and Michelle Watts, returning to Samford in time for the Sydney Harbour Fireworks, which we watch live on SkyNews from England. Then we switch to ABC Queensland for their delayed telecast from the harbour, enjoying every minute of Robbie Williams’ performance.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1 2025

Widnes Rugby League club – the Chemics – enter their 150th season in English Rugby League. Once a powerhouse of the 13-man game in the UK, Widnes have struggled in recent times and play in the Championship, the tier below Super League. Widnes has been part of my life since 1973 when one of their players, Brian Atherton, arrived at Murwillumbah in the Tweed Valley as captain-coach of the Brothers’ club. Through Brian, who was groomsman at our wedding, I have met a stack of great people from Widnes, here in Australia, and during my regular visits to the UK. Rugby League identities, Ken Davy; Tony Martin, Paul Caddick and Andrea Dobson are recognised in the UK’s New Year’s Honours List. Davy has been so generous with his time and money at Huddersfield, the birthplace of the game; Caddick is a stalwart of Leeds; Martin is a referee and Dobson is a former England women’s skipper. By the way – Huddersfield’s top squad is heading for Malaga in Spain this month for a pre-season camp – good move, considering icy weather has hit the UK.

Melanie takes her nephew, Ethan Ricketts to Big Bash match between Brisbane Heat and Melbourne Stars at the Gabba while Damien takes his daughter, Parker. They enjoy the night, despite the Heat losing. Ethan and Parker had Spencer Johnson and Will Prestwidge stop for autographs, both men staying on the field well after other teammates retreated to the dressing rooms. Damien goes out of his way to thank them. The entertainment in-between innings was provided by ‘Example’ (real name Elliot Gleave), which thrills Ethan who is friends with his son, ‘Van’. Ethan is also a budding DJ.

Gone With the Wind is the movie at the Samford Grove cinema. It runs for three hours 40 minutes, and fellow resident, Bob Millar is praying there will be an interval.

Australian Country and Western singer, Chad Morgan has died, aged 91. Born at Wondai in the South Burnett region of Queensland, Chad was performing into his 90s. He took the mickey out of himself and was famous for his dog howl yodelling. He sometimes toured with another C & W legend, John Williamson. John recalls playing at the Tamworth Workers’ Club with Chad playing in an adjoining area. John was singing a ballad -Cootamundra Wattle – when Chad’s howling echoed through the room, spoiling the moment. Woolies will embrace the Australia Day spirit this year after effectively black listing the day in 2024, I haven’t set foot in a Woolies store since, and Marie has only been there once or twice, when nothing else was available. Their backdown will not change my attitude. If there’s a Woolie in Tamworth, I bet it suffered in the last 12 months.

Courier-Mail columnist, Paul Williams says history will be kind to our Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese. Only if that account of history is penned by ABC journalists, I would suggest. Dr Bronwyn Herbert is Queensland’s Senior Australian of the Year. History will be kind to her.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 2

When Greece born George Peponis was named captain of the Australian Rugby League side in 1979, it was big news in Athens. George led the Kangaroos to their first ever 3-0 series clean sweep over Great Britain. Today in the News Ltd press, Daniel Cherny has a yarn about the likely impact on the Greek community of Sam Konstas’s selection in the Australian cricket side. Cherny makes no mention of George. Cherny is a Victorian so he probably has never heard of Peponis. There are lots of players of Greek descent in rugby league, and there is even a club competition in Greece itself. In the 1960s and ’70s at Murwillumbah I was playing with and against lads with Greek heritage. Probably the best known from my time was George Varela, who played for South Murwillumbah and then went on to play first grade for North Sydney. There is a Adam Hills/Pat Cash special on Channel 7 and Damien reminds me that Australian comedian, Hills is a Warrington rugby league fan. Hills tells Cash he was a ball boy at a tournament in which Cash played. Mitch Marsh is axed from the Australian XI, despite News Ltd icon, Robert ‘Crash’ Craddock tipping he would be retained. It is not often ‘Crash’ gets it wrong.

A bushwalk at Mt Glorious proves a hit with Damien and crew and our daughter, Melanie. Our youngest son, Lliam dines with close mates and fellow movers and shakers, John Degotardi, Anthony West, Matt Gavioli, Richard Burnett, Nick Braban and Luke Ellis in Spanish Gardens restaurant at the Breakfast Creek Hotel. Gavioli is married to an Italian lass and lives in Venice.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 3

Former St Helens’ Salford and Oldham player, Peter Gwilliam has died aged 77. Marie and I saw Gwilliam play halfback for Saints in their narrow loss to Leeds in the magnificent Challege Cup final at Wembley in 1978. Gwilliam was a St Helens’ lad, having come through local amateur club, Blackbrook.

