Steve Ricketts (left) says farewell to Greg Grainger
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3
“I Love you mate”. These are my last words to my former Murwillumbah Brothers rugby league teammate Greg Grainger as I farewell him with a hug at his home at Taro in the Hunter Valley. I know deep down I won’t see him again, and he knows it too, as the cancer that has spread through his body brings him down despite his incredibly brave fight, one in which he has never complained. I have travelled down from Queensland to the Hunter Valley to see Greg and his wife Maree, as a result of Maree telling me it is ‘time’. Today Greg and I talk in particular of our days in Murwillumbah.
My former Courier-Mail colleague Mark Oberhardt phones in relation to the History of GPS Rugby Union in Brisbane that he is putting together at the request of the club. He wants further information on Australian Rugby League Life Member, the late Kevin Brasch, who played for GPS before switching to league.
I have lunch from bakery a Bulahdelah on the Myall River and former Australian halfback Brett Kimmorley is having lunch at a cafe next door on his way to Coffs Harbour on New South Wales Rugby League business. He recognises me and we have a nice chat. I had a lot to do with him during the 2000 World Cup in Europe when he was halfback and Andrew ‘Joey’ Johns was chosen at hooker by coach Chris Anderson. I eat my beef and mushroom pie in a park on the opposite side of the river to the town as the park near the main street is an absolute disgrace with broken beer bottles and more dog shit that I have ever seen, much of it almost dried to a fossilised state, which shows the local council is not doing its job. I hope they are not busy passing motions in support of Palestine instead of doing what they are elected to do – look after the streets and sanitation. I stay the night with friends Brian and Carole Atherton in Taree.
Our eldest son Damien, his wife Emma and daughters Parker and Evan attend Benson Boone concert in London. “A night to remember” Damien says. England’s cricketers arrive in Perth for their Ashes tour.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4
Taree’s 2RE plays Barry Crocker hit Suzie Darling to mark his 90th birthdfay. Drive home via lunch at Emerald Beach (including ordinary dairy free ice cream from Mullumbimby); a viewing of the running of the The Melbourne Cup in the Rod’nReel Pub at Woodburn (where my grandfather, William Ricketts once ran a pool hall) and the fish co-op at Chinderah where I leave without a purchase because the prices are so steep.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5
Radio SEN’s Corey Parker – a former Kangaroo – says Test match rugby league is not rated highly by the players. He may be right and this is no doubt the reason former Australian coach, Mal Meninga recruited me to write the history of the Kangaroos to present to the players before they went into camp ahead of last year’s Pacific Cup. What have we come to! Former Australian skipper Cameron Smith is to join the Broncos’ coaching staff. Cameron loved nothing more than beating the Broncos when he captained Melbourne Storm.
My fellow QRL History Committee member Greg Shannon attends Tully Sugar Industry’s 100th anniversary celebrations and then the Tully Tigers’ rugby league club’s AGM.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6
At the invitation of the Brasch family I deliver a eulogy about Kevin Brasch’s footy career at his memorail service at Norths Leagues, Bishop Park, where he was a Life Member. (See Vale Kevin Brasch this website). My former Courier-Mail colleague, Robert ‘Crash’ Craddock’ also delivers a eulogy. Those at the funeral include former internationals John Ribot and Mark Murray; Bruno Cullen, former Valleys player, Joe Metassa; Bill Hunter; former top referee, Geoff Mines; former Norths and Redcliffe halfback Allan Henrick and Dennis Watt. Bruno Cullen, a former Broncos’ CEO, says Kevin got him to the Black Stars club in Mt Isa when Kevin was teaching up there and playing football. Bill Hunter is a former Brisbane Rugby League CEO, who was Kevin’s off-sider for years and now lives at Rainbow Beach. I also meet former Norths’ prop, Peter Hall for the first time. I have heard plenty about him, the fact he featured in Norths 1966 and ’69 Premiership sides and also represented Queensland. A former pupil of Kevin’s, who is there to pay his respects, is adamant Kevin played rugby union for Queensland – against South Africa in 1956 although I can’t find any record of if in ‘Red Red Red The History of Queensland Rugby’. Kevin had held out hope of being selected for the 1957 Wallabies, but was told by an Australian selector he would never make the national squad while his Brisbane club rival Des Connor was still around.
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 7
Family of League magazine editor James Smith went on Neil Cadigan’s Rugby League World Cup supporters’ tour to Europe in 2000 and attended the Kiwis v Lebanon game in Gloucester as well as the Australia v Russia game in Hull, games I covered for News Ltd,. James is to write a feature on the 1995 World Cup for the magazine.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8
George Holmes was born in India, his widow, Elaine tells me at Samford Market. I always enjoyed a chat with George here in Samford Grove over-65 village and today I enjoy a chat with Elaine and two other residents, Jill Reeves and Sue Mortimer. Elaine bemoans the fact Brisbane has lost its uniqueness. As a young girl she would get the ‘mail run’ train to North Queensland for holidays and accompany adults on crocodile shooting trips. Many North Queenslanders would argue these trips should be re-instated.
I watch our grandson Ethan play cricket at Kalinga and younger spectators no doubt have a chuckle at my expense when my newspaper blows away in the wind. I can just imagine them saying why would he bother with that antiquated method of accessing the news. It’s nice to hear Ethan’s coach tell his players that if they need to talk on the field to make it positive banter. I start watching the T20 international cricket from the Gabba, but switch channels after a short while. It makes me sick seeing our home ground become an Indian fortress.
Learn of the passing of Jim House, 81, a former member of the ‘Table of Knowledge’ at Crushers Leagues Club and then the Stafford Tavern. I was invited to be part of it, way back in 2008, and was the youngest member for a time. Also learn of the passing of ex Senator Graham Richardson, 76, who was a staunch backer of the Australian Rugby League during the Super League War. I covered one of his speeches at the Crushers Leagues Club. He made a lot of predictions that day but quite a few missed the mark, sadly.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9
The International Rugby League Federation (is there such a thing) announces Kangaroo tours will be every four years with Federation chair, Troy Grant saying it allows people to save money to go on supporters tours. Really! This has been the problem with international RL – no long term schedule announced so we can at least try to return to the halcyon days of thousands following the Roos. I have been crying this from the rooftops for ages, and not just since I retired.
Overnight the Kangaroos completed a series whitewash of England with a 30-8 win at Headingley, Leeds with Australian hooker Harry Grant Man of the Match and five eighth Cameron Munster named Fulton-Reilly Player of the Series. (The award is named after greats Bob Fulton from Australia and Mel Reilly from England. Reilly is still alive but not in the best of health). Dylan Brown is amazing in the Kiwis’ Pacific Cup Final win over Samoa in Parramatta. Our Jillaroos beat the Kiwi Ferns in the women’s final.
On Macca’s excellent ABC radio show a lady (Thelma) from Gympie says she has had all the peaches taken off her front yard tree. Surely no-one thinks they are entitled to just help themselves. There is a television ad for something of other which will make your dog’s poo “less horrific”. The ridiculous pampering of our pets is a sign of an empire in decline.
Marie and I watch 1987 Australian series Fields of Fire filmed at Ulmarra on the Clarence River in northern New South Wales. It’s great to hear the expression ‘humdinger’. Former Wallaby Ollie Hall plays the role of publican ‘Tiny’.
Legendary Australian broadcaster John Laws has died aged 90. If we had a Wild Turkey in the liquor cabinet we would toast him.
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