Men of League - Issue 66

Issue 66 - March 2017

IMMORTALLY GRATEFUL • WOMEN AND CHILDREN NRL’S AUSTRALIAN OF YEAR NOMINEE RAREST CARING FOR THE MEN,LEAGUE’S OF THE RUGBY ‘CHRISTENING’ LEAGUE COMMUNITY 1

2

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017

FROM THE

CHAIRMAN

IN THIS EDITION 5 6-8 9 10-11 12-14 18-20 21 22-23 24-26 30-31 34 38 44-45 46-47 50-51 56-57 58 59 60

Ray Warren Alan Tongue Men of League rounds Chrisco hampers Neville Glover Bill Paten Rugby League Bookstore Mental Health Feature Ben Wall Craig Young Allora Sports Museum Sione Faumuina Tony Martyn Les Geeves Wally Prigg QRL History Legends on Tweed / Gold Coast Cam Smith John Armstrong

PLUS THE REGULARS: 16-17 Events calendar 27-29 Helping Hand 32 Volunteer Profile: Henry Morris 33 Committee Profile: Toowoomba 36-37 Around the Grounds 40-43 Tributes 48 League trivia 52-54 NRL Wellbeing and Education 61-69 Committee news EDITOR: Neil Cadigan (editor@menofleague.com) DESIGN: Nine Ounces ADVERTISING: Nine Ounces Phone: (02) 4324 6962 www.nineounces.com www.menofleague.com DEADLINES: Deadline for submitted material for the next edition: April 21 2017

NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS Patron: The Hon John Fahey AC Chairman: Ron Coote AM Treasurer: Geoff Thoroughgood Directors: Mark Gasnier, Brad Howell, Professor The Hon Stephen Martin, Alan Sullivan QC, Darryl Van de Velde and Helen Wood Grant WELFARE COMMITTEE Ray Beattie OAM, Ben Ross, Geoff Thoroughgood and Ken Vessey

As I write we are in the week of the new rugby league season kicking off. I’m sure you’re looking forward to it as much as I am. There is so much excitement around the start of this season with all teams and the anticipation of a great year and memorable moments.

Last week I attended the NRL season launch which was as fantastic as ever. The NRL’s theme for this year is ‘Let’s Make History’ and I think it’s going to be a thrilling year. Some of the NRL’s best talent was at the launch such as Cameron Smith, Paul Gallen, Johnathan Thurston, Greg Inglis, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and James Graham. I can’t tell who’s going to win the competition. It’s as wide open as it’s ever been.

I also attended the launch of Fox Sports’ dedicated rugby league channel Fox League at the iconic Birchgrove Park. The 24/7 channel is a great initiative for rugby league fans. I’ve already watched two grand finals in one afternoon at home and I can see the great viewing distracting a lot of husbands and interfering with lots of yard work, golfing and fishing.

EXECUTIVE Wellbeing & Education Manager: Ben Ross Financial Controller: Emile Assaf Operations Manager: Sandra Hopwood Membership Manager: Richard Mills

Mark Gasnier has decided to step down from the National Board.

Mark has been a great contributor with so much knowledge and a willingness to impart that knowledge. We are forever grateful and I thank him for his service. We wish him and his family well for his future and the soon expected arrival of their third child.

Replacing Mark on our national board will be former Canberra Raiders captain, Alan Tongue.

Alan played 220 games for the Raiders and was their captain from 2007-2011. Alan has been chosen as the ACT’s 2017 Australian of the Year award in recognition of his work mentoring juvenile offenders and combating domestic violence.

We’re looking forward to having Alan join the board.

Finally, I am disappointed to announce that Peter Collins has decided to move on as the chief executive officer of the Foundation.

Peter has been very professional in the role and the board and I thank him for his contribution and wish him all the best.

Ron Coote AM

ben@menofleague.com emile@menofleague.com sandra@menofleague.com richard@menofleague.com Events & Community Engagement: Jessica Schwartz jessica@menofleague.com Finance Assistant: Kerry Brown kerry@menofleague.com NSW State Manager: Stuart Raper stuart@menofleague.com QLD State Manager: Frank Barrett frank@menofleague.com QLD Welfare & Education Officer: Mark Bunting mark@menofleague.com QLD Administration: Belinda Perry belinda@menofleague.com Media, Marketing & Sponsorship: Louise Duff lduff@nineounces.com

NSW & CENTRAL OFFICE Level 3, Eastern Grandstand, ANZ Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park NSW 2127 PO Box 7049, Silverwater NSW 2128 Phone: 02 8765 2232 Fax: 02 8765 2808 QLD OFFICE QRL Office, 83 Castlemaine Street, Milton QLD 4064 PO Box 1217, Milton QLD 4064 Phone: 07 3367 6080 Fax: 07 3367 3464

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

3

YOUR MEN OF LEAGUE LOCAL CONTACTS NEW SOUTH WALES CANBERRA MONARO President: Noel Bissett 0407 597 533 Secretary: Susan Gerrard 0406 378 086 CENTRAL COAST President: Don Parish 0414 353 141 Secretary: Trevor Andrews 0412 694 857 CENTRAL WEST President: John Lasker 02 6852 2477 Secretary: Norm Cook 0458 658 827

FAR SOUTH COAST President: Terry Dickson 0429 449 058 Secretary: Sheldon Wykes ILLAWARRA President: Peter Fitzgerald 0412 263 733 Secretary: Barry Harle 0400 845 424 MACARTHUR/STH HIGHLANDS President: Ron McEntee 0448 118 789 Secretary: Stephen Hazelton 0450 010 770 MID NORTH COAST President: Brian Atherton 0427 523 818 Secretary: Kevin Rayment 0427 533 644 NEWCASTLE HUNTER President: Garry Leo 0400 421 767 Secretary: Peter Corcoran 0413 453 473

SOUTHERN MONARO President: John Bedingfield Secretary: Tom Herbert 0419 215 103

GOLD COAST President: Ian Amos 0417 005 180 Secretary: Wayne Thompson 0413 818 807

SOUTHERN SYDNEY President: Terry Hughes 0447 488 052 Secretary: Bruce Thompson 0419 475 465

GOONDIWINDI President: Trevor Brown 0417 213 686 Secretary: Col Trehearn 0427 712 679

SYDNEY METRO President: Henry Morris OAM 0418 115 706 Secretary: Seamus O'Connell 0411 126 060

GYMPIE President: Ross Groundwater 0408 825 466 Secretary: Greg Pountney 0432 397 974

TUGGERAH LAKES President: Denis Smith 0415 433 976 Secretary: Terry Wand 0438 521 736

MACKAY President: Paul Hudson 0450 737 130 Secretary: Alf Abdullah 0417 752 694

TWEED DISTRICT President: John Strong 0421 971 586 Secretary: Michael Howard 0410 655 987

ROCKHAMPTON President: Shane Nipperess 0407 267 955 Secretary: Dominique McGregor 0411 446 939

UPPER HUNTER President: Paul Medd 0409 482 297 Vice President: Peter Collins 0419 763 279

ROMA President: Owen Lingard 0400 496 507 Secretary: Jason Coonan 0419 729 857

WESTERN REGION Secretary: Ross Tighe 02 6882 4649 Vice President: Bryson Luff 0438 058 563

SUNSHINE COAST President: Don Oxenham 0409 849 161 Secretary: Barry Marsden 0402 654 231

WESTERN SYDNEY President: Steve Winbank Secretary: Garry O'Donnell 0418 699 257

TOOWOOMBA REGION President: Andrew O’Brien 0417 748 489 Secretary: Rick Laing 0419 212 522 TOWNSVILLE President: Mark Williams 0409 894 427 Secretary: Terry Feeney 0488 000 899

NORTH COAST President: Peter Barrett 0414 227 068 Secretary: Terry Clark NORTH WEST President: Don Pascoe 0477 132 456 Secretary: John Campbell 0408 421 065

QLD AND AFFILIATED STATES

NORTHERN RIVERS Patron: Bob Abbott AM Secretary: Tony Cicchinelli 02 6621 3096 Media Officer: Barry Cheadle 02 6686 2977

BRISBANE President: Ian Gatenby 0412 038 013 Secretary: Vance Rennie 07 3350 6436

NORTHERN SYDNEY President: Trevor Bailey 0414 843 600 Secretary: Jim Phelan 0419 414 759

BUNDABERG DISTRICT President: Terry Dodd 0414 526 828 Secretary: Greg Pershouse 0416 242 566

PENRITH President: Alex McKenzie 0414 330 651 Secretary: Adam Przybyla 0407 847 312

CENTRAL HIGHLANDS President: Mick Roach 0439 079 686 Secretary: RJ Stewart 0407 766 841

RIVERINA President: Kel Tilden Treasurer: Dave Cook

FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND President: John McAllister 0409 722 455 Membership Officer: Peter Narducci 0409 554 844

SOUTH COAST President: David Hayward 0405 102 361 Secretary: Carol Weller 0408 478 043

FRASER COAST President: Kev Embrey 0427 250 545 Secretary: Jeffrey Bacchi 0419 729 857

4

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017

VICTORIA President: Peter Foreman 0439 533 171 Secretary: Greg Brentnall 03 8412 4905 NORTHERN TERRITORY President: Dave Cannon 0428 895 211 Secretary: John Barry 0417 732 660 WESTERN AUSTRALIA President: James Sullivan 0414 733 083 Secretary: Justin Reid 0403 012 252

QLD STATE COMMITTEE Qld State Manager: Frank Barrett Chairman: Darryl Van de Velde Vice Chairman: Pete Psaltis Treasurer: Tony Woodgate Committee: Ken Brown, Mark Donlan, Darryl Foster, Wally Fullerton-Smith, Ashley Tulley, Greg Veivers

RAY’S WRAP RAY WARREN The voice of the game and league’s greatest TV broadcaster Ray Warren

FORGET 20-16, ROOSTERS SET TO CROW AGAIN

A

new NRL season is upon us! The lead-up obligations and tough grind of the pre-season are done and dusted and all the 16 teams have new, high, expectations for 2017. And what a season it looks like being with a wealth of clubs having a real chance of lifting the trophy.

After watching the Auckland Nines the Roosters reminded us they are in good shape again. Forget last year. They were without top players like Mitchell Pearce, Jared Waerea Hargreaves and Boyd Cordner for much of the year … and, often, all three at the same time.

Young Connor Watson, the kid from Dubbo via the Central Coast, showed he has taken yet another step up the ladder with an outstanding tournament and they will have to fit into the 17 at Bondi somewhere with his ability to play in the halves or at hooker. Off-season purchase from Souths, Luke Keary, might well find he is in for a struggle to keep Watson out.

Connor Watson… one to watch in 2017.

Parramatta? I don’t know about the Eels. All I do know is they were unbelievable last year despite what was thrown at their players and deserve better luck this season. However, the loss of their main goalkicker in Michael Gordon is a real worry.

The Cowboys are certain to be there come September.

Their squad of 2017 is almost unchanged except for the loss of James Tamou and they have some outstanding talent coming through, like Ponga and Hess. You can make a case for many of the others, including the Bulldogs, while the Cronulla are the only one that has a chance of going back to back but we all know how hard that will prove to be. It’s not beyond them though.

Penrith were good without being great at the Nines but they still made the final even though the boss (Phil Gould) didn’t really know why they were there at all.

You can never write off a Wayne Bennett-coached Broncos off as a premiership contender although they will have to learn to cover for the reliability and leadership of Corey Parker. Robbie Farah will be good for Souths. Since they lost Isaac Luke they’ve lacked creativity around the play the ball. The Sea Eagles have lost Jamie Lyon and they might still be they will lose Brett Stewart, so the jury is out on Manly although they have invested in young talent which could prove astute buys.

Melbourne keep finding new and exciting talent and Billy Slater is coming back. Young Brodie Croft was great in Auckland. I looked twice and then a third time to check his identity; one could be forgiven for thinking it was actually Cooper Cronk. Where do the Storm find them? Someone down there has a great eye for a talent. The Storm will be good, make no mistake.

What Wests Tigers can do and what they will do is also unanswered. We keep saying surely the Warriors will make their presence felt this year but we seem to have been saying that since 2002. Take a look at their spine before you write them off! Newcastle are rebuilding and will need the full support of the faithful. They seem to have a good administration and that is vital.

Canberra is the name on everyone’s lips and with good reason. It’s been a long time but now they look as though they can be right up there again and that is good for the game.

The surprise packet of last year, the Titans, can only get better and have shopped well while the Dragons have been active in the market but their big purchase, Ben Hunt, is another year away.

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

5

TONGUE-TIED TO CHANGING LIVES Australian of the Year nominee Alan Tongue has applied the same NRL-player work ethic to his new role as a community leader making a big difference. What an inspiring story. BY NEIL CADIGAN

W

hen a mentally and physically dented Alan Tongue, one of the NRL’s most respected grafters, decided seven weeks before the end of the 2011 season to pull the plug on his career because of a constant battle with injury, he thought he’d slow down for a year before eyeing a coaching or administrative future in rugby league, preferably with his beloved Raiders.