I am reliably informed that Brisbane’s all-male Bernborough Club will break with tradition this year, at least for one event, and invite the ladies.

Australian opening batsman, Usman Khawaja is dismissed on the last ball of the day at the SCG, with Virat Kholi once again making a beeline for teenage sensation, Sam Konstas. He didn’t shoulder Konstas this time, but I bet the thought entered his head, particularly as he got away with it the first time.

At the tennis, Channel 9 commentator, Peter Psaltis talks about stars to emerge from Queensland regional centres, including Roy Emerson, Rod Laver and Mal Anderson. Marie and I had the pleasure of meeting Emerson at the unveiling of his statue in his home town, Blackbutt, in 2017

Apricots Marie bought at Drakes here in Samford have absolutely no taste. If I was the farmer who grew them, I would be ashamed to put my name to them. At Samford Grove Happy Hour, fellow resident, George Holmes and his wife, Elaine recount happy days living on Mt Mee, which is not far from here.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 4

Former Brisbane Brothers’ prop and prominent education Queensland personality, Matt O’Hanlon is now a director of the Queensland Rugby League Board and is keen to join the History Committee, which I chair. I get our son, Damien to pose a quiz – which I put together – to Matt, to see if has the knowledge worthy of our committee.

These are the 10 questions I put up:

• In which Queensland town was Mark Murray raised
• Who scored the try to draw the Third Origin game in 2002
• From which Brisbane club was prop, John Crilly chosen for Queensland in 1975
• What year did Redcliffe win their first BRL A grade title
• Name two rugby union converts who played for South Queensland Crushers in their first year
• Former Qld skipper, Bobby Banks came here from which NSW centre
• Who was the only Queenslander to play all three home Tests against Britain in 1958
• Which club did Bob Bax coach before he took the reins at Norths
• [photo question] Name this Australian forward charging away from St Helens’ prop, Cliff Watson
• [photo question] Name this Kangaroo forward – hint – he comes from Ayr 

Matt got six right. See how you go, and I will publish the answers in my next diary update.

The Wingham Rodeo is held today, with Carl Schubert the event steward. I played rugby league for Wingham in 1975, and back in those days we played at the showgrounds, where the rodeo is held. It seemed there was a rodeo or gymkhana every second Saturday in ’75, which meant a pretty rough surface for the footy the next day. It was an advantage for us, as the visiting teams hated the place. By the way, my Uncle, Harry Smith, was named Wingham Coach of the Century in 2005. I would have a beer with Harry at the (Taree) Railway Institute Bowls Club when I played for Wingham. There was a rodeo held at Byron Bay on January 4. Seems out of place in that trendy seaside town, but ‘The Bay’ also boasts a rugby league club – the Red Devils. In France the annual Lord Derby knockout competition is under way and the team I support – Villeneuve-sur-Lot Leopards – defeat Pia Broncos 16-14 in a thriller.

Marie joins Sue Whitehead and other ladies from Samford Grove at Palace Centro Cinema for a showing of Kate Winslet movie, Lee, the story of great American war correspondent, Lee Miller. Marie enjoyed the movie, but said it was ‘harrowing’.

Courier-Mail columnist, Des Houghton tips the demise of Russian dictator, Putin in 2025; the ousting of our Labor Federal Government and an intense civil war within the ranks of the Greens. I hope he is right on all fronts.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 5

The SCG crowd chants ‘Kholi’s a wanker’. Now before readers accuse those fans of racism or being disrespectful, let me hark back to the 1980s when the SCG faithful chanted ‘Wally’s a wanker’, Wally being Queensland and Australian Rugby League skipper, Wally Lewis. If anything the Kholi chant is a compliment, and a sign of respect, because he has got under the skin of those fans. We win, thank heavens, and were the better side across the series. It is great to see Allan Border present the Player of the Match (Scott Boland); Player of the Series (Jasprit Bumrah) and, most importantly, the Border/Gavaskar Trophy. Sunil Gavaskar is at the ground, but was not on stage – a bit rude on behalf of Australian Cricket. By the way – ‘Kholi IS a wanker’.

Former Australian Rugby League Test forward, Sam Thaiday and his wife, Rachel are gardening as I pass their place at Samford during my afternoon walk.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island flags are part of the official presentation ceremonies at the Brisbane Open. I don’t get it. When an Australian is playing, only one flag is presented beside that person’s name, the same flag which is raised on the Olympic dais. It must be confusing for visiting players, staff and fans, especially as sometimes THE Australian flag is not the one most prominently placed.

About Author