Billy Johnstone in his Gold Coast Seagulls days
MONDAY, MARCH 24
Former Brothers’ rugby league coach, Reg Cannon recalls giving tough as nails Cunnamulla product, Billy Johnstone the role of nullifying Valleys’ whiz kid, Wally Lewis in a 1978 Brisbane club match. “Billy was playing five eighth in those days, but he couldn’t get near Wally,” Reg said. “That’s when we moved him to hooker.” Reg was a Wests’ product but is best known for his time playing for Brothers, from where he represented Queensland. But when he played for Wests under-15s he scored 48 points in the Panthers’ 106-0 thrashing of Valleys. Reg had coached Firefighters in the Metropolitan League before taking on the Brothers’ under-18 job, and then succeeding John Lohman as First Grade coach.
There is a great interview with former Australian rugby league skipper, George Peponis on FoxSports. George, a one club man with Canterbury-Bankstown, often gets to the Bulldogs’ (Berries) spiritual home, Belmore Oval, because his 95-year-old mum still lives in the family home 100 metres from the stadium.
A mate of mine tells me about a rugby league judiciary hearing in the bush where a player was up for racial vilification. The player on the charge was Indigenous and called a rival a ‘black c…”. Not only that, they were cousins.
TUESDAY, MARCH 25
My brother, Stewart, who lives at Runcorn and is unofficial ‘uncle’ to a lad of Pakistani/Chinese heritage (long story) says the predominance of Asians (obviously not Indian or Pakistani) at schools in his area sees cricket pitches being torn up and replaced with basketball courts. Not that there is anything wrong with that.
Fellow league historian, Lyle Beaton bombards me with 20 texts expressing his indignation at rugby league not fighting hard enough (his view) to have the code included as a demonstration sport at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. I must admit, if Australian rules got the nod over league, I wouldn’t be happy. Australian rules might be our home grown game (based on Gaelic football) but rugby league is the heart and soul of the state of Queensland.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26
Fellow retired scribe, Graham ‘Scoop’ Callaghan tells me was selected for New South Wales Journalists’ rugby league side in 1967 but missed the game because he was involved in a fatal car smash. Sydney Daily Mirror chief photographer, Warwick Lawson was team manager.
After a visit to massage therapist, Paul Nutting, I enjoy a lamb kebab at Lutwyche shopping town. While I read the paper, the young bloke beside me watches NBA live on his phone. Says it all about the generation gap really.
THURSDAY, MARCH 27
There is a good roll-up at a Brisbane Rugby League get-together at Norths Kallangur, includng John Short, Glen Frahm, Bob Cox, Tony Obst, John Smith, Alan Nunan, David Wright, Ron Gurnett, Ian Dauth, Paul Hayes, Greg Oliphant, Paul Bowes, Murray Schultz and Clem Hovi. Former Australian centre, Graham Quinn is a guest at the Bilambil Jets’ season launch.
FRIDAY, MARCH 28
Steven Smethurst is chasing video of his dad, Peter on an episode of This is Your Life, back in the 1970s, with Australian rugby league captain, Graeme Langlands the featured personality. Peter played for Oldham against the Kangaroos and he and ‘Chang’ had a ding dong battle. There is a good crowd for Toulouse Olympic’s home game against Hunslet – 5,320. Former Prime Minister, John Howard makes an appearance in the St George Illawarra dressing sheds after the Dragons’ win over Melbourne Storm at Kogarah.
SATURDAY, MARCH 29
There are emotional scenes in Adelaide as South Australia wins the Sheffield Shield, defeating Queensland in an enthralling final. Fans invade the field, and the West End beer flows freely.
Marie and I enjoy dinner at Village Pizza, Samford with neighbours, John and Nora Rothwell and Lyn and Peter Williamson. I love the American Pale ale they have on tap, although $12 for what is really a pot, not a schooner, is a bit steep.
Our grandsons, Ethan and Connor have discovered Yoyos. Everything old is new again.
SUNDAY, MARCH 30
I love Sportsbet’s ‘Having a Crack’ ads and it is so refreshing they don’t feel the need to feature every race and colour under the sun. Former Test winger, Rod Wishart says he modelled his kicking style on my former neighbour from Bray Park, Murwillumbah, Ross Conlon, who also played on the wing for Australia. Wishart, who like Conlon comes from a country town (Gerringong) said the St George players struggled to understand the bush lads when St George Dragons and Illawarra Steelers merged in 1999.
Marie and I watch moving Icelandic/Japanese movie ‘Touch’.
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