It led to him being honoured as (being the ACT winner) one of eight nominees for the 2017 Australian Of The Year award, which was bestowed upon stem cell research champion Dr Alan Mackay-Sim at a reception in Canberra on Australia Day.

It didn’t quite work out that way.

It all began when he decided to join his church group in a mentoring session at a juvenile detention centre near his home in Canberra. Of the 25 young male residents, only two turned up.

Trying to purposefully fill in the void so many singularlyconsumed full-time footballers struggle with post-career, those 12 months saw Tongue find his calling(s).

On departure, one of the workers said if Tongue had only bought a couple of footballs and talked NRL, attendance would have been much greater.

6

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017

A couple of weeks later, Tongue returned with six footballs, a quickly calculated presentation and an apprehension as large as his hope of connecting with the wayward youth.

A dozen more volunteered to join him that day and by the time he had formally introduced a mentoring program, the centre’s boss had relaxed the restriction that all 25 boys could never undertake an activity together because of personality clashes and potential fall-out, and every lad turned up to every session.

“I was able to get some old jerseys from the Raiders and the boys got to wear them during our sessions but had to give them back at the end,” Tongue said.

“Alan is a true leader by nothing more than his own actions, leading by example in the areas of respect, hard work, family and balance in life” PAUL HEPTONSTALL – NRL EDUCATION AND WELLBEING SENIOR MANAGER

“The incentive was that if the boys finished the whole (eight-session course over three months) they would then keep the jerseys.

“There were a couple who were due to be released and they said they didn’t want to leave because they wouldn’t get their jersey. I told them it was OK, they could keep them under that circumstance.

“It really opened my eyes about how powerful the rugby league connection can be in associating with people and their struggles how effective it can be.”

The irony is that Tongue was mentally drained and physically battered when he walked away with a year left on his contract, unwilling to go on without being able to meet his own standards after carrying a busted ACL joint from the fifth minute of the season to the last.

He was needing direction himself when he confronted that crossroad that has tortured so many of his NRL contemporaries.

He decided to have a year considering his options, trying to forge enough income to get by and, already an NRL ambassador, maybe pick up some work in the game’s welfare and education sector while looking for a coaching job in the lower grades or junior rep scene.

“I was mentally drained from battling it out with injury for the last couple of years so I thought I would have 12 months to recharge a bit and work out what to do,” he recalled.

decided I’d try to enhance those skills, and get away and do other work and then maybe come back to football.

“From that visit to the juvenile centre, I gradually built my own programs and really wanted to get into the antidomestic violence area and … come the end of the 12 months I thought ‘there was no way that I’m stopping now’. I really feel this is what I’m meant to be doing.”

He presents to hundreds of years 8-11 students at high school, often most of them females, about positive lifestyle, teamwork, communication and domestic violence. For an average two days a week he works for for the NRL including speaking each year to rookie NRL under-20s players about the worth of ‘self brand’ and the importance of balance and respect.

The devoted father of three has developed his own domestic violence program which he presents to junior clubs as well as schools. He also attained physical training qualifications and trains a corporate group in Canberra as well as individuals and does team building programs – all devised from his own experiences.

“I devised a program where I was able to use rugby league to get my message across even with societal issues like domestic violence,” Tongue said.

“I thought I’d go back into coaching or the education and welfare area; I had lot of time for the NRL’s welfare and education people and their work and hoped to make a positive contribution somewhere.

“Communication is so important in footy and I do drills where, with no communication, they break down but with it things fall into place. That can be applied to domestic violence.

“I thought the best coaches were those who, other than having good football knowledge, had good people skills and could connect with you away from football.

I thought it was an important skill for a coach, so I

“If we all keep our mouths shut we keep it a taboo topic we’re going to keep making the mistakes generation after generation have been making. But if we start raising awareness and calling out that

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

7

negative behavior is unacceptable, if we start reporting things and we start to fix the mistakes that have been made, we will get change.

“What I do is just one piece of a big jigsaw puzzle but it shows that by constantly going back and being a support network, and someone positive in their lives, earning their respect; we can make a difference.”

The positive feedback has been trickling through.

At a Raiders game last year, a father of one of those original juvenile centre residents came up to Tongue and told him how he’d helped turn his son’s life around and he had begun a paint business.

Alan Tongue taking a couple of high school students through a drill.

He’s had young men who had been responsible for domestic violence talk about how they’d been able to admit their mistakes and make changes after going through one of his programs or workshops.

“It’s rewarding to hear men admit they didn’t understand the impact their behavior was having on their own life and that of their children and and they come up to me and make commitment on the spot that they are going to make changes,” Tongue said.

Students would nudge him long after attending his program and tell him how they were genuinely following the dreams he’d asked them to list, or mothers will thank him for his influence on their child during a tough period of their lives.

“That’s pretty powerful stuff for them to acknowledge it in front of me when I’ve only spent a couple of hours with them. It’s a starting point and we can link them with services in the community which can help them make those changes.”

8

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017

T OUR NRL

ROUNDS ROUND

TEAM

4

Panthers

5

Tigers

5

Raiders

6

Cowboys

9

Rabbitohs

11

Broncos

17

Eels

19

Manly

19

Titans

21

Storm

22

Dragons

24

Roosters

25

Sharks

26

Knights

TBC

Bulldogs

he 2017 season sees some changes to the National Rugby League competition including an exciting new way for rugby league fans to interact with the Men of League Foundation. Unlike previous years, where the Foundation has had one dedicated round during the NRL season, this year see every Australian based club dedicate its own game to supporting the Foundation in a way that suits that club, its fans and the Foundation.

Our dedicated games kick off in round 4 with the Panthers at Pepper Stadium on Friday 24 March.

Each club will be promoting the Foundation to its members and game day attendees with a range of activities to help us raise funds to care for the men women and children of the rugby league community.

This new format of celebrating the Foundation and how we care for the rugby league community will provide an increased opportunity for each club’s fan base to really get an understanding of the Men of League Foundation and learn how we support the local rugby league community.

Regardless of whether you’re a Storm, Raider, Knight or Cowboy you’ll be able to see how your team is helping the Men of League Foundation and caring for those in the rugby league community who need it the most.

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

9

A TIME OF GIVING

BY NEIL CADIGAN

C

hristmas should be a time of giving and Men of League’s partnership with Chrisco to deliver 147 hampers to many across several states ensured that a vast array of members of the rugby league community had a much more comfortable festive season.

Anyone, no matter what their standing in the game, can confront difficult times and be blessed by a kind word, surprise visit or unexpected gesture.

That’s why Chrisco hampers were well-received in December, from the game’s Immortal John Raper in Sydney to cancer sufferers at Inala House in Tamworth which provides accommodation for out of town patients to two widows who husbands lost their lives in accidents last year in the Toowoomba region.

Raper, the legendary former St George lock who turns 78 next month, has been battling some health issues for a while and has relied on devoted wife Caryl to transport him around.

However, Caryl has had her own battles recently and has been knocked about by regular hospital visits for cancer treatment, so a readymade Chrisco Christmas hamper was warmly received in the Raper household.

Another international forward, Peter Diversi, was the recipient of a hamper thanks to our Central Coast committee. Diversi,who has been battling illness for some time and is in an aged care home at Umina, would love to see any old friends or teammates.

10

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017

Karlie Wilson with Toowoomba committee member Andrew O’Brien.

Fellow Australian representative, Nick Yakich was most grateful when welfare officers Norm Pounder and Fred Jackson did he rounds of northern Sydney with their vehicle full of hampers.

Former Maroons and Australian forward Wally Fullerton-Smith was among the Men of League representatives bringing good cheer, greeting Mick Cumming, who had an accident last year and has only just regained some mobility, with Chrisco goodies.

Kirby Hayes, whose husband Wayne was involved in a serious farm accident last year, was another recipient – courtesy of Brisbane welfare officer Vance Rennie. Toowoomba welfare officer Andrew O’Brien visited Karlie Wilson, from Oakey, to present her and the family with a hamper.

Karlie lost her husband last year in a car accident.

Tamworth sub-committee president Kevin Robinson says the response he received after providing to support services coordinator at Inala House, Shaen Fraser, with a hamper was touching.

“Whilst those staying at the centre receive free accommodation they have to supply their own everyday living items,” Kevin said. “I couldn’t believe the joy such a small act could bring to people who are doing it tough.”

Says Northern Sydney welfare officer Ken Vessey: “I, along with my fellow welfare officers all over, experience many highs and lows during a year when we visit people young and old who are suffering in a variety of ways.

But these are taken over by the sheer joy and happiness we experience when we visit our welfare clients.

Top: Former Test forward Wally Fullerton-Smith with an appreciative Mick Cumming.

Bottom: Chris Culnane and Men of League’s Royce George in Bathurst.

Norm Pounder, Hayden, Brianna, Mr and Mrs Nick Yakich and two grandsons.

“It was the same in the 2016 Christmas season when Fred Jackson, Norm Pounder and I, accompanied by Santa’s helpers Brianna and Hayden (Norm’s grandchildren) were able again to spread the joy of Christmas through the delivery of a variety Chrisco Hampers to our welfare clients.”

Renae Fuller received an even greater Christmas gift three days before Santa came thanks to the Illawarra committee.

Her son Taio-Rylie, 5, suffers from an extremely rare condition called Lissencephaly which affects most of the body’s major systems. He needs 24-hour around the clock care from Renae, a single parent with four other children.

All these events over the festive season bring great pride to many involved in the Foundation – and great joy to those who benefit.

It makes it difficult for the family to watch son Seaton play for Wests Illawarra … until now after Men of League joined Warilla Bowling Club in funding an outfitted van to allow the family to travel together.

Chrisco’s generosity this year was matched by well-known sports surgeon Merv Cross who funded the courier costs of transporting hampers that could not be handdelivered by Men of League representatives – at a cost of about $5000! What a wonderful gesture from Merv of which the Foundation is most appreciative.

SWITCH TO DIGITAL MAGAZINE Did you know your quarterly Men of League Magazine can be delivered straight to your inbox?

Switch to digital today and you will help us to: Get your news quicker Save on printing and postage Reduce impact on environment

To switch to digital visit menofleague.com CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

11

Neville Glover (left) on the fly against Souths in 1978, the year he debuted for Australia.

NEV’S NIFTY WORK Former Eels and international winger Neville Glover has travelled endless kilometres as a police prosecutor and now he’s on the way to matching his log book entries with charity work and Men of League appearances … all completely voluntary. BY NEIL CADIGAN

F

or long-suffering Parramatta Eels supporters, it was one of their most heart-breaking moments.

The 1976 grand final v Manly. Seven minutes to go. Parramatta chasing their first premiership. Manly lead 11-10. Eels centre John Moran is metres from the try-line, passes to Neville Glover and …

The rest is history.

‘Nifty’ Neville Glover, just two months out of his teens that day, has been reminded endlessly of what might have been for the past four decades.

Yet not only has he gone on with a very fulfilling life, he’s never hid from one of grand final history’s most tragic moments which he confesses wryly – made him famous.

What many people don’t know about the kid from the housing commission fibro estate of Seven Hills is that 12

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017

while he’s happy to front up to that moment at his own expense; it is never at anyone else’s.

Because Glover is not only an amazing voluntary worker, guest speaker and auctioneer for many Men of League committees, but an avid charity fund-raiser who just needs a phone call and a genuine cry for help for someone not as fortunate as him and he’s in his car, driving for hours to come to your aid, or is holding his hand out with memorabilia he paid for rather than for something in return.

Explains Glover, who I can reveal I’ve known since about eight years old as neighbours in that western Sydney rented ‘commission’ estate and who was a teammate in the first game of league I played at nine: “I see so many good people fade away and die at early ages, or even late ages. It can be hard for their families and friends.

“My father died of a heart attack at 55, and my mother of cancer (at 72). I can emphasise with what some people go through.

“If I can just add a bit of joy, or fun, or help raise much needed money … it’s something in my head that I know if I do it, it makes me feel good.

“And I like meeting people, especially in the bush.”

Glover spent 35 years in the police force, 29 as a prosecutor, before retiring at 61 last year. He reckons there are few NSW country towns he hasn’t visited (or had a beer or a few in) as a senior NSW prosecutor who clocked over a million kilometres doing business in scores of court houses from Sydney’s Children Court to Bourke.

He reckons there are only nine in non-metropolitan NSW he didn’t officiate at – and most of them are only opened some of the time.

He’s starting to clock up a fair mileage chart in the past few years doing his charity work too, and hopes to increase his load now he has more ‘spare’ time.

Typical of his efforts was driving from his Central Coast home to Eden on the far south coast for their annual Men of League golf day in January. He organised for 10 mates/brothers to accompany him, all paying their own way, carried out auctioneering duties, donated a framed signed photographic montage of Eels legends Peter Sterling, Brett Kenny, Eric Grothe and Ray Price … then drove on his brother to be the highest bidder for the goods.

After offering fellow Men of League delegates to help out whenever he could at their functions when he caught up at the annual conference on the Gold Coast in 2014, he as true to his word after receiving several phone calls – to the degree where he has been guest of the North West committee at Manilla five times since and they now tag him ‘The Mayor of Manilla’.

