Frank Drake in action for Toowoomba against Brisbane. Henry Holloway is the Brisbane forward
Prominent Australian Rugby League officials, Bill Buckley and Norm ‘Latchem’ Robinson praised the standard of the code in Queensland after attending the opening match of the 1960 Bulimba Cup inter-city series at North Ipswich Reserve.
Toowoomba defeated Ipswich 25-21 with winger, Brian Marks scoring three tries after being brought in as a replacement for the injured Ian Young.
Buckley and Robinson were guests of the Queensland Rugby League. Buckley was deputy chairman of the ARL Board of Control while Robinson, a former New South Wales player, was manager of the Kangaroo touring side in Britain, France and Itaty in 1959-60.
Buckley said the entertaining nature of the game would have thrilled Sydney fans, and would be up there with anything delivered by the five premiership games played each weekend in the NSW capital.
Robinson said he had come to Queensland under the mistaken belief there was a shortage of quality backs, but he said Sydney clubs would be delighted to snare half a dozen of the backs he saw in the Bulimba Cup clash.
The Courier-Mail’s Jack Reardon described it as a “gripping and most entertaining match”.
With the bulk of possession from (contested) scrums, Toowoomba’s backs Johnny Gleeson, Barry Muller and Alan Gil cut the Ipswich defence to shreds in the first half in particular. Ipswich five eighth, Don Barrett was the standout in their backline, and came close to being the best player on the field, Reardon wrote. (Leo Johnson was the Toowoomba hooker).
Test forwards, Elton Rasmussen (Toowoomba); Dud Beattie and Gary Parcell (Ipswich) showed the benefits of the recent Kangaroo tour. Toowoomba fullback, Frank Drake had some brilliant moments, and his ventures into the three quarter produced the Clydesdales’ first two tries, with Drake scoring one try himself later in the game.
There were five curtain raisers to the Bulimba Cup – in reserve grade; under-18s, under-16s and two weight divisions between the two cities, with Towooomba winning three of those games.
About Author
