Uppermost room

Then

and NOW

Vale Johnny Gleeson

WELCOME to the first column for 2022. The off-season seems to get shorter and shorter in rugby league, with so much happening over the Christmas- January period.

Sadly, the Queensland rugby league lost a real stalwart over the Christmas break when Johnny Gleeson, Qld state five-eight through much of the 1960s, passed away at 82 years of age.

Johnny played his career in Toowoomba and Brisbane but had great connections throughout the state. Many of his Qld teammates were from CQ and NQ. A quiet and humble man, he played the game at its highest level. After his playing days were over, he spent most of his life on his cattle property near Chinchilla, where he and his wife raised six children.

One of his teammates for Qld in the 1960s was our own Angelo Crema, who remembers Johnny with great fondness, a brilliant five-eighth who, if playing today, would be comparable to Cameron Munster or Anthony Milford, with swift footwork.

Johnny grew up in the Chinchilla area and broke into representative football as a teenage halfback for the South West Qld side, led by Cunnamulla Bob Banks, who later played for Tully.

Then in 1959, he moved to Toowoomba to play for the All Whites club, representing the garden city in the old Bulimba cup competition before making the Qld side for the first time in 1961.

From then on, Johnny was hardly ever missing from Qld sides playing 24 times in the maroon, including several times as captain, and he played for Australia from 1963 to 1967. His time in Australian colours included three tours overseas and 10 test matches. He was the only Qld-based player in the Australian team on at least one occasion.

Johnny made the move to Brisbane in 1963 to play for the old Wynnum Manly club. From there made the 1963 kangaroo touring squad to the UK and France.

His test debut for Australia happened against France at Lang Park the following year.

By 1965, He had returned to Toowoomba, where he made the Australian squad tour NZ. On that tour, one of his Australian squad teammates was NQ and Burdekin/Ingham centre Gary Wellington.

By 1966, Johnny was back in Brisbane, this time with the Brothers club, from where he made the Qld and Australian sides in 1966 and 1967. His final game of Australia was against England on the 1967 Kangaroo tour.

Johnny continued to play for Brisbane Brothers until 1969, then took on several coaching jobs in Gympie and Gladstone before returning full time to his cattle property, keeping his hand in the game as a selector for the Toowoomba sides for many years.

Tully Tigers Rugby League Football Club is gearing up for a big season

MARIA GIRGENTI

TULLY Tigers Rugby League Football Club has welcomed Jordan Ketchell to the coaching staff for season 2022.

Jordan will be the head coach of the Reserve Grade side, as well as helping his brother Paul with the A-Grade team.

Jordan is a long-time Tully Tiger coming through the junior ranks and played in the Tigers A-grade side and a host of representative honours along the way.

Pre-season training for senior players has kicked off. The sessions will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Tully Showgrounds, commencing at 6.00 pm.

Congratulations to Tully ladies Essay Banu, Kimberley Hunt and Layne Bennett, who gained selection in Wynnum Manly Seagulls Queensland Rugby League Women’s 2022 squad.

This squad also included Kayla Taputoa from Cairns, who previously played for the Innisfail Leprechauns.

Banu started playing rugby league in the Tully Tigers junior ranks and Tully senior rugby league touch before playing in the Innisfail Leprechauns Open Women’s rugby league team.

Bennett also started in Tully Tigers junior rugby league teams and progressed to Tully senior rugby league touch team.

Taputoa played in the Cairns Kangaroos juniors until Under 17s before joining Innisfail Brothers Juniors Rugby League and playing for Innisfail Leprechauns Open Women’s team in rugby league touch and tackle.

Tully Tigers holds their annual jersey auction on Saturday, February 5, at Tully Leagues Club.

Tully is hosting a trial game between Northern Pride and the Cowboys on Saturday, February 12. Tully Tigers trial games are scheduled to start in early March.

Tully Tigers Old Boys Club is running a raffle as a fundraiser for the club and community, which will assist with seniors’ jersey sponsor, junior league honour board, junior state representatives, and coaching/first aid course.

Get in quick as tickets which are $50 each are limited to only 300, and the lucky winner will pick up a cool $5,000 in cash.

There are stacks of tickets still available, and anyone wishing to purchase one or more can deposit $50 into the following bank account:

Tigers Old Boys

BSB: 064 818

Account No. 1029 3239

Please send confirmation of payment via text message to Colin Wilkie on 0433 173 243.