And he typifies the true essence of the Foundation by doing it for nothing, not only paying his own travel expenses but offering to cover accommodation, which is rarely allowed by the locals.

“The great thing about Neville is that he’s just grateful for what the game has given him and he wants to give back, and this is his way of doing it,” said NSW state manager Stuart Raper. “What he did in Eden is typical.

And he asks for nothing in return.”

Last time at Manilla, he paid for seven memorabilia items on eBay, donated two and provided the other five at cost price. He took with him a bid from a mate of $700

“I just like to help people when I can. I get a lot of satisfaction from it”

for a framed jersey signed by the Melbourne Storm 2007 premiership team … won the bid unopposed, meaning the other six items were clear profit.

A mate told him of a young mother of two in Port Macquarie who was dying of cancer and asked if he could donate some memorabilia. A day later Glover was on the phone to a stunned husband offering to attend as auctioneer to make sure they raised the maximum price.

“I encourage any of our members, many of which have better stories or profile than me, to donate their time to help others because it is so rewarding,” he said. “You don’t need anything else in return.”

Now, let’s set the record straight too before we finish the story about Nifty Neville.

Firstly, 1976. Many thought John Moran should have taken on the try-line himself; the ball was at Glover’s left hip, not in front of him, and if the Eels had scored John Peard would have had to convert from the touchline to have avoided the game going into extratime (as did happen a year later between the Eels and Dragons) as Graham Eadie kicked his fourth penalty goal of the game to make it 13-10 two minutes later.

Post-1976 …

Glover admits he was “down and out” for a good while after that grand final disappointment. He played the next season in reserve grade while the Eels’ top side marched to another grand final, and replay (loss).

He was back at the SCG on that grand final day a year later though, ironically against Manly, and starred in an 11-9 victory. All three Eels grade teams made it to the decider, with the under-23s and first grade going down.

“Our coach Len Stacker [obviously worried about Neville’s potential mental demons] called me aside before the game and said ‘listen, the bottom line is this – you’re a first-grade player playing in reserve grade but this is your team now; forget about any other team; this is your team and this is your game’.

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

13

Glover was man of the match and got to do that lap of honour.

“The one thing I’m proud of is that I fought my way back,” he says. “After the grand final I trained all through the off-season and in ’78 I was fitter than I’d ever been and I was picked to play for Australia.”

Glover played two Tests against the Kiwis that year, scoring two tries on debut in a 38-7 win at Lang Park.

He was chosen, on the wing with Eric Grothe (snr), in the Eels ‘Legends’ team in 2002 after playing 121 first grade games in blue and gold. His last appearance for the club was the reserve grade grand final of 1981, alongside Arthur Beetson, the day the Eels finally broke their first grade premiership drought.

“I can’t hide from it,” he laughs. “And I say to people; if I caught the ball and scored, whether we won or lost the game you’d probably never remember me. But because I’m the tragic guy who spilled the pass, I’m strangely famous … or is it infamous.

“It was devastating at the time, for me, my teammates and a legion of Eels fans. But life goes on, for all of us who have to overcome a setback. And if I can help other people do that, I certainly will try to.”

His career finished with three seasons at Dapto where he won a premiership with the Canaries but he has continued to give to the game, and its people, ever since.

When he does a guest speaking act and takes questions from the floor, and the audience seems too reticent or respectful to bring up ‘that pass’, he’ll prompt them himself.

14

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017

Neville Glover (second from left) at a Men of League bowls day at Manilla, with (from left) Ken Thompson, Jim Leis, John Quayle and Don Pascoe.

Photo: Gareth Gardner.

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

15

MEN OF LEAGUE EVENTS CALENDAR MARCH 10

Western Sydney - Bowls Day

Merrylands Bowling Club

11

Southern Monaro - Bowls Day

Bombala RSL

14

Northern Rivers - Dogs Night

Lismore Greyhounds

16

Brisbane - Bowls Day

Club Pine Rivers

17

Northern Sydney - Bowls Day

Belrose Bowling Club

17

Southern Sydney - Kick Off Club

JD's

24

Bundaberg - Kick Off Club

Salter Oval

24

Sydney Metro - Luncheon

Souths Juniors

25

Canberra Monaro - Bowls Day

Queanbeyan Bowling Club

31

Roma - Terry Charles Memorial

Taroom Brothers RL

7

Townsville - Kick Off Club

Mercure Inn

7

Tuggerah - Bowls Day

Canton Beach Sports Club

9

Tweed District - Social Day

Sands Hotel, Coolangatta

12

Brisbane - Kick Off Club

Broncos Leagues Club

13

Sunshine Coast - Kick Off Club

Mooloolaba Surf Club

20

Queensland - MOL & Bulls Masters, Steak & Shiraz

Souths Leagues Club

21

Illawarra - Golf Day

Shellharbour Golf Club

23

North West - Golf Day

Gunnedah

27

Townsville - Golf Day

Rowes Bay Golf Club

28

Brisbane - Ron Atkins Charity Golf Day

Keperra Golf Club

28

Bundaberg - Kick Off Club

Salter Oval

3

Far North Queensland - Bulls Masters Golf Day

To be confirmed

5

Riverina - Gold Cup Breakfast

William Farrer Hotel

5

Tweed District - Golf Day

Coolangatta Tweed Heads Golf Club

12

Southern Sydney - Luncheon

Sharks

APRIL

MAY

Events are subject to change.

16

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017

19

Western Sydney - Golf Day

Cabramatta Golf Club

25

Sunshine Coast - State of Origin Lunch

Mooloolaba Surf Club

26

Bundaberg - Kick Off Club

Salter Oval

26

Northern Sydney - Annual Golf Day

Warringah Golf Club

26

Tweed District - State of Origin Lunch

Kirra Hotel

2

Bundaberg - Golf Day

North Bundaberg Golf Club

8

Sunshine Coast - Kick Off Club

Mooloolaba Surf Club

10

Far North Queensland - Men of League Double Header

To be confirmed

16

Illawarra - Kick Off Club

Windang Bowling Club

16

Tuggerah - Kick Off Club

Doyalson RSL

21

Queensland - State of Origin Lunch

The Caxton

30

Bundaberg - Kick Off Club

Salter Oval

5

Southern Sydney - Trivia Night

Sharks Leagues Club

15

Townsville - Kick Off Club

Brothers Leagues Club

20

Central Coast - Race Day

Gosford Entertainment Grounds

21

Brisbane - State of Origin Lunch

Norths Leagues Club

21

Illawarra - Bowls Day

Warilla Bowls Club

26

National - Gala Dinner

Hyatt Regency Sydney

28

Bundaberg - Kick Off Club

Salter Oval

9

Brisbane - Kick Off Club

Broncos Leagues Club

10

Sunshine Coast - Kick Off Club

Mooloolaba Surf Club

13

Tweed District - Social Day

Kirra Hotel

1

Queensland - Annual Lunch

RNA Showgrounds, Brisbane

15

Gold Coast - Golf Day

Emerald Lakes Golf Club

22

Bundaberg - Kick Off Club

Salter Oval

22

Central Coast - Golf Day

Shelly Beach Golf Club

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

Events are subject to change.

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

17

LEAGUE’S MOST

AMAZING CHRISTENING

This is an incredible story about one of Queensland’s greatest rugby league serving families and how Thomas Francis Paten became Bill Paten, christened at a railway station by the game’s driving force of the time, Harry Sunderland. BY STEVE RICKETTS

I

t must be one of the most unusual christening ceremonies in Australian history.

Bill Paten Jnr was born in 1925 while his father, Bill Paten Snr was in New Zealand with the Queensland league team, the first Maroons side to tour overseas.

Bill Snr had been christened William Arnet Paten, but when he joined the railways as a 14-year-old he did not have a birth certificate and was incorrectly registered as Walter Paten. So, in many official records, he is referred to as Walter Paten 'Known as Bill'.

The 1925 Maroons played 11 matches in the Shaky Isles, including three ‘Tests’ against full strength New Zealand sides, with the Kiwis winning the first match, before Queensland turned the tables in the next two.

On their return to Australia by ship, the Queenslanders had to catch a train from Sydney to Brisbane, via inland New South Wales and Toowoomba.

When the train pulled into Ipswich, Bill and his mum Lillian were there to greet the conquering heroes.

‘Young Bill’, now 91, tells the story: “They (the players) got off to have a look at me. Harry Sunderland (the team manager) said ‘what's his name?’

Mum said, ‘Thomas Francis’ after Bill’s youngest brother.

“Harry said ‘like bloody hell. There’s got to be a Bill in the family’.

18

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017

“So big Norm Potter (the Queensland prop) held my head under the water tank in the carriage and Sunderland, who was a registered lay preacher, christened me. That's how my name could stay.

They held up the train while they christened me, mum reckons.

“I was then christened in the Congregational Church in Ipswich as William Frank, and they are the names that appeared on the birth certificate. I was home delivered and did not have a birth certificate when I was born.

“I didn't know the full story until I met Norm Potter many years later and he told me he was my Godfather.”

Bill Paten Jnr was one of eight children. Two siblings, Joan and Irene, are still alive and reside in Mackay.

Bill Paten Snr was born at Ferny View, outside Ipswich, in 1896 and played his junior football with Ipswich clubs Wallabies, Starlights and West End. He played 38 times for Queensland over 11 straight years from 1918 to 1928 - including one match against Victoria.

It was an era in which the Maroons dominated NSW, something that was not to be replicated until the current Queensland side began its remarkable run in 2006.

A boilermaker by trade, he was described in the press as ‘the bandy legged little boiler maker from Ipswich’.

He played two Tests for Australia, one on the 1919 tour of New Zealand and the other a home Test against England at the Brisbane Exhibition Ground in 1924.

‘His tackle will live in my memory as my first greatest thrill as a spectator,’ Duncan Thompson.

Bill Snr gave the Mackay Rugby League 50 years of service, coaching various clubs and serving on the judiciary. He also attended to players' injuries, in the dressing sheds on fixture days and at his home during the week, never requesting payment for his services, which often extended to sports people outside the rugby league fraternity including, on one occasion, cycling legend Hubert Opperman.

A teetotaller and non-smoker, Bill was fiercely committed to sport, not just football, but also cricket, swimming, running and shooting.

England had already wrapped up the series with two wins in Sydney before the Brisbane match, but Australia saved face with a 21-11 win in a fierce encounter.

He was awarded life membership of Magpies Rugby League Club in Mackay, the Mackay league and the QRL.

Paten scored one of Australia's three tries, but is best remembered for a magnificent cover defending tackle on Wigan star Jack Price, with Paten sprinting from the far wing to mow down the rampant English secondrower when it seemed he must score. The tackle is credited with turning the momentum of the match.

In 1988 the Mackay Rugby League initiated the Bill Paten Gold Medal for the best and fairest player in club football. Bill died in June, 1991, but his son, Bill Jnr is a regular attendee at the annual function.

Bill repeated that effort in an interstate match in Sydney two years later, bringing down South Sydney speedster Benny Wearing.

“His tackle (on Wearing) will live in my memory as my first great thrill as a spectator,” wrote the then recently retired Queensland skipper Duncan Thompson. “Only those who saw it can appreciate it.'”

Paten played against a host of legendary wingers, among them Wearing, Harold Horder and Cec Blinkhorn as well as Englishmen Johnny Ring, Sid Rix and Alf Ellaby. In 1988 he told The Courier-Mail that Ellaby, a much bigger man, was arguably his toughest opponent.

“I tackled (Toowoomba's Test forward) Jim Bennett once and when he got up, he tried to knock my head off,” Paten once recalled. “I asked him why he did it and he said I nearly bloody killed him. He was 15 stone and I wasn't even 11 stone.”

In 1927 Paten transferred to Mackay as a playercoach, returning to Ipswich for the 1929 season, before heading back to Mackay, where he played another three seasons.

During his first stint in Mackay, Paten was impressed with the talents of local half/five-eighth Hec Gee but told him he would not make the Queensland team from the north. Gee moved to Ipswich and represented Queensland in 1930, before playing all three home Tests against Great Britain in 1932. He went on to become a superstar of English rugby league with the Wigan club.

Young Bill played for Mackay in the Foley Shield competition, represented North Queensland in Country selection trials in Rockhampton in 1949, was captain-coach when Hughenden won the North-West Queensland championship in 1955, and in 1957 had a stint with Easts in Brisbane.

His brother Ted was a halfback who became a referee, while another brother, John, played for Queensland Country in 1956.

Another brother, Arthur, had a distinguished war service record, which included spying for the Allies in Spain.

“A lot of what he did in the war was classified for years afterwards,” Bill Jnr. said. “His story is more amazing than anything to do with football.”

In 1954 Bill Jnr was chosen for a North Queensland Southern Zone team to play Great Britain in Mackay but withdrew because of a hamstring injury.

Did young Bill feel pressure to succeed, given his famous name, and the fact his father was his coach in his early years, tutoring him in the art of wing play?

