VALE GREG GRAINGER

17^th November 1953 – 9^th December 2025
Aged 72 years.

Greg Grainger’s aggression and confidence breathed new life into the Brothers’ Club when he arrived in Murwillumbah ahead of the 1974 Group 18/Gold Coast rugby league season. The Maitland Pumpkin Pickers’ forward had been recommended to Brothers by Bob Pannowitz who had been captain-coach when Brothers previously won the First Grade Premiership in 1969.

In 1973 Brothers were thrashed by Tweed Heads Seagulls in the Grand Final, with fullback, Brian ‘Tussles’ Alexander suffering a broken back from a spear tackle. It was a despondent crew who reported for pre-season training under former Riverina representative hooker, Milton Whybrow who had been appointed captain-coach for the 1974 season.

But Grainger’s arrival lifted everyone, and the big forward quickly showed he could walk the walk as well as talk the talk. He made the Group 18 side for the North Coast trials, and terrorised rivals from Byron Bay to Southport in the cross border club League.

Brothers finished equal fifth with Surfers Paradise Pirates in the 11-club competition and were beaten by the Pirates in a play-off for a finals berth. The following year, under the coaching of former Australian centre, Ron Saddler, Grainger made the North Coast side alongside Brothers’ teammate, Greg ‘Mouse’ Dowling, who also happened to be his brother-in-law.

Greg met and fell in love with Maree Dowling and they married in October, 1975. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in October, 2025, just a few weeks before Greg passed away after a long, courageous battle with bladder cancer.

Greg and Maree’s eldest son, Brendan, said he always knew his dad was tough, but what he saw during his three year battle with cancer proved beyond doubt he was on another level compared with the average person.

“Dad never complained, and never showed pain,” Brendan told a packed congregation at the Newcastle Memorial Park, Beresfield on December 19, 2025. Hundreds of mourners turned out to farewell Greg, many having to stand outside the chapel in 43 degrees heat. There were some among those in attendance who wore the colours of local rugby league clubs.

For celebrant, Ben Quinn, a journalist, entertainer and former rugby league player, it was a deeply personal occasion as he was close to Greg, who had asked him two years ago to conduct the service, when the inevitable happened.

I played alongside Grainger at Brothers in 1974 and in the 1975 pre-season (before I joined Wingham Tigers), and I was asked to deliver a eulogy about his time at Murwillumbah.

He met Maree at Murray’s Murwillumbah Hotel, at the juke box (where else). Greg told me he put 20 cents into the machine and played ‘Great Balls of Fire’. My ‘go-to’ song was ‘Heart of Gold’, and the Neil Young classic describes Greg. On the football field he was brutal, and often earned the ire of referees. He wouldn’t last long in today’s game playing the same style, but he had a running and tackling game that would suit footy as we know it now.

He could sledge with the best of them, but, on occasion, regretted having a big mouth. There was a match in the Newcastle competition in which his captain told him to say something to rival prop, former Kiwi Test forward, Henry Tatana.

“Bad Move”, Greg told me.

When Greg represented North Coast it was in the Amco Cup knockout competition, and the side, coached by former Australian centre, Ron Boden, drew Sydney power house, Manly-Warringah. The match was played at Lang Park in Brisbane and Manly predictably won by a big margin.

But it was a great achievement to make that North Coast side because it was chosen from clubs from Tweed Heads on the Queensland border, south to Newcastle. In those days rugby league had no real rivals as a winter sport in the region, and it seemed every able bodied man played the sport. Now there are Australian rules posts where once rugby league posts stood.

Greg played for Wingham Tigers in 1976 and 1977, and did enough in those two seasons to be named in the club’s Team of the 70s, as a prop alongside fellow prop, Don Gibson and hooker, Stan Lewis. His former Brothers’ teammate and brother-in-law, Gary Dowling moved to Gundagai and represented Riverina and New South Wales Country.

Greg knew he had married into a rugby league family with his father-in-law, Pat Dowling a Tweed representative and a World War II veteran, while Gary’s younger brother, John was carving out a career in Brisbane club football, which would lead to a contract with St George in Sydney and ultimately the Queensland State of Origin hooking job in 1982. Another Brother, Paul played for Murwillumbah Old Boys and Brothers. Gary and Paul attended the funeral, with ill health preventing John from making the trip from the Gold Coast where he lives with his wife, Lyn.

Back in the Hunter Valley Greg played for the likes of Hexham, Morpeth and Waratah Mayfield in keenly contested games played in front of parochial, sometimes violent crowds.

Greg and Maree have three children – Brendan, Aaron and Cara – with Brendan and Aaron both fine footballers. Aaron played front row for the New South Wales under-19 side in the 1990s and was earmarked for first grade honours with the Newcastle Knights before he was injured in a road accident. There are seven grandchildren with Khynan Butler a first grader with Kurri Kurri in the Newcastle competition, while Chase Butler is contracted to the Newcastle Knights. Knights recruitment chief, Peter O’Sullivan was present at the funeral. Another grandson, Zach is a fine amateur boxer, based at Tugun on the Gold Coast.

Greg found out in recent years he had indigenous heritage, something he was proud of, although he was never likely to lead a Land Rights march.

In the years since Greg and I played together at Murwillumbah we have seen each other regularly, at Brothers’ reunions, NRL games and on holidays. My wife, Marie and I joined Greg and Maree on a 14-day New Zealand cruise in 2014, and it was a laugh a minute sailing with the Graingers and their friends from the Hunter Valley, Mark and Jenny Conway; Karl and Leslie Dixon, Richard and Robyn Hall.

Marie and I travelled to Newcastle in November, 2023 to see Greg because he had been told he would be lucky to make Christmas. I travelled down again in November this year, because Greg had been told he would definitely not make Christmas this time. I enjoyed a memorable night at a Maitland restaurant with Greg and Maree, and Greg’s cousin, Mick Tanner and his wife, Lee. Greg did remarkably well to get through the night, smiling and laughing along with us.

When I said goodbye the next day, I knew it would be the last time I would see him. I spoke to him over the phone when he was in hospital a few weeks later, and told him I loved him.

Greg wouldn’t want me to finish on a morbid note. So…….

Greg was always proud of the way he presented himself, and like many males felt he was God’s gift to women. A few months back I sent him a photo I had taken of him in his younger days.

Greg’s response was: “Fuck. I’m good looking”.

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