‘BROTHERS CLOSE AND FAR’
Five Star Cinemas at New Farm hosted a World Movie Premiere with a difference on November 4, with the ‘A Listers’ all broken down, old footballers. It was the first […]
Author Archives: SteveRicketts
FLASHBACK: OCTOBER 2011
OCTOBER 2011 Australian overcame dubious tactics by New Zealand to win the first match of the 2011 Four Nations Rugby League Tournament, which was held in England and Wales. Australian […]
DIARY UPDATE: Week 12, 2021
DIARY OF A RETIRED RUGBY LEAGUE WRITER WEEK 12 2021 TUESDAY, MARCH 23 Distinguished rugby league coach, Neil Henry says only 20 percent of NRL players are eligible for Queensland, […]
FRENCH LEAGUE FANS DARE TO DREAM
In 1948 a Catalans Regional XIII humiliated the touring Australian Rugby League side 20-5 at Perpignan in France. Catalans did it again in 1963, against a Kangaroo touring side rated […]
DIARY UPDATE: Week 11, 2021
DIARY OF A RETIRED RUGBY LEAGUE WRITER WEEK 11 2021 MONDAY, MARCH 15 Brisbane Rugby League cult hero, Greg ‘Slippery’ McCarthy found his way to Brisbane from Coffs Harbour […]
BRISBANE BEER AND BEEF CLUB
When I retired from Queensland Newspapers in October, 2012, aged 60, I wondered how I would keep myself busy in the coming years. I needn’t have worried because, like many […]
FLASHBACK: SEPTEMBER 1981
SEPTEMBER 1981 Redcliffe captain-coach, Arthur Beetson blasted his side for conceding cheap tries, despite the Dolphins’ convincing 21-10 win over Souths in the 1981 Brisbane Rugby League major semi-final at […]
FLASHBACK: SEPTEMBER 1976
SEPTEMBER 1976 John Salter emerged as a future State halfback after his magnificent performances for Souths in the big, end-of-season games in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership. Salter, a former […]
FLASHBACK: SEPTEMBER 1966
SEPTEMBER 1966 St George’s Test rugby league lock, Johnny Raper escaped serious injury in a car accident, because he was wearing a seatbelt, at a time when it was not […]
OLD TRAFFORD SALUTES THE KANGAROOS
I wish I could say there was a great sense of anticipation across the UK, as the countdown began to the 2000 Rugby League World Cup final at Old Trafford, […]
DIARY UPDATE: WEEK 10, 2021
DIARY OF A RETIRED RUGBY LEAGUE WRITER WEEK 10 2021 MONDAY, MARCH 8 Former rugby league television commentator, George Doniger and I swap yarns about Kangaroo Supporters’ tours of the […]
FLASHBACK: SEPTEMBER 1961
SEPTEMBER 1961 Maryborough product, Jimmy Sutton scored four splendid tries in minor premiers, Norths’ 29-5 win over Redcliffe in the Brisbane Rugby League major semi-final at Lang Park. Sutton, 21, had […]
DIARY UPDATE: Week 9, 2021
DIARY OF A RETIRED RUGBY LEAGUE WRITER WEEK 9 2021 MONDAY, MARCH 1 Tweed Heads Seagulls, a rugby league club which lays claim to being the oldest outside Sydney and […]
WELSH BREATHE FIRE INTO CUP
The much-maligned Welsh team restored some credibility to the 2000 Rugby League World Cup, thanks to a courageous 46-22 loss to Australia in a semi-final at Huddersfield’s McAlpine Stadium. The […]
DIARY UPDATE: WEEK 8, 2021
DIARY OF A RETIRED RUGBY LEAGUE WRITER WEEK 8 2021 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22 The Guineas Room, Eagle Farm is the setting for a wonderful memorial service for Paul Malone, one […]
DIARY UPDATE: WEEK 7, 2021
DIARY OF A RETIRED RUGBY LEAGUE WRITER WEEK 7 2021 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15 There was no-one more competitive than Brisbane Easts’ fullback, Rodger ‘The Dodger’ Kuhn, back in 1970s Brisbane […]
FLASHBACK: AUGUST 1986
AUGUST 1986 Wynnum-Manly’s Test rugby league skipper, Wally Lewis welcomed the prospect of a Brisbane side entering the New South Wales competition in 1987, describing it as the salvation of […]
FLASHBACK: AUGUST 1976
AUGUST 1976 Souths Magpies were the talk of the Queensland sporting scene after their gutsy 14-6 win over Redcliffe in the Brisbane Rugby League knock-out semi-final at Lang Park. The […]
FLASHBACK: AUGUST 1996
AUGUST 1996 Nerang Roosters’ rugby league coach, Robert Grogan made no apologies for the way his men played the game after a torrid match against the Broncos’ Colts saw the […]
FLASHBACK: AUGUST 1966
AUGUST 1966 Halfback, Billy Smith was awarded the Harry Sunderland Memorial Medal as Australia’s player of the series against Great Britain. The medal perpetuates the memory of Queenslander, Harry Sunderland, who […]
Steve Ricketts 