“No. I think there was more pressure on the other boys in the side. The only time I badly got into trouble with him was in a match against Wests from Sydney, when I was marking Pat Leal. As I went to tackle Leal, he lifted his knee and broke my nose. The old man said to me at half-time: ‘Don't let them get pace up. Cut the distance between you and him. Kenny Smith, our fiveeighth, said to me, ‘Bill, you hit him low and I'll hit him around the waist. We had Leal running off the field.”

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

19

Bill met many famous footballers through his father and heard many great yarns.

The Paten family would travel from Mackay to Coolangatta for holidays, stopping over in Brisbane at pubs run by 1929-30 Kangaroo tour captain Tommy Gorman, a teammate of Bill Snr's in Queensland teams.

Bill Jnr and his wife Renee (nee Van de Velde) had their honeymoon at the Prince Consort Hotel in Fortitude Valley, when Gorman was licensee.

The Paten family went to a host of interstate and Test matches, given Bill Snr was a life member and entitled to tickets. "We would often sit with Mr and Mrs Duncan Thompson,'' Bill Jnr said.

After starting his working life as a clerk at the Racecourse Sugar Mill at Mackay, and then as an apprentice moulder at a local foundry, Bill Jnr followed his dad into the railways.

Today, Bill lives with his daughter Denise Telfer - a former champion ballroom dancer - at Wakerley, a suburb near Brisbane's southern bayside.

20

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017

Bill Paten Jnr.

Bill is a Brisbane Broncos member and attends matches with his good mate Bill Langford, a former prominent bush footballer.

RUGBY LEAGUE BOOKSTORE

A

couple of books have hit the market that will be a fascinating read for league lovers, particularly those in the Illawarra area.

The first is the biography of English tough man and member of Cronulla Sharks’ first grand final team of 1973, Cliff Watson – called ‘From Saint to Shark’.

Written with Tom Maher, Watson – who has lived in the Wollongong district since finishing his three seasons with the Sharks, was among the world’s best props in the 1960s when representing St Helens. He traces his career and life in England and Australia.

Watson, who played 30 Tests for Great Britain from 1965-71 and was regarded by many as the toughest prop of his era, describes many of the big games he starred in, covers events that occurred off the field and talks of rival players he had runins with. He also deals with several previously unanswered questions relating to the controversial 1973 decider won by Manly, regarded as the “dirtiest” grand final ever.

went on to become internationals – Bob and Peter Dimond, Ted Goodwin, Steve Morris, Dragons coach, Paul McGregor and more recently Brett and Josh Morris (twin sons of Steve) and Dean Young.

The book can be purchased from late March through the Dapto Leagues Club. Phone (02) 4261 1333 or check their website.

The book is available through Booktopia and other online outlets and in some bookstores.

Regular Men of League magazine contributor Barry Ross has written a book on the history of the Dapto rugby league club and leagues club.

The Canaries have won their 17th Illawarra first grade premiership last season and boast eight players who came through their junior teams and

Men of League Foundation

Save the Date

Queensland Annual Lunch

Friday 1 September 2017 Royal International Convention Centre RNA Showgrounds

Celebrating World Cup Excellence CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

21

Broncos’ new skipper Darius Boyd … the greatest story of redemption in recent history, because he sought help for his mental demons.

FEELING DOWN? TALK ABOUT IT They are gladiator-like heroes on the field but, off it, even our immortalised players are mortal when it comes to life’s general challenges. Our health issue in this edition looks at footballers’ psychological challenges and how the game is trying to help them, past and present, find mental wellbeing.

BY NEIL CADIGAN

I

t’s a principle Men of League was built on – being there for a mate; creating an environment where people feel they can get help. And finding that, from an Immortal down to a bush footy journeyman or families around the game, any of us can have issues that we can’t solve ourselves.

And the importance of talking is pinnacle. Being aware that communication is the starting point.

It’s one of the pillars different layers of rugby league have joined forces to promote awareness of issues like mental health and, in its basic form, the challenges of the massive transition from professional rugby league existence in the NRL to life after full-time is called for recently retired players.

22

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017

And as a game, we are becoming more aware and are putting more resources into issues of isolation, finding new vocational pathways and the social and psychological adaption to the challenges people face around our sport.

The feeling of being lonely, or simply ‘not being okay’ to genuinely suffering from a mental illness is no longer the taboo subject that should never be spoken by tough men. It has been brought out of the cupboard by many, from Andrew Johns who first exposed his frailties in his 2007 autobiography, to one of the most positive stories of the decade in Darius Boyd, who went from a vulnerable regressive existence to a flag-bearer for addressing mental health. He is a changed man.

The messages from the NRL, Rugby League Players Association and Men of League – who are all in the space of helping the wellbeing of people in and around our great sport, is consistent. Whatever the level of despair, communicate. Seek help, seek comfort. And if you see someone appear to be struggling, reach out to help each other and … plus, importantly, build the skills of resilience.

Rugby league today has never been so widely scrutinised or accessible to the wider public. With that comes pressure, even though potential high incomes and supporting resources leave some with the impression NRL players are pampered. Five suicides of young league players since 2013 has led to an impression they are more vulnerable to risk of depression and anxiety.

A recent survey was commissioned by the NRL to look into the prevalence of symptoms of depression, anxiety and rates of alcohol misuse among current players. It found, from the sample surveyed (400 pre-season and 278 in-season), that rugby league players have a lower prevalence of depression compared to results from studies of the general population and other athletes, but a higher prevalence of generalised anxiety order (GAD).

The correlation of concussions with depression has become another hot topic of debate. The survey found that players who reported suffering three or more concussions were twice as likely to suffer depression, which was lower than the results of a survey of American football players who were three-times more vulnerable. However, the prevalence of depression amongst this group had them still below the general population, suggesting there is no need for hysteria there, particularly as the NRL has addressed the risk of concussion with its strong rules in that area.

“Anxiety appears to be the bigger issue with current players than depression and that is probably a product of the nature of the sport with the scrutiny players are under from the media, fans and teammates,” says the NRL’s senior wellbeing and education manager Paul Heptonstall.

“That anxiety can emerge from the fact so much builds on an 80-minute performance each week then away from the game anxiety builds from the pressure to be the perfect role model off the field. Current NRL players are public property; they’re being judged on the way they are as a person, a father or partner; the way they speak and how they act in an environment where everyone has a smart phone and wants to share experiences on social media.

“It’s how we manage that as a sport and try to help our players build an understanding and a resilience to

handle that focus that is important. Our wellbeing and education staff throughout the leagues and the clubs are trying to encourage the value of personal well-being, being comfortable in your own skin and it is not all about performance – it’s about having balance in their lives.

“There is certainly a higher awareness of the help available through our counselling program and players, and former players, are embarking in early detection actions; they are seeking help early when they feel a bit out of whack rather than letting things stew inside them.”

Former Parramatta and Canterbury international forward Andrew Ryan works for the NRL in the alumni space as part of his wellbeing and education role. He sees every day the challenges of adapting from a highly structured life as an NRL player to an open page in retirement – and how some handle it far differently to others.

“It’s a big change. You have been doing something you love for five to 10 or 12 years and you have to replace footy with something else. It genuinely takes two to three years to adjust but we have resources available to help - counselling services and vocation assistance if guys do want to have a chat,” he said.

“Their lives are very much a structured routine when they are in the NRL. Then it’s gone. But they still want, and need, routine and fulfillment.

“I think players towards the end of their careers these days have a greater desire to be a lot more prepared for life after footy but some things you can’t prepare for – like not being around 25 of your best mates and being active while you’re doing something you love every day. And I find ex-players are more willing to open up and talk than they were previously and that can be just sparking conversations between each other, and it doesn’t always have to be sitting down with a counsellor, but talking to guys going through it with you.”

Men of league’s wellbeing and education manager Ben Ross, who retired from the NRL in 2013, sees both ends of the spectrum in his work – from long-retired footballers who are struggling to reconnect with the game and have lost contact with old mates, to the modern day full-time pro confronting a massive change of direction into the ‘real world’.

“The older guys, in their 40s to their 70s, had to have a job to play rugby league and had to supplement their income somehow to have a decent standard of living.

The modern-day player is totally devoted to league as their only income and once you’re out of the bubble you have to somehow still earn a living and occupy your time and it’s a big, big change.” Continued page 32.

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

23

Wall (centre) with WEA’s teammates George Madsen (left) and Gordon Walker, taken in Townsville in 1966.

WALL KICKED MANY GOALS FOR THE GAME Ben Wall, former Foley Shield player, North Queensland league chairman and devoted worker, looks back on his life in the game. BY STEVE RICKETTS

B

en Wall played under the coaching of rugby league Immortal Clive Churchill at Easts in Brisbane in the 1960s.

In the same era, Wall played for Queensland against some of the all-time great New South Wales sides.

Later, he dealt with many crucial administrative issues as a long serving Australian Rugby League and Queensland Rugby League director.

But when he looks back on his time in the code, he gets most satisfaction from his efforts to improve coaching standards.

“I loved educating coaches,” Wall said. “I had a level 4 certificate, which was like doing a university course.

As a result, I was able to steer many people in the right direction, many of whom lacked self-confidence. What a difference the right coaching can make to a sport.”

24

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017

Wall is one of 12 children, and played his first season of football in his home town of Ayr in 1949 when he was 10 years old.

His father, ‘Snow’ Wall was a cane cutter in the Burdekin district, and played with the premiership Hornets side in 1923.

“Dad used to ride a bike 20 miles in the morning, cut 20 tonnes of cane, load it and ride home,” Ben recalls.

“I would help him with the loading. He came from northern New South Wales originally and fought in the First World War.” Ben, who played for Hornets and Colts, became an apprentice baker when he left school at 13 and was playing senior Foley Shield (representative) football for Burdekin when he was 17.

Noel Kelly, Australia’s hooker in all three home Tests

against New Zealand in 1959, moved to Ayr from Ipswich the following year and played Foley Shield for Burdekin, that same year representing Australia against France in the first Test in Sydney.

“I used to feel sorry for the other (Foley Shield) teams when we played them,” Wall said. “Herbert River had a hooker who wasn’t much of a striker for the ball, but he was a bit of a pug.

“They put him in the team to fix Kelly up. You know how long he lasted! He went straight out the back part of the second row.

“When Noel got picked for Australia I went around to his place on the Sunday before a (local) club match to congratulate him. He wasn’t playing that day and said we’d have a couple of drinks to celebrate.

“He filled me up with grog and when we got to the ground he was singing out things like: ‘How can you play on grog? You shouldn’t be out there’.”

Wall moved to Brisbane in 1961 to play with Souths and in 1963 went to Rockhampton to coach the Fitzroys club. He returned to Brisbane in 1965 to play at Easts under the coaching of legendary former Test fullback Clive Churchill.

“Clive didn’t like me very much, even though I was captain,” Wall recalls. “That was the year they introduced the rule where if the ball went out on the full, or didn’t go 10 yards, it was a penalty, not a scrum.

“I would kick for goal (from the halfway line) and I reckon I had an 80 per cent strike rate. It was an easy two points, I thought. But Churchill didn’t approve.”

“The Frogs (French) were laughing when I was kicking up the dirt to take the kick,” Wall said.

“It was just inside our half on the grandstand side, right near the sideline. I thought, at the very least, I will be wasting a bit of time, because we were in front and doing well.

“I kicked it and it just kept going and going. The touch judge told me after that it went over by 10 metres.

I got a big write-up in the paper. They said they had to open the front gate to the ground for me to get my run up.

Wall was a prodigious goalkicker, able to kick from long distances and from any angle. Playing for Central Queensland against France at Browne Park, Rockhampton, in 1964 he kicked a 65-metre penalty goal.

Queensland, through hooker Mick Lill (another Rockhampton player) and the assistance of his props, Wall and Mick Veivers, enjoyed a 2-1 majority in the scrums but found the Blues’ defence almost impregnable.

The Maroons’ only try in the 31-5 loss was scored by centre Jeff Denman from an up-and-under (bomb), with Wall converting.

Wall kept his spot for the return match at Lang Park and the Maroons turned in a much improved performance, before going down 22-11.

“I thought we had them (in the second game) and the final margin should have been just a couple of points, not 11,” he said. “There was so much rep football then, with state and country trials.

“We would play five games in seven or eight days. I got my nose smashed three times in one week playing for Central Queensland, the last time on the Saturday of my engagement party, when Danny Clifford (North Queensland) got me in what he said was a get square.”

“We beat the French that day after beating the Kiwis the previous year.”

Wall was approached by South Sydney at the end of the 1964 season but because he had represented the state, was not allowed to transfer.

It was from Rockhampton that Wall made his debut for Queensland against NSW under lights at the Exhibition Ground in Brisbane in June 1964.

Another Rockhampton star, Ivan Jones, joined Souths that year and went on to play in the Rabbitohs’ 1967 grand final winning side.

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

25

After the ‘65 season with Brisbane Easts, Wall moved to Townsville as captain-coach of WEAs (West End Athletics) and won three premierships in four seasons, before hanging up his boots. He became non-playing coach of WEAs and also coached the Townsville representative side.

