The British rugby league media corps in the glory days
MONDAY, OCTOBER 6
Media officer, Michael Hillier will have his hands full on the forthcoming Kangaroo tour of England with noted news hounds, Dean ‘Bulldog’ Ritchie (News Ltd), Danny Weidler (Channel 9) and Michael Chammas (Sydney Morning Herald) among those reporting on the Test series. Hillier, who has been seconded from the QRL, will also have the unpredictable British press snapping at his heels, but for totally different reasons to the Aussie hacks. The British national media will be after stories they can link to rugby union, and, in the case of Nathan Cleary, his relationship with soccer star, Mary Fowler. There will be the dedicated rugby league journos from Leeds, Hull and Manchester looking for footy stories, and the BBC will be obliged to deliver stories of that genre as well, given they are host broadcasters. But generally speaking the Aussies’ best hope of publicity in the UK is the odd feature or quirky news story. The decline in newspaper circulation and also the fact that rugby league in the UK is not held in the same high regard as it was when union was amateur, has meant that there is really no such thing as a fulltime rugby league journalist at a national level.
The Koori Knockout Final between Newcastle Yowies and Bourke Warriors at Tamworth makes for quality viewing on NITV and FoxSports, on a day when the Broncos are welcomed back to Brisbane by adoring fans at an Open Day at Suncorp Stadium. Our fellow league loving neighbours at Samford Grove, Mike and Julie Gallwey have a Broncos’ scarf draped over their landing while everyone I bump into on a walk to town wants to talk about ‘The Game’. Another neighbour, Rosemary Easthaughffe says her husband Brian was going to don his Wallaby jersey on match day but changed his mind thinking it might jinx the Broncos, given the Wallabies have lost their last two Tests against the All Blacks.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7
The Courier-Mail’s Peter Badel (my replacement as Courier-Mail chief league writer) mentions former Broncos’ fitness trainer, Dean Benton when the topic of the Broncos’ physical fitness comes up. Benton was brought in ahead of the 2006 season by coach Wayne Bennett, and Brisbane went on to beat hot favourites, Melbourne in the Grand Final that year. It is 20 years ago today that Bennett sacked Gary Belcher, Glenn Lazarus and Kevin Walters from his staff after the Broncos bowed out in the 2005 finals in ‘straight sets’. Today’s Broncos’ wrap-around includes photos of the six front pages which covered the Broncos titles in 1992, ’93, 97, 98, 2000 and 2006, matches I covered for the paper. Current coach, Michael ‘Madge’ McGuire is a guest on SEN as is former NRL CEO, Todd Greenberg who is now Cricket Australia CEO. Greenberg is based in Melbourne, and got along to Storm’s preliminary final against Cronulla.
Over a coffee at Gaythorne-RSL I chat to a chap of Italian descent (Remo) who tells me how his parents ran a fruit shop/milk bar at the corner of Ann and Wharf Streets in Brisbane and made a good living in World War II, with American soldiers tipping, a practice not part of Australian culture. Another bloke watches and listens only to ABC News and is stunned that I watch commercial news bulletins. A lady sitting nearby says she has just read something in The Guardian. The ABC and The Guardian – a left wing daily double.
Learn of the passing of former Great Britain prop, Mick Harrison aged 79. Born in Featherstone, Harrison moved to Hull at a young age and signed with the Fish Trades Boys Club before making his first grade debut for Hull FC. He also played for Leeds. Harrison played for British under-24s against France in Bayonne late in 1966 and then made his full Test debut against the French in Carcassonne early in 1967. He played a total of seven Tests – four against France; two against the touring Kiwis and one against the Kangaroos – at Warrington in 1973, an Ashes decider which the tourists won 15-5. (His opposing prop was Arthur Beetson). I saw him play for Leeds in their Challenge Cup final win over St Helens in 1978. All up he played more than 560 first class games when English rugby league was played in winter, and winters were notoriously cold in those days, and there were many muddy and/or icy pitches.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8
The Samford Groovers put on an Octoberfest concert here at Samford Grove. Most of the ‘band’ play the ukulele, but there is ‘oomph’ from a piano accordion (played by resident, David Turner) and a viola, played by a female guest musician.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9
Giant forward, Payne Hass carries off a record sixth Paul Morgan Medal at the Broncos’ presentation Ball. I have been to a few of these functions since I retired at the end of the 2012 season, but lately my invitations seem to have gone astray.
St Helens sack coach Paul Wellens, even though the club made the finals. It shows you that the famous Merseyside club regards anything less than a grand final appearance as a failure.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10
Former Queensland cricketer, Ken Healy has never seen a better hitter of a cricket ball than another Maroon, Glenn Trimble. Ken, a brother of former Test keeper, Ian Healy, is my interview subject at Beer and Beef Club lunch at Breakfast Creek Hotel. Ken does excellent work for the Bulls Masters, which has another former Queensland player, Jimmy Maher as managing director. Ken says Jimmy didn’t realise he was on live tv when he made his infamous comment about his drunken state when he appeared on Channel 9’s The Footy Show after Queensland won their first ever Sheffield Shield in 1995. One could argue he should never have been allowed to participate in the show. The Bulls Masters do great work fostering cricket in the bush and in the junior ranks.
The funeral is held for Alex Kolomeitz, 88, from Thornlands, co-manager of the 1979 Australian Schoolboys rugby league side in France and England. He was a teacher at Balmoral High in Brisbane and was involved with Valley United Stars at club level. Peter Lamb and Craig McAlpine were two of the Brisbane boys in the ’79 side and run into them every now and then.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11
Australia v England 1975 World Series clash from the Sydney Cricket Ground is on Foxtel. I have seen the game several times, the first time live on tv at Taree Bowls Club. But it is good to see it again. England’s former rugby union international Mick Coulman hits Australian prop, Arthur Beetson with one of the worst stiff arms I have seen, and only gets a caution.
Marie and I started the day by attending the monthly market at Samford Uniting Church. A stall holder asks the guitar man to turn down the volume. What a spoil sport. Junior and country cricket is back underway with the footy season having drawn to a close.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12
Peter ‘Rowdy’ Howard, a work colleague at The Telegraph and then Courier-Mail, has been inducted into the Queensland Racing Hall of Fame. One of my former opponents from Tweed Rugby League, Graham Roberts attends a reunion of the Chelsea Rugby League Club, part of the South Sydney District, at Erskineville Bowls. Graham, who played first grade for Brothers in Brisbane and Balmain, drove to Sydney for the get-together. He tells me that former Great Britain forward, Brian Lockwood put in for the captain-coach job at Tweed Seagulls in the eighties. (He missed out).
Hardly any of our girls sing as the Australian National Anthem is played ahead of the Prime Minister’s XIII game against Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby and some look positively angry. By way of contrast all the PNG girls sing. Around 75 percent of our men sing the anthem. The PNG team to compete in the NRL from the 2028 season will be known as The Chiefs.
Learn of the passing of American actress Diane Keaton. I loved her in Father of the Bride; Something’s Gotta Give and Looking for Mr Goodbar.
About Author
I was a 14 boy at the Battle of Brisbane 2 They let us over the low fence and only 10 metres away from the dead ball line.Tommy Bishop,Roger(the Dodger) Millward they we’re special players in a special time. No just puttying a finger on the ball, no big dives. Plant the ball down.Tackles were Tackles. No going forward for 30 seconds. A penalty would have been given. Best tackler was Col Weiss.