Bryan Niebling in action for Australia
"My first contribution to the Men of League magazine was this Q & A I did with Australian forward, Bryan Niebling in 2013." - Steve Ricketts
BRYAN NIEBLING
– 13 Tests for Australia 1984-87.
– Nine State of Origin matches for Queensland 1983-87.
You made your representative debut as a youngster for Wide Bay against Great Britain at Maryborough in 1979. What was it like playing against a team of old hard heads?
Pretty daunting. They had some of the legends of the game like Roger Millward, Jim Mills, Doug Laughton, George Nicholls and Steve Nash. But we gave a good account of ourselves, although the Poms won 27-7. I was playing for Murgon at the time after knocking back an offer from Souths in Brisbane. I just wanted one season at home with my mates.
Seven years later you were touring Great Britain and France with the Kangaroos and you returned home undefeated. What was the closest you came to being beaten?
It was a mid-week game against Oldham, and although I didn’t play it was nail biting for all concerned because we wanted to replicate the ’82 side’s record. The referee (Kevin Allatt) didn’t do us any favours, but that was the case wherever we went. We won 22-16 and Terry Lamb scored a couple of tries.
You ended up at Valleys when you moved to Brisbane and you played under controversial captain-coach, Ross Strudwick. What was that like?
Really good. I was just a kid, and Struddy’s unique style of coaching suited me. Some players needed a pat on the back and some needed to be yelled out. Struddy could press the right buttons and he was probably ahead of his time. We played it hard and having our coach on the field with us was an advantage I thought, because we all had an input. But I know it wouldn’t work now.
Your next club was Redcliffe and their pack had a fearsome reputation given it included internationals like yourself, Wally Fullerton Smith and Dave Brown. Did you blokes try to live up to that reputation?
Not really. You had to play hard because Redcliffe had plenty of depth and there was always someone in reserve grade ready to take your place. The toughness of the Dolphins’ pack was more of a media thing, but we all took great pride in our performance. There was a weekly competition to see who make the biggest hit, but you had to play smart. Big hits were not going to win finals.
What were expectations like among the fans at Redcliffe going into the 1987 BRL grand final against Brothers, given the Dolphins had won only one premiership, back in 1965 when Arthur Beetson played?
After such a long drought people were certainly hoping we would win, and we had beaten Brothers in the season proper. But, coached by Ross Strudwick, they played better on the day and got the last title before the Broncos came on the scene.
In 1986 you won the Rothmans Medal as Brisbane’s Best and Fairest Player. Was that one of your greatest honours?
Some people rolled their eyes at the fact a fiery forward would get an award judged by referees, but I always prided myself on playing clean. I also had a lot of respect for referees of the day such as Eddie Ward who controlled Test matches and inter-state clashes. The medal still looks good and every now and then I get it out of the cupboard to show the kids.
You were one of the Broncos’ first signings. Was their interest from Sydney clubs?
Yes. Penrith, Manly and Easts had approached me as early as ’86, but I was a country boy, and although Brisbane was a big place compared with Murgon, it was nothing compared with Sydney. The Broncos gave me a chance to stay in Brisbane and that was great.
You finished your playing career at Hull Kingston Rovers in England. What was that like?
I enjoyed the winter over there playing on the soft, damp fields. Sometimes I wore garbage bags under the jersey to keep me warm, but I didn’t mind the cold. Playing over there gave me a new lease of life. Back here I would cart the ball up 30 times and tackle for 80 minutes. But over there I was allowed to pass more and even do the occasional chip kick, and it worked well for the team.
I believe you watched Origin I (In 2013) on the Greek Island of Santorini?
Yes, my wife Cath and I were on holidays and we found a sports bar showing the game. We met all these young guys from New South Wales who gave me a hard time when they found out who I was. But it was all good fun, and of course Queensland got the last laugh after losing that game.
What has life after football brought for you?
It has given me a chance to spend more time with the family, and that’s the most important thing. I was also able to concentrate on my floor covering business and I still go out now doing jobs. I watch the NRL and Queensland Cup on television, but I don’t get to many games. If I go to the football it’s usually to watch Brothers in the Brisbane Second Division. It’s old style football and very enjoyable. Our daughter, Sophie’s boyfriend, Jay Russell plays for Brothers. His dad, Noel played for Brothers back in the ’70s. Sophie and her brother, Josh have moved out now, so Cath and I are empty nesters.
About Author