In 1966 he played hooker for Townsville in their 14-10 loss to Cairns in the Foley Shield final, but never got to represent North Queensland.

When Wall was playing for Souths in Brisbane, he was introduced to the game of squash, and outside of football, that became his passion, to such an extent he and his wife Gwyneth managed, then owned, squash courts in North Queensland. Ben even got to play a game against world champion Heather McKay. In 1978 he took the job as North Queensland coaching director and secretary and leased the squash courts.

He later became chairman of North Queensland league and served for 13 years on the QRL board and 10 years on the ARL board. He is a life member of the QRL. Wall, who was known to mark the fields at the Townsville Sports Reserve when no-one else would do it, was one of the driving forces behind the staging of the Broncos v Parramatta Panasonic Cup match at Townsville Sports Reserve in 1989, a match which drew a capacity crowd of 14,000 and helped ignite enthusiasm for a North Queensland side in the national competition.

“We also staged a Test at the Sports Reserve (between Australia and Papua New Guinea) in 1992,” Wall said.

“It was bloody hard work. There were people queued up at three in morning, when tickets went on sale for the Broncos’ match. My daughter came and helped sell the tickets and I employed a few people as well.

“I thought ‘how the hell are we going to get all these people in here?’ so I rang a few mates and we got scaffolding with seats built for the expected turn-out.’”

Wall says he is delighted with the Cowboys’ success and was cheering loudly when they won their maiden title in 2015.

“I didn’t have a lot to do with it (the birth of the Cowboys) because they chose to alienate me,” said Wall.

“They chose to think that I was against them. It made things difficult, especially as they had the Townsville Bulletin behind them.

“All these things were coming out in the paper, like ‘Ben Wall turns his nose up at the Cowboys’. I wasn’t 26

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017

Ben Wall recently with a shirt celebrating the reunion of the 1966 Foley Shield teams.

for or against them (in the early 1990s). But because I was on the ARL board, they thought I was against them, because, from their point of view, things weren’t happening quickly enough when the likes of the [South Queensland] Crushers and [Western] Reds were also trying to get a licence.”

The death of his beloved wife Gwyneth from stomach cancer in 2000 saw Wall resign from the ARL and QRL boards. “I just went to pieces,” he said. “It just didn’t feel right, running off to Sydney and Brisbane.”

He moved from Townsville to Brisbane in 2003.

He has a son, Brad and a daughter Kristin, as well as two grandchildren, Hayden and Madeline, and enjoys watching Hayden play league for Albany Creek Crushers.

What does Ben think of rugby league today?

“There is a lot of one-out stuff, which I think is worrying. We would do moves. But I suppose I’m old hat.”

And his all-time favourite North Queensland players?

In the backs it’s Lionel Williamson and in the forwards, Jim Paterson.

LENDING A HELPING HAND

(From left) Norm Pounder, Barry Carroll, Jeff Simmonds and Ken Vessey.

JEFF REMAINS AN INSPIRATIONAL FIGURE

BY ALAN WEBB

Northern Sydney welfare officer Ken Vessey is prolific in visiting people in need of company or assistance yet he still feels inspired by those who show remarkable courage and determination.

And he says that was certainly the case when he and Norm Pounder took their longstanding friend Jeff Simmonds for a drive and stop over at the friendly Alexandria Erskineville Bowling Club for a delicious Chinese meal as guests of the club president Barry Carroll.

Jeff was born in Castlecrag, Sydney and played his junior league days in the North Sydney competition through to representing North Sydney in the President’s Cup and playing many third and reserve grade games for the Bears as an elusive five-eighth or halfback.

His highlight was the 10 first grade games he played in 1964-65. However, at the age of 21 in September ‘65, while playing against South Sydney in the preliminary final, he suffered concussion. He still elected to go on an end of season trip with the club to Queensland, which included several games, during which he suffered a further concussion, and fractured his spine close to his waistline, in a fall. It resulted in him becoming a paraplegic.

While being treated at St Vincent’s Hospital he met Kevin Betts, a remedial gymnast from the Mt Wilga Rehab Centre, who encouraged Simmonds to get

back into sport. Under Betts’ care and training, Jeff had tremendous success in backstroke and breaststroke swimming events, winning several gold, silver and bronze medals at the 1968 Australian Paraplegic Games, 1968 Tel Aviv Paralympics and the 1970 Edinburgh Commonwealth Paraplegic Games.

Before his accident he was employed in the printing industry and later became a valuable employee in many roles for years at the North Sydney Leagues Club. He was also the club’s first coaching director and secretary for the club’s under-23s team.

Jeff’s determination and character saw he become very independent and able to drive a car.

Unfortunately, in early 2016 his shoulders showed serious signs of wear, and as a result he underwent surgery and months of rehab and is no longer able to drive a car. He and his loving wife Sandie are adjusting to these new circumstances.

“The Northern Sydney Men of League welfare team are fortunate to have the use of a wheelchairaccessible bus and we will ensure we take Jeff out on future outings and provide assistance in his transport needs,” said Ken Vessey.

“This story leaves no doubt that Jeff is a remarkable man of courage and determination and we were delighted that he enjoyed the outing and lunch with us,” said Ken Vessey.

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

27

AMY ADAMS

Readers may recall an article in the last edition of the assistance the North West (NSW) committee had given a young lady, Amy Adams, who had been receiving treatment for stage two melanoma and was awaiting results of her treatment.

She received positive news just after Christmas and now only needs to have a check-up every three months. Amy said it was the best Christmas present ever. We wish this positive young lady a bright and healthy future.

HARRY BROWN

Harry Brown hails from Moree where he spent seasons playing with the Boomerangs, from being one of the club’s original juniors to spending almost a decade in the top teams.

Tough times in the drought-affected NSW’s north-west became even tougher when Harry was forced to undergo tests for cancer after he found a large growth on the side of his neck. He was admitted to Newcastle’s Mater Calvary and John Hunter Hospitals to undergo exhausting tests to determine the nature and extent of the problem.

He was accompanied by his partner Michelle, who is aunt of former Newcastle, Penrith and Gold Coast outside back, Brad Tighe.

Taio’s condition means he requires 24-hour care from mother Renae, a single parent with four other children. It makes family outings difficult, including trips to watch Taio’s older brother Seaton play rugby league for Wests Illawarra on weekends. A parent supporting their children in their love of rugby league is something most families enjoy and perhaps take for granted but Taio’s lack of mobility makes something as simple turning up to watch Seaton play difficult to do.

That will change in 2017 after the Illawarra committee of Men of League banded together with Warilla Bowling Club to raise the funds to purchase a fully outfitted van to allow the family to travel together. The keys were handed over to the family on Friday, just in time for Christmas.

- Courtesy of Illawarra Mercury

‘YARTHA’ DEAN

Canberra Monaro committee president Noel Bissett and welfare officer Ernie Macleay visited Kitiona ‘Yartha’ Dean at his home.

RON HANSON

Members of the Mid North Coast committee visited former Eastern Suburbs fullback Ron Hanson at Kularoo Gardens Nursing Home in Forster. Ron really appreciated the visit.

Sadly, Ron has since passed away (see tributes page 40-43)

STEVE LAWRENCE

Men of League member Steve Lawrence was visited at his home at Mascot in November by welfare officers Warren Thompson, Ken Vessey and Alan Webb.

Steve had fallen ill at his home and was taken to hospital but after being treated by doctors he was allowed to leave with tests inconclusive. Later that night he had another bad turn and was conveyed back to hospital by ambulance, and was found to have suffered a stroke.

He spent three months in Prince of Wales Hospital but is steadily improving.

Yartha is having dialysis treatment three times a week but was in good spirits. They spent some time chatting about his playing days and the antics he and Ernie would get up to. He was delighted with the visit and was presented with a Men of League cap and polo shirt.

Steve played his junior football in the South Sydney juniors for the Waterloo Waratahs and was a member of South Sydney President’s Cup team in 1961. He played 35 reserve grade and 67 third grade games for Souths from 1964-69.

(From left) Noel Bissett, ‘Yartha’ Dean and Ernie Macleay.

Alan Webb (left) and Warren Thompson (right) visiting Steve Lawrence.

TAIO-RYLIE FULLER

A Kanahooka family received a welcome Christmas gift, courtesy of the Men of League Foundation.

Five-year-old Taio-Rylie suffers from an extremely rare condition called Lissencephaly which affects most of the body’s major systems.

Most children diagnosed show no significant brain development beyond that of a three to five month old.

28

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017

COL MANTON

From ‘Butcher Boy’ to itinerant rugby league player, that’s the story of Col Manton. After starting his career with Newcastle Centrals, Col and a mate uprooted their lifestyle, took to caravanning and played league through journeys that took them to Cairns and Darwin, then to Perth before returning to Newcastle to play with Souths.

Unfortunately, along the way, Col picked up a debilitating neurone virus that has seen him close to death’s door while spending more time in hospitals than he cares to remember.

Now wheelchair-bound, Col continues to be cheerful and is an avid Newcastle Knights fan.

Newcastle and Hunter committee members Garry Leo and Peter Corcoran recently visited Col at his home.

BARRY ROTHWELL

Barry Rothwell, a paraplegic who is undergoing spinal rehab at Royal Rehab to Moore Park Golf Links, has experienced for the first time using a chair designed by Empower Gold Australia, which assists disabled people play golf.

Under the watchful eye of Northern Sydney welfare officers Ken Vessey, Fred Jackson and Kel Smith, a recreation therapist at Royal Rehab, Barry hit a few golf balls and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

He also benefited from some advice and guidance of PGA professional golfer Lachy Foulsham.

Barry, who now lives on the Central Coast, grew up in the Sydney suburb of Gladesville and has always followed the Sea Eagles.

He was active in sports, including

Fred Jackson, Barry Rothwell and Ken Vessey.

golf (on a handicap of 14 prior to his injury), hockey and cricket.

ex-students are still playing local rugby league.

Barry was presented with a Men of League polo shirt and in return he was very appreciative of our efforts in taking him out to the golf machine and he also wished the Men of League continued success.

TONY SCOWEN

SHANE SULLIVAN

Men of League Bundaberg region member Shane ‘Cyclone’ Sullivan recently spent some time in the Friendlies Hospital after he was found to have a grade-four melanoma in his neck.

Hopefully the surgery was successful and Cyclone will make a full recovery.

Men of League welfare officer Alan Webb had the pleasure of visiting Tony Scowen at his residence in Caringbah.

Tony had had a couple of trips to hospital after suffering severe abdominal pain which was later diagnosed as ulcerated colitis.

A Canterbury Bulldogs supporter , Tony played his junior football with the East Hills Bulldogs. He was presented with a Men of League polo shirt and cap and is now well on his way to recovery.

Shane played all his junior rugby league for Past Brothers in the Bundaberg juniors, in Rockhampton in 1973 and 1974 while at teachers training college and also had a season in Gladstone in 1975.

From there he went on to coach and play in Tambo and Augathella before returning to ‘Bundy’ and play for Past Brothers again from 1979-82.

Being a teacher, Shane was heavily involved in school and representative football. Some of his

Tony Scowen.

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

29

Like father, like son … Dean Young in action. Photos courtesy NRL Images.

YOUNG TALENT TEAM There have been few sporting families with the pedigree of the Youngs.

And with Dean Young in the early stages of his coaching career, more achievements may still yet be recorded. BY BARRY ROSS

T

hey are certainly one of the most successful sporting families New South Wales has spawned – the Youngs, from Wollongong.

Over three generations they have contributed three Australian football internationals with a combined 27 Test appearances across two codes, two ARL/NRL premierships winners, six State of Origin appearances, two full-time NRL coaches and also a top-class state league soccer player.

And it all dates back to 1950 when Bob Young played the first of his six soccer internationals for Australia, straight from Corrimal in the Illawarra.

Six years later his son Craig was born and also took to soccer before being asked to dabble in league at age 16. Within months he was wearing Australia’s green and gold jersey in England.

30

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017

Craig’s brother Warwick, a goalkeeper, stuck with soccer and went on to play State League with Wollongong Wolves and St George. However, Craig’s on Dean followed him into the Dragons ranks, NSW and Australian representation and they stand as one of the few father and son combinations to have won NRL/ARL premierships. The Young tradition still endures in rugby league. Dean is in his fourth season as the Dragons assistant NRL coach and Craig, who coached his old club for two seasons in 1989-90 and then served for years as Dragons football staffer and manager and NSW and Australian teams, is still on the administration staff at Kogarah.

It’s an incredible family list of achievements over almost seven decades.

“Regarding our three generation Test playing achievement, I had never really thought about this …

but now that it has been brought to my attention, it does give me great satisfaction to be linked with two men who mean so much to me,” said Craig. “I didn’t see my father play soccer but I know he was a top player and well respected. He never pushed my brother or me into anything, sporting or otherwise, but we both knew he was always there to support us and offer advice.

“For Dean to play for Australia and State of Origin, as well as winning a premiership, was an amazing effort.

He had to overcome some big hurdles with his knee, including a golden staph infection after an operation.

“I am very proud of all of my four children. They have all done very well in their lives.”

