VALE DES LEE
To say Des Lee played above his weight is an understatement. The feisty rugby league halfback never tipped the scales at anything over 10 stone (63.5kg), but never let his […]
Category Archives: The Column
SOUTHS MAGPIES HALL OF FAME
Super coach, Wayne Bennett describes the South Sydney Rabbitohs and Brisbane’s Souths Magpies as kindred spirits, in that they are working class clubs, with a never-say-die ethos. And the embodiment […]
VALE BOB DUNCAN
by Steve Ricketts, Chairman, Queensland Rugby League History Committee. Bob Duncan was tipped as a future State star when he first burst onto the representative scene with Toowoomba in 1960. […]
TOM TERRIFIC COULD NOT BE CAGED
by Steve Ricketts. Tom Raudonikis took the wheel of his car, after a long lunch at the Breakfast Creek Hotel, and invited the passengers to help themselves to a beer, […]
START OF A NEW ERA
April 1, 2021 marks the 60th anniversary of the opening of Lang Park’s new Frank Burke Stand, by the Governor of Queensland, Sir Henry Abel-Smith. The completion of the stand, […]
VALE KEN MCCAFFERY
By Greg Shannon, QRL History Committee The QRL would like to pass on sincere condolences to the family of a truly remarkable rugby league identity, former Queensland and Australian player Ken McCaffery who passed away on February 6 at 91 years of age. Ken had a long and […]
VALE PAUL ‘SCOBIE’ MALONE
Paul ‘Scobie’ Malone was by my side at countless rugby league matches, firstly as a rival, and then as a ‘teammate’ at ‘The Courier Mail’. We were rivals when I […]
‘GILTINAN’S TOUR -1908’
by Tom Mather. Available in paperback, or as an ebook, via Amazon. BOOK REVIEW Prominent Sydney sportsman, James J Giltinan is widely recognised as the driving force behind the movement, […]
VALE DAVE BOLTON
Dave Bolton was man of the match in Balmain’s shock 11-2 win over Souths in the 1969 Sydney grand-final, a match magnificently chronicled in Ian Heads’ book, ‘The Great Grand […]
THE POWER OF SLEDGING
This is an article I wrote for The Courier-Mail in October, 1995, but to my knowledge was never published, not for sinister reasons. I think it was simply a lack […]
VALE GARY PARCELL
By Steve Ricketts. QRL History Committee. A one club man, Gary Parcell played all of his eight Tests for Australia and 14 matches for Queensland from Ipswich Brothers. The Parcell […]
VALE GEOFF McLACHLAN
Geoff McLachlan was one of Queensland’s finest sports photographers, with a particular affection for the rugby league code. McLachlan, who played league for Wynnum-Manly, died in September, aged 78. It […]
TOMATO KINGS OF TUMBULGUM
Former Test rugby league halfback, Tom Raudonikis had the nickname ‘Tomato Tom’ during his time in Brisbane, but the tag just have easily could have been applied to former Queensland […]
GREAT SENSE OF COMMUNITY AT GOODNA
The first time I heard mention of the Ipswich suburb of Goodna, was when other kids told me, that’s where you finish up, if you go crazy. I was living […]
THE GUNSYND BAR
Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium boasts many fine hospitality suites, but there is nothing to compare with the ‘Gunsynd Bar’ in the old Frank Burke Stand, at what was called Lang Park […]
THE GREATEST DERBIES?
It is one of my great regrets, and yes, there have been a few, that I never had the chance to attend a Wigan v St Helens derby match in […]
A CHANGE OF MIND ABOUT FREDDY
I must confess to having under-estimated Brad Fittler, when he was thrown into a leadership role during the Super League War in the 1990s. To me, he wasn’t a great […]
‘GARY SOBERS KING CRICKET’. A PRIZE TO CHERISH.
THE West Indies’ convincing home Test series victory over Australia in 1964-65, left me devastated, as I thought we were invincible at that time, under the captaincy of Bob Simpson. […]
Taking It To The Streets
The Second Life of the Newtown RLFC, by Glen Dwyer Book review. It is one of the regrets of my life in rugby league, to date, that I have never […]
VALE NOEL KELLY OAM
By QRL History Committee Chairman, Steve Ricketts, who was a judge for the ARL Team of the Century. Australian Rugby League ‘Team of the Century’ hooker, Noel Kelly was one […]
