Norm Carr in action for Wests in the 1980s. Brett Ferguson is his teammate. That’s Souths’ Mal Meninga on the left.
Wests Panthers’ lightweight lock forward Norm Carr was chosen in the Queensland rugby league side after only 14 first grade appearances in the Brisbane competition.
Carr, 21, earned selection after a starring role for Wests in a 17-0 win over Redcliffe, the team the Panthers beat in the 1975 Grand Final. Norm had a battle to make first grade early in the ’76 season after missing the pre-season competition because he was away on holidays.
“I’m in a confident frame of mind (looking ahead to the match against New South Wales) and I should feel at home with clubmates Greg Oliphant and Steve Cear at half and five eighth in the State side,” Carr told The Courier-Mail’s David Falkenmire.
Carr reserved special praise for Wests’ stalwart Hugh Kelly, a former State rep.
“Hughie advised me on the fundamentals of the game and has helped me all along,” he said.
Queensland were at long odds to beat the Blues in the return game at Lang Park after losing 33-9 in the opening match at the Sydney Cricket Ground. But the Maroons went down fighting 10-5 under lights with Allan McMahon and Dennis Fitzgerald scoring tries for the Blues while Mick Cronin kicked two goals.
Test hooker Johnny Lang scored the Maroons’ try from great lead-up work by Oliphant, Carr and another Wests’ player Harry Cameron. Lang was named Queensland’s player of the match, just edging out Oliphant who was making his State debut. Oliphant went on to play for Australia, while Carr represented Queensland another 12 times, including three Origin games.
NSW won the third match 15-13 with coach Graeme Langlands conceding his side may have been lucky to win, with a controversial late penalty goal by Cronin proving the difference. Sydney referee Gary Cook pinched Queensland for a shepherd, but local referees told The Courier-Mail’s Jack Reardon they believe it was a perfectly legitimate ‘double switch’.
Brothers’ centre Graham Quinn had an outstanding debut series for Queensland.
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