If it wasn’t for an insistent school teacher, Young may have been destined to wear rubber sole boots for Australia, not steel sprigs as a rugby league prop.

It was 1972 and word had spread about the first Australian Schoolboys side, effectively a NSW Combined High Schools unit to be coached by future top grade coach Roy Masters who was then teaching in Tamworth. The teacher suggested the burly Young, who had never played league and was a classy centre-half in soccer, try out.

He made the side that included fellow future internationals in Royce Ayliffe, Les Boyd and Ian Schubert and which romped through Britain scoring 417 points to 17. The next year he was a ‘leaguey’ for good, playing for Corrimal under-17s before joining Thirroul for two seasons from which he won the Illawarra competition’s rookie of the year award. After returning to Corrimal he was recruited by the Dragons and won a premiership in his first season of 1977, another in 1979 and played 234 first grade games.

Bob was the son of ‘Taggy’ Young who a prominent player in Illawarra with the Fernhill and Corrimal clubs in the 1920s. Bob, who played his junior football with the Tarrawanna club and came into first grade with Corrimal in the State League at 17 in 1945, represented his country for the first time played as a 22-year-old, against Zimbabwe (then named Southern Rhodesia) in 1950 at Salisbury, with Australia winning 5-0.

In 1952 he had been offered a two-year deal to play with English club Fulham but decided to stay with Corrimal who won the State Cup final in 1952.

He won the award as the club’s player of the season.

Craig, a member of the NSW Police Force, first in uniform and then as a detective, returned to the Dragons in 1999 (after coaching Wollongong Wests to two grand finals and Illawarra in the divisional championships) shortly after the merger with Illawarra Steelers.

Proud father Craig Young gives son Dean a congratulatory pat on the back after he joined him as a Dragons premiership winner in 2010.

He worked as the club’s director of development and recruitment manager for several years. In 2005, he was encouraged by Blues coach Ricky Stuart to take on the NSW team manager role and held the position for six years, also serving as Australian team manager. He is still employed in the special projects area while Dean, having begun coaching with the club’s Jersey Flegg team then the under-20s, sees him most days at the ‘office’.

The family is close, and sharing such an esteemed place in Australia’s sporting history, only enhances that.

“It was a huge honour to play for my country; I know our whole family is proud of the fact that myself, dad and grandad, accomplished this special achievement,” 33-year-old Dean said. “The whole family played a major role in the three of us wearing the green and gold. Whether it was the parents running us training and matches, our brothers and sisters competing against us in the backyard or the constant support of our wives (Gran, Mum and my wife Brooke) who all played a part in myself, dad and grandad reaching the pinnacle of our sports. We are forever grateful for their support.”

Dean was a member of the 2010 St George Illawarra grand final winning team under coach Wayne Bennett and, in 10 seasons with the club, played 209 first grade games. A versatile player who could handle lock, second row, hooker or five-eighth, Dean represented Country Origin in 2010 and the NSW Origin side in 2011. He played his only Test, against New Zealand, in the Four Nations series of 2010.

The dynasty may still develop further too … will he join his father in becoming a rare breed to win a premiership, play Origin and Test football, and become a head coach in the NRL?

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

31

HENRY MORRIS VOLUNTEER PROFILE T

BY AARON HENRY

here is a red-blooded, blue-collared grittiness about rugby league that throws up legendary status across all levels of our game.

league community. He has an amazing ability to pull exceptional guest speakers making them truely memorable events.”

Whether you’re a Kangaroo, country rugby league player or backyard footy star, legendary status can be achieved many ways – and having a bar named after you is certainly one way.

New South Wales state manager Stuart Raper agrees.

“Henry is a tireless worker. Not just for the Men of League Foundation, but also for the rugby league community and at large”, says Raper.

For the man who bleeds red and green, having a bar in the Souths Juniors licenced club named after him is just one of the long list of achievements that Henry Morris from the Sydney Metro committee has earned as a result of his lifetime of dedication to the game and the rugby league community.

“Henry is revered, highly respected, immensely popular and especially in the Southern Sydney region, is one of the most well-known, well-liked and networked blokes in the community. On a personal level, Henry has always been really great to work with. He shares the vision of the Foundation and knows exactly what he needs to do to help us help those in the rugby league community who need it most.”

Morris has been a member of the Men of League Foundation since it was established in 2002. Since then, he has been regarded as a driving force of the Sydney Metro committee and its huge success.

“Henry has been an outstanding contribution to the Foundation and rugby league for many, many years,” said national chairman of Men of League Foundation Ron Coote, AM. “He has done a fantastic job and rugby league, particularly in the South Sydney area, wouldn’t be as strong as it is without Henry Morris leading the way.

Henry has led the Sydney Metro committee to help a lot of people from our rugby league community who have fallen on hard times.

“Henry always runs fantastic functions, which are well established in the diary of the Sydney rugby

FEELING DOWN? TALK ABOUT IT Continued from page 23.

“As a footballer you get told where to be, what to wear, how to live, what the team is doing and that you have to be at your absolute best come game day. Once they are out of that rugby league bubble they feel it is the end of the world and they’re left with nothing yet they still have to be the main provider in the family.

32

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017

A rugby league man all his life, Henry started his playing days in the South Sydney juniors with the Botany United and La Perouse. He went on to become the chairman of South Sydney Juniors, at just 30 years of age, when it was Australia’s largest registered club.

Besides the Henry Morris Bar in the Legend’s Lounge at The Juniors, Henry’s list of personal accolades include being awarded an OAM in the 2016 Australia Day honours list for his service to rugby league, life membership of South Sydney Rabbitohs, South Sydney Juniors, South Sydney District Junior Rugby Football League and South Sydney Juniors Bowling Club.

So the next time you’re in heart of Bunnies territory, call into The Juniors Kingsford on Anzac Parade and have a quiet one at the Henry Morris Bar.

“For younger players, it’s about educating them that you are a long time retired and there are things outside of rugby league; there is a whole new world out there and it’s about applying what they used in footy to be resilient and positive and that they’re often still more fortunate than a lot of other people.”

“They just have to have that belief there is more I can achieve ... and others have gone through the same scenario and succeeded.”

TOOWOOMBA REGION COMMITTEE PROFILE

BY AARON HENRY

visit to Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane that lasted five hours because there were four Toowoomba locals in the hospital for a range of treatments.

“We work very closely with Vance Rennie from the Brisbane committee. Without his help and the help from the Queensland office, we wouldn’t be able to help the Toowoomba locals with the support they need whilst in Brisbane.

Colin Scott, Ray Higgs, Charlie Frith and Gary Sutton.

R

ugby league is a family affair and that is shown once again with the Men of League Foundation’s Toowoomba region committee.

When the Foundation started in Toowoomba in around 2008, Neale O’Brien was the inaugural president.

As a life member of the local rugby league club, Neale was a natural fit. At that stage the Toowoomba committee included some of the very few volunteers in Queensland outside the Brisbane area.

After having a long family association with Toyota – the O’Brien family owned the third Toyota dealership in Australian in 1972 - he couldn’t resist it when an opportunity came up to move to St George to run the local franchise.

“Welfare and looking after people is so important to what we do. We always make sure that we look after our welfare officers too. It can be a real challenge for our welfare officers to help people who might be having a bad day, so we take care of each other. We always know that it might be occasionally difficult for us, but for the people we’re helping or visiting in hospital, it can be difficult for them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,” Andrew said.

On the events front, the Toowoomba committee usually host three or four functions a year, with their iconic event being the sportsman’s lunch. They are also strongly supported by the local rugby league with a dedicated Heritage Round given to the Foundation to raise funds and awareness at every local game, including Border League and Warwick juniors.

“This is also how the committee find most of the people who need their help. Out in the grassroots of the rugby league community,” Andrew said.

The first phone call Neale made to help make sure the local Men of League committee was going to be looked after was to his twin brother, Andrew. Andrew has been the Ccmmittee president since then and has taken it from strength to strength.

“Men of League is often part of the medicine that people need to get better. The key to our visits is regular follow-up and genuine contact. The raffles, sponsorship and prizes at events look after themselves if we stick to our values and look after the people who need it the most.”

“As there were no Men of League representatives outside Brisbane, we looked after a massive area. We were able to make lots of connections and help develop the south of Queensland to the point that there are now stand-alone committees in Goondiwindi and Roma in addition to us in Toowoomba,” Andrew said.

Andrew says there is a core group of volunteers on the Toowoomba committee,and admits they are an “older demographic” and proudly boast John McDonald AM as patron and Shane Webcke as ambassador. “We’re all doing our best to make life better for people,” he said.

Andrew is most proud of the Toowoomba committee’s relentless welfare activity. He tells the story of a welfare

Hardworking volunteers at the grassroots of our game – sounds like a great family to be a part of.

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

33

LEGENDS OF ALLORA

Steve Gibson with wife Kirstie at the induction function at the Allora Community Hall.

Fred Laws was also inducted on the night. Granddaughter Shelley Smith and daughter Geraldine Johnston unveiled his tribute. Photos: Glyn Rees.

he town of Allora, between Toowoomba and Warwick on Queensland’s Darling Downs, has certainly produced an extraordinary number of high achieving sports people despite its size (population just under 1300).

His senior club rugby league saw him feature for Allora and in Warwick, before a stint with Valleys in Toowoomba and a lengthy association with Toowoomba club Newtown.

T

Laura Geitz, the Australian netball captain and legend of the sport, grew up on a farm on the edge of the town.

The NRL’s most successful coach Wayne Bennett was born in Allora before moving to Warwick when young.

Former Queensland, Australia and Broncos prop Shane Webcke learned to play footy at nearby Leyburn.

Queensland and Australian reps Lew and Greg Platz came from the area, as did 1982 Kangaroo and defensive tough man Rohan Hancock.

So, it’s appropriate that it has a sports museum. And the latest to be recognised in late February were local boy who became a massive hit in the English top division (pre-Super League) Steve Gibson and the famous footballing Laws brothers of the 1920s-30s, Fred and Colin. The Laws brothers were inducted into the hall of fame while Gibson was made a ‘regional icon of sport’.

Fred, the tough and clever five-eighth/centre played six Tests and toured with the 1929-30 and 1932-33 Kangaroos. He was a legend in the Darling Downs region when rugby league was at its strongest.

A member of the 1933 Queensland team, with all the Maroons Toowoomba-based, Fred played 32 times for the Maroons over eight seasons.

34

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017

Colin Laws also wore the Queensland jersey 12 times from 1928 to 1931, against NSW and the touring British and Kiwi sides.

Gibson, one of the most popular imports to ever join (from Wattles Toowoomba) the Salford club, had six seasons with the Red Devils from 1987 until 1993, playing 161 games and scoring 73 tries. He also played for Rochdale, Swinton and Leigh before returning to Allora where he still lives.

Museum chairman Perry Cronin said the induction night was a great event. "The Laws family made the hall of fame dinner a family reunion and family members travelled from as far as Orange in New South Wales and Townsville in Queensland,” he said.

"There were a lot of Gibson family members at the dinner along with Steve's workmates from Toowoomba and a lot of his mates from his days at Wattles.

"The Salford club in England posted a letter praising Steve's time with the club and a current jersey with his name printed on it.”

The trio join the likes of Geitz, Webcke, Hancock, the Platz brothers, Les Lane, John Cowley, Max and Brian Phelan in the museum’s elite hall of fame members.

COMMITTEE FOCUS - TOOWOOMBA

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

35

AROUND THE GROUNDS ... A PICTORIAL LOOK AT EVENTS IN RECENT MONTHS

Kirby Hayes receiving a Chrisco hamper from Vance Rennie.

Andrew O’Brien with Shane Brunner.

Fred Jackson and Ken Vessey collecting hampers from Chrisco.

Fred Jackson and Jeff Simmonds.

Brad Howell (board member) with Doug Anderson and Rick Lang.

36

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017

Fred Jones, Peter Dimond and Allan Fitzgibbon at the Illawarra Kick Off Club.

Dennis Stapleton, special guest Stuart Clarke, Terry Hughes and Stuart Raper at the Southern Sydney Kick Off Club.

Sunshine Coast’s Ken Crouch, Scott King and John Monie, the former title winning Eels and Wigan coach.

International array (or their widows who were special guests) at the Gold Coast dinner.

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

37

at league and was picked up by Canberra Raiders, making his NRL debut in 2001.

Following a turbulent time in the national capital, he returned to New Zealand to play with the Warriors, from where he was selected for his Test debut in 2003.

After an ugly split with the Warriors, Faumuina signed with English club Hull before accepting an offer from North Queensland Cowboys. That ended badly as well, with a drunken road accident earning him the biggest headline of his time in Townsville.

Faumuina finished his first-class career in England with Castleford but admits he drank more than he trained during his time at the Yorkshire club. He returned to Australia, dabbling in rugby union in Brisbane before having further tilts at league in Gladstone and Redcliffe and then calling it quits. In that time, he played 131 NRL matches, 24 Super League games and two Tests.

TEACHING FROM HIS ERRORS

BY STEVE RICKETTS

O

nce a troubled soul, Sione Faumuina now has a clear vision for the future. The former Kiwi Test forward dreams of becoming an NRL coach and yearns for the day when one of his old clubs, the New Zealand Warriors, wins its first NRL premiership.

