Brisbane Rugby League action. Wests’ Ian Robson powers through a tackle by Norths’ Jim Hicks
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 29
NRL Grand Final week is launched by CEO Andrew Abdo at The Rocks in Sydney as Brisbane Lions supporters continue to celebrate their team’s AFL Premiership success. One of those celebrating is “entertainer/storyteller”, Brad McCaw, who will interview me for his podcast – the topic: Origin football. McCaw is in Fitzroy, the Melbourne suburb where the Lions were born. I’m not sure how much he knows about rugby league. His website calls him ‘Brisbane’s Piano Man’. Broncos’ coach Michael ‘Madge’ Maguire and several of his forwards enjoy beef spare ribs at Caxton Pub.
So many emergency vehicle sirens at Samford. Two rural fire engines, a police Paddy wagon – at different times.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
Legendary rugby league coach Phil ‘Gus’ Gould has been taken to hospital following a heart scare. I was in Auckland in 2004 covering the Tri-Nations when he was subject to a similar situation and I was diverted from other duties to a hospital to check on his progress.
I call into Stafford Tavern for a beer with some of the blokes I would meet regularly when my wife, Marie and I lived at Grange, esteemed gentlemen such as Len O’Brien, Bill Blake, Jim Gannon and Jimmy Whitbourne, men with firm views on how we can get things right in the world.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1
Former Australian keeper, Ian Healy ponders how long it will be before a bowler is seriously injured or even killed sending a delivery down as result of the power-hitting we see in cricket now with hi-tech bats. ‘Heals’ was my first interview subject as MC for the Brisbane Beer and Beef Club a decade or so back, and I raised that very matter with him, although I was more concerned about umpires. Now we find a number of umps electing to wear protective gear. Could bowlers be fitted with high tech, lightweight head guards? Pace bowlers in particular are at risk as their follow through takes them well down the wicket and sometimes their gaze is on the ground not the bat.
Roosters’ fullback, James Tedesco wins the Dally M Award as NRL player of the year and is also named captain of the year. With the women also honoured (Tamika Upton, Broncos is the winner) the night is ‘too busy’. The women deserve to have their own night. And the men deserve to celebrate on their own night.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2
At 6 am Marie and I are woken by the sound of dogs barking like mad. Neighbours are dog sitting for their kids and another neighbour is walking by with his two dogs and all hell breaks loose. We hoped to escape that sort of racket when we moved here from Grange.
Suncorp Stadium Operations Chief Trevor Bow attends Queensland Rugby League History Committee meeting to explain the digital back-up information that can be provided for The Queenslander Walk of Fame. I say hello to QRL official, Dave Maiden who is on his way to the airport with the trophy which is at stake when Burleigh Bears and New Zealand Warriors meet in Sydney on Sunday in the ‘State Championship’. “Burleigh have a lot of walking wounded,” he says.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3
Fellow veteran media guy, John McCoy and I MC a Celebration of the 70s Family of League lunch at Brisbane’s Pullman Hotel (see ‘Celebration of a Golden Era for the BRL’ this website). It was great to catch up with former Brothers’ teammates such as Bob Cox, Murray Schultz, Greg Thomas, Allan Power and Chris Ryan, blokes I have seen at different stages since the mid-70s, with the exception of Chris Ryan, who has been based in Sydney. Former Valleys’ winger Peter Falvey tells me he has six pubs. Former Grand Final referee Eddie Ward gets a little emotional as players chat to him like a long lost friend. During his time with the whistle he was respected but players kept a distance. Former Norths, Redcliffe and Valleys halfback Mark Murray recalls his run-ins with Australian coach, Frank Stanton on the 1982 Kangaroo tour and also delights in telling me how he won 400 pounds off skipper Max Krilich at poker in Hong Kong on the way to London. Krilich had four Queens but Murray had four aces. Former neighbour Ken Schneider attends the lunch and it is great to catch up with him.
Palestinian protesters take over King George Square but fortunately do no impinge on of our enjoyment of a few ales at the Pig ‘N Whistle. With the pub full of rugby league types they would have got short shift if they had tried. Former Brisbane Easts and Gold Coast Seagulls forward, Ian Stains gets up me about something I wrote about him, back in 1992. During one State of Origin camp, Queensland coach Mal Meninga gave me a serve about something I wrote about him on a Kangaroo tour in the 1980s. On both occasions I could not recall the stories they were referring to, but obviously they struck a raw nerve.
There is a bushfire at Camp Mountain, not far from where we live at Samford. “I have never seen so many fire trucks,” says my wife, Marie.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4
FoxSports’ commentator, Andrew Voss hosts the Kangaroo tour reunion in the Steve Waugh Room at the SCG with the likes of Ron Coote, Bob McCarthy, Steve Roach and dual rugby internationals, Mike Cleary and Stephen Knight in attendance. The first tour Voss followed was 1978 when we won the series against Britain but lost in France. Touch football is the focus on Bondi beach, a great Aussie activity. Certainly better than that dickhead riding a horse along the beach recently, brandishing a Palestinian flag, just to stick it up the large Jewish community that calls Bondi and surrounds home.
FoxSports replay some of the great grand finals including 1971, a match I attended with the Murwillumbah Brothers club.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5
The Broncos have won their first premiership since 2006, when I covered the game as The Courier-Mail’s chief league writer. On that occasion they beat Melbourne in a major upset. Once again Melbourne are on the receiving end in a what turns into a classic game with Reece Walsh winning the Clive Churchill Medal as Player of the match. Melbourne’s loss came despite the fact they have won 17 of their last 19 games against Brisbane and Race 7 at Ballina being named ‘Good Luck Nick Meany’ in honour of the local lad who now plays centre for the Storm. This whole finals series has been awesome. There are cigars in the Broncos’ dressing room – not a necessary part of celebrations and against the fire code I would imagine. Ezra Mam has had a turbulent year and is entitled to celebrate long and loud with teammates. But some would not have been impressed with him being one of the cigar smokers. Mam showed amazing skill during the game to pick up one pass off his toes – shades of former dual rugby star, Geoff Richardson (Brisbane Wests league). It’s great to see veteran trainer/groundsman, Tony ‘Springer’ Spencer (a former Wests’ player) in Sydney for the occasion given he is retiring. He has been with the Broncos since day one in 1988.
There is an all-in-brawl at the end of the women’s Grand Final, but for some reason we don’t get to see it on TV. The Broncos beat the Roosters 22-18. Just as David Maiden feared, the Burleigh Bears can’t back up from their Q Cup triumph and are belted 50-20 by New Zealand Warriors in the State Championship Final. The star is former Gold Coast boy Tanah Boyd. Warriors’ prop Tanner Stowers Smith is a grandson of former Kiwis’ captain Pat Smith. Warriors’ hooker Sam Healey was born in Castleford England when his dad, Mitch (from Cronulla) was playing for the Yorkshire club in Super League.
There is a ‘Big League’ program on sale at the ground. It would be so lovely to see match programs return, but, sadly, I can’t see it happening.
Our youngest son Lliam and his two boys watch the Grand Final at the Lord Alfred pub at the top of Caxton Street in Brisbane. Just down the road the Beetson Hotel is the official venue for the GF.
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