Wynnum-Manly props Greg Dowling (left) and John Turner
Rugby League Immortal Wally Lewis reserved special praise for unheralded prop, John Turner after Lewis claimed his first major win as a coach with Wynnum-Manly’s 10-8 result against Brothers in the Brisbane Woolies pre-season final at Lang Park.
Lewis, controversially appointed captain-coach of Wynnum after Des Morris was shown the door, asked Turner to play-on after he was treated for a leg injury at halftime.
“I can’t speak highly enough of the forwards,” Lewis said. “I asked John to give me another five minutes. He gave me 40. And can’t (second rower) John Milson perform? He was by far the most impressive forward in the finals. He’s not bad for someone whose mainly played C Grade.”
Brothers were clearly the better side in the first half but led only 4-2 at the break and lost momentum when forward Dan Stains was replaced with a bruised shin in the 35th minute.
Centre Robert Grogan scored a try in the 10th minute after lock Shane McErlean charged down a Lewis kick. That was Lewis’s only error and a powerful tackle he made on Brothers’ fullback Clinton Mohr five minutes into the second half changed the complexion of the game. From the turnover of possession Wynnum worked into a good position and Lewis cut out fellow Test star Gene miles with a trademark long pass which found Wally’s brother Scott, who did the rest.
Wynnum did not concede the lead from there and enlarged it to 10-4 five minutes later when fullback Colin Scott broke three tackles after a precise Wally Lewis pass, and hooker Craig Farrugia backed up to score.
Brothers closed to 10-8 after second rower John McGraw beat the Lewis siblings. Hooker Tony Rea missed both conversion shots.
Jack Craig wrote in The Courier-Mail that the win took a lot of pressure off Lewis after his selection as coach didn’t go down well with a lot of supporters after Morris had guided the club to three grand finals and two premierships. Lewis said it also relieved the pressure on new president, David Green, the former first grade skipper.
“I don’t argue that people should have their opinions, but they didn’t count on our blokes having big tickers,” Lewis told Craig.
In Steve Haddan’s excellent book ‘My Life Wally Lewis’, Lewis said Morris felt he’d been knifed.
“Des had told Wynnum he wouldn’t coach for nothing,” Lewis said. “After weeks of uncertainty and self doubt, I said I would. “‘Geno’ (Miles) had approached me and urged me to take the job, saying I’d give the team fresh ideas and some spark. ‘You have to do it,’ he said. I went for it. I was a difficult time for Des and certainly put a strain on our friendship.”
Wynnum were broke and Queensland Rugby League chairman Bill Hunter said the club might not even play in 1986, so winning the pre-season was a boost to morale as well as the financial coffers, with first prizemoney of $9,250.
Bothers’ coach Ross Strudwick, Lewis’s former mentor at Valleys, was gracious in defeat despite his frustration at his players’ mistake rate.
“It’s another feather in Wally’s cap and good on him,” Strudwick said.
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40 friggin years ago. Just crazy. Wynnum took all four trophies that year (woolies pre’-season, state league. Woolies trophy and BRL).