There is little doubt he would have achieved so much more, except for the temptations that came with being ‘famous’ - the high-flying party scene with alcohol, drugs and sex freely available.

Faumuina has been dry for three years, and has established his own laundromat business at Springfield in Ipswich, as well as making his mark in the insurance game. He and his partner Renay have a daughter, Ella, 18 months.

This year he was part of Brisbane Easts’ coaching staff, where a mentor was former Queensland State of Origin forward Scott Tronc, who will coach Broncos under-20s in 2017.

He is willing to do his apprenticeship, and this year will coach in the Brisbane second division, at Normanby Hounds, a famous old club which has strong affiliations with Wests Panthers.

“I really enjoy coaching, and it has been an eye-opener looking at things from the other side,” Faumuina says. “I didn’t always have the best relationship with my coaches, although, at times there were faults on both sides.

Faumuina, a Samoan, is proud of the impact made by Polynesian footballers in the NRL, and hopes to be able to assist younger players with the challenges that come from entering the world of professional football.

“Still, I only have myself to blame for my life choices, and hopefully my book can help young men from making the same mistakes. Parents have to play a role as well, and it has been disappointing to see first-hand the undue pressure that some parents put on their kids.”

There were some who tried to help him in his playing days, but he was, by his own admission, a difficult subject. His troubles, triumphs, highs and lows, are detailed in his recently released warts and all, biography ‘The Second Phase’.

Faumuina played junior rugby league in Auckland but when the family moved to Wellington, he turned to basketball. It was only when the family returned to Auckland that he was persuaded to have another go 38

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017

Faumuina has put up his hand for ambassadorial work for Men of League and has offered to speak at schools where Polynesian boys are a big part of the student body. He will speak to boys in the league program in 2017, hoping to instil in them the values required to be good citizens, on and off the field.

‘The Second Phase’. Booktopia.com.au - $22.75.

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

39

REMEMBERING T The Foundation wishes to recognise the recent passing of the following people. For more tributes or expanded versions, go to www.menofleague.com

GREG ANDERSON

Rugby League lost a great supporter and long-time servant of the game with the passing of Greg Anderson in November, at age 84.

Greg was born in Barraba where he played his first rugby league before attending Christian Brothers College, Tamworth. Upon leaving school, he joined NSW Railways and was posted to Moree where he played in the Group 5 competition.

Work took him to Thirroul where he played for the Butchers until his career was cut short by a work accident. He coached junior grades and then served for a long term in administration, including the role of club treasurer from 1973 to 1981. Greg was clubman of the year in 1976 and was awarded life membership of the Butchers.

ADRIAN ASTORQUIA

Adrian died on 17 January at the Pacific Lodge Nursing Home, Dee Why, after fighting a courageous battle against bowel cancer.

He grew up in Innisfail and was the youngest of four children and his family (of Spanish decent) are held in high regard in Innisfail. As a talented, rugged and ferocious second-rower, he was a member of a victorious premiership winning Innisfail Foley Shield team.

Astorquia’s playing ability was quickly noticed by Manly Warringah and he moved to Sydney in 1968, winning reserve grade premierships 1969 and ‘73, as well as playing first grade three times.

40

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017

Norm Pounder, Adrian Astorquia and Adrian’s daughter Simone.

His son Anthony recalled, in his eulogy, that while his father was suffering badly in the last 12 months he got a huge lift when Norm Pounder took him to a Sea Eagles reunion at Brookvale Oval and he was able to take the traditional former players’ walk around Brookvale Oval.

BILLY BATLEY, OAM

Billy Batley grew up in Mascot area but went bush in 1953 to play with Boorowa in southern NSW. The team was captained by international player and future Test selector Ernie Hammerton, and included Test player Bryan Orrock and won the Maher Cup, the most feted title in the region. ‘The Bat’ also played for Temora Dragons

and Bermedman before returning to Sydney where he and wife Robyn gave decades of loyal service to the community of Ramsgate. Their home and Ramsgate Life Saving Club were the scenes of many Maher Cup reunions over the years.

Bill Batley became an “icon” of the Sydney suburb as he and Robyn devoted themselves to the local community, serving as committee members of the life-saving club for 28 years, during which time Billy became president and Robyn treasurer. Billy was chosen as a torch bearer leading up to the 2000 Sydney Olympics and in 2011 was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for his services to the Ramsgate community.

THOSE NOW GONE KEITH BLACKETT

Keith Blackett passed away peacefully at home in the care of his loving wife Michelle and their family after a courageous battle with cancer. He was a highlyrespected member of the NSW Police Force for many years, an accomplished fullback with Manly during the 1970s (three first grade appearances).

NORM CARDWELL

Norm played juniors with Shellharbour and made his first grade debut in 1959. The next year, at age 20, he represented Southern Division against a Riverina side that featured internationals Brian Hambly, Don Furner and Ron Crowe.

In 1960, Canterbury offered him a contract but he decided to stay on the South Coast. Norm was also a talented cricketer and played several seasons of first grade with Shellharbour cricket club. He moved to play with Dapto (and had one season with Albion Park) and went onto serve as a committeeman, selector and team manager.

After retiring from work as a carpenter, Norm enjoyed lawn bowling as a member of the Dapto Citizens Club, which was not too far from his Kanahooka home.

BILL DUGUID

Bill Duguid, who was 74, was a school teacher who achieved much in the classroom and on the football field in locations all over Queensland. He represented Toowoomba against New Zealand (1963) and Great Britain (1966) and was invited to trial with Parramatta but an interstate transfer ban ruined his hopes of

moving to Sydney. Duguid played or coached in Toowoomba, Dalby, Roma, Cunnamulla, Bundaberg, Rockhampton Ingham and Mackay.

He was president when Mackay won state league titles in 1993 and ‘94 and was made a life member.

He also was Rockhampton League president from 2003-08 and was a member of the North Queensland Cowboys foundation committee in 1993, leading Mackay’s support for the Cowboys’ bid to enter the NRL competition.

cricket for Waverly at 17 and captained the NSW under-20s rugby union side. At 18, he was graded with the Roosters as a reserve grader in rugby league and is recorded as being the first fullback in first grade to score three tries in a game (against Norths in 1961).

JACK GIDDY

His league career came to an end in 1964 due to injuries to his knees. He had played 16 first grade games and many in reserve grade. He joined Bronte Surf Club where he excelled in beach sprints and was a member of the Bronte B boat crew for many years.

MERVIN GILLMER

In the early 70s Hanson was captain of the first NSW touch football team and it was never beaten in five years against Queensland. In 1976, he was selected captain in the first Australian team to tour New Zealand. He continued to serve the sport as an official and coach at local and state level.

Giddy had a significant role as a coach with the Eastern Suburbs and North Sydney clubs during the 1980s-90s as a fitness conditioner/ athletics coach. He passed away peacefully on 22 January at Longueville Hospital, Sydney.

Mervyn Gillmer was the longest serving player of the first Manly Warringah first grade team to compete in the NSWFRL premierships in 1947. He was a teammate of club legends Max Whitehead, Johnny Bliss, Mackie Campbell, Roy Bull, Gordon Willoughby and Ron O’Connell.

Over the years, he attended Brookvale Oval whenever he could to support the Sea Eagles and his old club colours. Mervyn will be dearly missed by his loving wife of 68 years Joyce, daughter Caroline, son in-law Tony plus and his many nephews and nieces. He was 92.

RON HANSON

A brilliant schoolboy all-round athlete, Hanson played first grade

He moved his family to Forster in 1975 and he continued to play touch football and took on the roles of president, secretary and treasurer. He joined the local league club, the Hawks, where he was also a committeeman and coached reserve grade. He was also instrumental in forming the Combined Lakes club which was intended to be a feeder club for the Hawks. He was president for eight years. In 2010 a medal was struck in his honour by Touch Football Australia to be presented to Australian flag bearers.

NORM HARDAKER

Norm, who passed away at 88, was a player and coach at Orara Valley, Sawtell, and Coffs Harbour and also

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

41

played and coached Sawtell in ‘F Troop’ at the age of 46. Norm will be sadly missed by his family and friends on the NSW north coast.

He was awarded life membership of the Albion Park club and in 1956 played a major role in the formation of the South Coast Junior League.

GEORGE LENON

Pat and his wife Mary not only worked together for the Albion Park club, they also did the same for the local women’s hockey club. Mary was a foundation member of the Albion Park Ladies Hockey Club in 194, and from 1965 was club president for 50 successive years.

She was awarded an OAM in 2014 for her services to hockey.

George Lenon was a Manly local junior and realised a dream when he pulled on the Manly Warringah jumper, playing hooker in first grade alongside his best mate Roy Bull, Ron Willey, Rex Mossop, George Hugo, Peter Burke, Jimmy Peebles, his brother Bob Lenon and others.

George played 75 first grade games for Manly including the 1957 and ‘59 grand finals lost to the mighty St George. He continued his strong association with the Sea Eagles, serving on the committee for many years and was a selector alongside coach Willey when the club won their first top grade premiership in 1973. He was awarded life membership in 1983 and proudly attended games and supported the club throughout his life.

Whilst Lenon’s footy nickname was ‘The Beast’, to his family he was a loving husband to his wife of 52 years Margaret (deceased), a devoted and respected father to Kathy and Michael, and proud and cherished grandad to his five grandchildren.

PAT MARLEY

Long term Albion Park-Oak Flats Eagles official, Joseph Patrick Marley, passed away recently, aged 90. He and his wife Mary, who survives him. worked tirelessly for the club for more than 50 years after moving to Albion Park in 1948 following their marriage.

Pat became Albion Park secretary in 1951 and held this position for eight years and 20 years later became president.

Pat also served in many other positions such as general committee man, delegate to the South Coast Group 7 rugby league, timekeeper and ground announcer.

42

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017

PAUL MCBLANE

The rugby league community was saddened to learn of the passing of former NRL referee Paul McBlane at age 53. As a mark of respect, the referees participating in the Auckland Nines wore black arm bands.

McBlane officiated in 97 (6 NSWRL, 55 ARL, 36 NRL) first grade matches over six seasons after making his debut in 1994.

He was one of the first full-time referees and officiated in the first round of NRL matches when the split competitions reunified in 1998. He also controlled the City v Country Origin clash of 1996.

JOHN MCDONALD

‘Jacko’ McDonald passed away in October after a 10-month battle with cancer, surrounded by his family and friends.

A 20-year involvement with Arncliffe Scots began as a sixyear-old, the highlight being as a member of the premiership winning A grade team in 1991 which defeated Como-Jannali 7-6 in an epic grand final. McDonald was also involved with Kogarah Marist Brothers and Wests Wollongong.

He is remembered as a solid defender and elusive ball runner.

JASON MOON

Former South Sydney and Illawarra winger, Jason Moon, passed away in Melbourne, aged 50.

A Corrimal junior, Moon was an outstanding schoolboy footballer and made his first grade debut with the Steelers at Belmore Oval in 1984 at age 17. After two seasons and 19 top grade games with the Steelers, he joined South Sydney for three seasons in 1986. There he played with his older brother David, who also had three years with the Rabbitohs, playing in 31 first grade appearances games. He came back to Wollongong in 1989, playing 14 first grade matches with the Steelers – including the ’89 Panasonic Cup final 22-20 loss to the Brisbane - taking his tally to 64 first grade appearances (12 tries).

RAY MURRAY

Ray Murray passed away peacefully on 30 October aged 67.

Originating from Orange, where he was a great schoolboy halfback for the Orange High School, he played in the school’s University Shield wins of 1968-69. He subsequently went onto to play grade rugby league with the Manly.

Ray was a good supporter of the Men of League and was a regular attendee at Northern Sydney Men of League events; seen recently attending with his friend Ian Martin, an accomplished ex Manly Warringah player.

BRUCE NOBLE

Well known South Coast player Bruce Noble passed away on 3 January at Bowral, aged 84.

Born at Jamberoo where he began playing league as a junior, he made first grade as a front-rower at 18 and represented South Coast against Illawarra.

In 1951, he was a prominent player as Jamberoo won their first premiership in 19 years. He was also a member of Jamberoo premiership winning teams in 1958 and 1961. He was offered a lucrative contract to join Parramatta in 1952 and scored five tries in

reserve grade before being called into first grade for four games.

However, he missed his farm and returned to his diary cattle at Jamberoo in 1953.

Noble played for South Coast, Group 7, Southern Division, Southern NSW (including five times against international touring teams) and NSW Country Seconds against City Seconds. In 1955 he scored two tries in the 16-9 win over France.

A life member of the Jamberoo club, Bruce and Grace, his wife of 63 years, moved over the mountain to Robertson in the mid-1960s where Bruce became president of the Robertson club and later was president of the Bowral Pioneers club. Bruce and Grace were awarded life membership of Group 6 one of the highest awards in Group 6 rugby league, the Jim Doc McLean Memorial Award, for service to the game.

ALLEN ROBERTSON

After representing NSW Schools, Allen came into grade with the Dapto club as a talented and clever five eighth/centre in 1966.

In 1968, a serious leg injury saw him retire from football while he was working as a trainee manager with Dapto Leagues Club. In the mid-1970s he was promoted to the club’s entertainment manager and within a year the club had become the leader of the South Coast entertainment scene, featuring such international stars as Tina Turner and Roy Orbison.

After becoming secretary-manager and CEO of Dapto Leagues Club in November 1980, he worked in this position for 22 years, retiring in 2002.

A talented singer and musician, Allen was a member of Illawarra rock band, the Fyrbirds, as a teenager and then joined with Bob

Hely to form a vocal duet called the Pacers. The Pacers were managed

by Col Joye and his brother Kevin Jacobsen and regularly performed on TV on such shows as Blind Date and Mike Walsh.

CHAD ROBINSON

The league world was shocked by the sudden death of Chad Robinson at age 36 in December.

He had been struggling with mental illness for some time.

Robinson played 159 first grade games from 2000-08 for the Parramatta Eels and Sydney Roosters where he was a popular teammate, as evidenced by the attendance at his funeral in Sydney of many prominent players including Anthony Minichiello, Brad Fittler, Brett Finch, Bryan Fletcher, Craig Fitzgibbon, Luke Ricketson Nathan Hindmarsh, Mark Riddell, Eric Grothe Jr , Nathan Cayless, Luke Burt, Paul Gallen and Joel Reddy.

DENNIS SACRE

Dennis Sacre was a prominent rugby league coach at Iona College on Brisbane’s southern bayside, a school with strong connections to the Wynnum-Manly Rugby League Club. He taught in the junior school at Iona from 1986 to 2009 and was also heavily involved with cricket, swimming and athletics.

He died on 3 January, aged 69.

NEVILLE SOWARD

The Soward family were stalwarts of the now defunct Nimbin Rugby League Club, which played in the Kyogle competition in the 1950s.

Neville played in two premiership winning sides with Nimbin, when his father was president. Neville was a dedicated Brisbane.

Neville passed away in Lismore on January 31 after a short illness.

He was 77.

DARRELL SPILLANE

Darrell Spillane passed away in November 2016, aged 75, after a short illness.

He is survived by his wife June, son Scott and daughter Leanne.

Darrell played for Goulburn United in Group 8 as halfback, winning five grand finals, from juniors and first grade. He had some great coaches in Cyril Eastlake and Ron Ackland. Group 8 was very strong in that era, with player coaches like Don Furner, Phil Jackson, Harry Wells, Ron Ackland, Cyril Eastlake, Mel Cook, Reg Cook, Rex Percy, Sam Edwards and Eric Simms.

CAROL TRINDALL

Carol Trindall, the wife of Guilford Leagues Club director Wayne, passed away in December after a long battle with cancer. Carol was well-known and respected in the Guilford football and leagues clubs and supported both entities over a long period.

Carol waged a brave fight against the dreaded disease for nearly 15 years and leaves behind her loving husband Wayne, children Michelle, Suzanne and Mark along with her eight much loved grandchildren.

GAVIN WHITTAKER

The former Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs and Gold Coast Chargers front-rower passed away on 6 January aged 46 after a long battle with stomach cancer.

Whittaker played with the Bulldogs from 1993-95 and joined the Chargers in 1996, playing there for three seasons. He played 39 first grade games, scoring three tries and kicking two goals.

After retiring from rugby league, Gavin was an electrical contractor on the Gold Coast. He is survived by his wife Trudie and children Shai, Jess and Keely as well as his parents Richard and Del and sisters Linda and Karen.

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

43

TONY’S BROTHERLY LOVE Brothers, once a Brisbane powerhouse at the highest level, may have left their glory days behind but there is plenty of glory in Tony Martyn’s ongoing devotion to the Brothers’ strong league charter in Queensland.

BY STEVE RICKETTS

reasons or because the emphasis has been on building a junior base.

As a young man in rural Queensland, Martyn idolised Brothers’ 1970s stars, such as Queensland goalkicking winger Ian Dauth, Test prop David Wright and Queensland second-rower Bob Cock.

Martyn was coach of the first Brothers side in the Brisbane second division in 1999 and tips a big year for the 2017 senior side under the coaching of James Coogan, who played in that ‘99 side.

“The junior club is successful and produces outstanding football talent,” Martyn said.

“To invest all that time and energy in producing those players and then not to be able to offer any football after under-18s defeats the purpose to a large degree, in my mind.

T

ony Martyn’s devotion to the Brothers’ rugby league cause in Queensland shows no sign of abating, even though his contribution in 2017 will be confined to the role of ‘the voice on the hill’ and selling raffle tickets.

A life member of Brisbane Brothers Juniors, Martyn, 62, has a dressing room named after him at Gibson Park in the northern Brisbane suburb of Stafford where junior and senior teams now play.

While Gibson Park boasts impressive new club house facilities, the senior club’s participation in the Brisbane second division is a far cry from Brothers’ glory days of the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s when the club would draw 30,000-plus crowds to Lang Park.

The Ross Strudwick-coached 1987 side winning was the last ‘big’ Brisbane Rugby League grand final, before the advent of the Broncos.

There have been times since then when Brothers have not fielded senior teams, either for financial

44

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017

“We won a senior premiership under [former Valleys and St George, Sydney forward] Shane Kelly in 2009 when we came back into senior football at Gibson Park.

“We’ve had our ups and downs since then and 2016 was a rebuilding year. I’m tipping a fantastic year for the opens in 2017.”

Martyn has always pushed the importance of having Brothers senior teams in Brisbane, even if they are not playing at the top level.

Tony’s love affair with rugby league began when he was enrolled at St Pat’s College in Mackay, following his father’s posting to the regional city in his work for the Forestry Department. Previously Tony had played union at St Joseph’s College in Brisbane.

The Martyn family’s next posting was Gympie, where Tony joined Brothers and came under the guidance of astute coaches, such as Test five-eighth Johnny Gleeson and state forward Reg Cannon.

On leaving school Tony joined the National Bank (now NAB) and after 12 months in Gympie was posted to Southport. Instead of playing league on the Gold Coast, he travelled back to Gympie each weekend to play league with the mates he had made at Brothers.

“In those days, there were four very healthy clubs in Gympie – Brothers, Wanderers, Suburbs and Rainbows – and now they struggle to field one side,” Martyn said.

“I hope that changes. It was such a strong competition and we would play teams from the Sunshine Coast, such as All Whites and Souths from Nambour; Maroochydore and Caloundra. Souths had some fabulous players, including internationals Ray Laird and Ray Higgs.’’

Martyn was transferred to Richmond in western Queensland in 1974, with the local league side having to travel far and wide for games.

One of Tony’s Tony Martyn’s favourite favourite BrothersBrothers of all-time of all-time – David–Wright David in Wright actioninfor action for Queensland.

Martyn returned to Australia in 1979, making his home in Brisbane, and apart from two years back in Gympie – where he coached Brothers’ colts teams – has lived in the Queensland capital since.

He coached his first Brisbane Brothers junior side (under-11s) in 1980 and has been involved with the club since, either as a coach, director of coaching, committee member, or supporter, and for one year (1994) was the juniors’ president.

“Some of the players from that 1980 side are now involved with Brothers, as parents, with their kids playing, and one or two have coached,” Martyn said.

“There were some really hard men out there,” he said.

“One of the better players was Craig Bowen, who went on to play first grade with Wests here in Brisbane alongside Adrian Lam, and then for Gold Coast, the Crushers and Adelaide, as well as representing Cook Islands in the 2000 World Cup.”

“‘Budgy’ Lillyman (father of Queensland forward Jacob Lillyman) was a teammate. He was very strong, just like Jacob is these days.

Tony Martyn was a forward who thought he was a back, and in his own words was “a pretty ordinary footballer” but just loved playing.

“They just played footy for the love of it. Most worked on the land but there were those who transferred there, like me - school teachers, stock and station agents, postal staff, railway workers.”

What makes Brothers so special?

Martyn spent two years at Richmond. Next stop on the banking roundabout was Hervey Bay, which was part of a thriving Maryborough competition.

While there, he and a few mates decided to embark on a working holiday in New Zealand.

They had read that the Marist club in Auckland was looking for players, so they paid their own way across the Tasman to turn out for the Mt Albert-based outfit.

“At one stage there were eight of us (Australians) at Marist,” Martyn said. “I had two fabulous years (1977-78) over there and made some great mates.”

“I was just brought up with it,” Martyn says.

“My father was president of Gympie Brothers and when he came back to Brisbane to work with the Rural Fire Board, he got involved with Brothers here, and wrote The Leprechaun Letter (Brothers’ news bulletin).

“When he was president of Gympie Brothers, the club would have their selection meetings at our house, so I would sneak into the bedroom and put my ear to the wall to listen who was being named in first grade. So Brothers is just part of my DNA. “For true Brothers’ supporters to have senior teams running around in the colours again, is fantastic. We have former star players from the glory days coming to our games, and that says it all.”

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

45

GEEVES CALLS FULL-TIME

BY TONY DURKIN

L

es Geeves concedes his memory is not what it once was but he still vividly recalls the inaugural social gathering of the Brisbane Men of League committee, and the first guest who walked through the door.

“It was the great Lionel Morgan, the first indigenous man to play a rugby league Test for Australia,” said Geeves who was one of the four original Brisbane committee members in 2003.

“And Lionel is still a regular attendee of the Kick-Off Club luncheons, although I no longer am, I’m afraid.”

Poor health of late has not only restricted the visits of Wurtulla-based Les to Brisbane but has forced him to recently resign as a Sunshine Coast committee member. He was a foundation member of both committees.

“It is always difficult to say goodbye to people and things you really like and respect, but it is also sensible to understand when your time is up,” he said. “While the Men of League Foundation has been important to me for 14 years, my health has to come first. And I am a firm believer that if you can’t give something 100 per cent, you are better off letting someone else do the job.

While heart and prostate surgery in recent years has been successful, Les says he is suffering ‘old man’s problems’ and is feeling every one of the 77 years he will celebrate in December. But memories of things close to his heart have not abated.

He recalls Clive Churchill playing at Norths in Brisbane the season before he was graded and former Rabbitohs and Kangaroos hooker Elwyn Walters packing down beside him in the Norths scrum. Nor will he ever forget the four successive BRL premierships he won with Norths in the 60s, one as captain.

46

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017

Les Geeves (centre) celebrating Brisbane Norths' 1966 premiership with teammates (from left) Henry Heggarty Peter Lobergeiger Ray Cattanach and Ron Bell.

“And in 1967, along with a host of others, I was measured for my Kangaroos uniform and hat but was one of three Queenslanders in that squad to miss selection,” he divulged.

Les Geeves had a celebrated career in rugby league, firstly as a player and then a selector. He played first grade for Norths from 1960 to 1967 and switched to Easts as captain-coach in ‘68-69.

His final year on the playing field was in 1970, as captain-coach of Dalby Brothers.

Yet one of his more memorable achievements came as a rookie Queensland selector in 1987 when he and his fellow panel members Hughie Kelly and Dud Beattie named a virtually unknown Allan Langer as Maroons State of Origin halfback.

“That was a brave decision because Alf was very small, inexperienced and untested at that level but as it turned out we picked a beauty,” he says, proudly.

His selection career, both for Queensland and Australia, extended from 1987 to 2008, and he also served a number of terms as chairman of both panels.

And of those hundreds of players he selected over that 22-year period, he says emphatically that Wally Lewis was the best.

Les and Daphne Geeves.

After his playing days Les became involved in the hospitality industry and has owned, managed and operated hotels in Laidley, Toowoomba, Caloundra, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton, Dalby, Magnetic Island, Carindale, Cairns and Pialba. He was also boss of the Crushers Leagues Club in Brisbane when the idea of a Men of League committee in the city was first mooted.

He was joined regularly on the trips by his former Norths teammates Hagan, Jimmy Hannam and Ron Bell, as well as legends of the game, Dud Beattie and Norm Provan.

“Ron Atkins, Fred Casey, Arthur Denovan and I were on that first committee and we threw around plenty of names and ideas for the regular functions and venues,” he said. “We settled on the Kick-Off Club as the name and the Bookies Club in the city as the venue because of its close proximity to Central Station.

Understanding ex-players as we did, we knew they wouldn’t be driving home from our functions.”

But rugby league wasn’t the only sport to which Les Geeves dedicated his valuable time.

Les and his wife Daphne moved to the Sunshine Coast in 1998 and a decade later he helped kick off the local committee with his long-time mate and adversary Bob Hagan. But – in the name of Men of League – his regular trips to Brisbane had not finished.

With many ex-Brisbaneites moving to the Sunshine Coast and still keen to attend the Kick-Off Club, Les volunteered to be their official driver. He would drive his car to Brisbane the night before the lunch, stay with his daughter, collect the Foundation’s bus the next morning, drive to the Sunshine Coast to collect his passengers, deliver them to the lunch, return them home, take the bus back to Brisbane HQ and drive his own car home.

“It was something I could do for my mates and something I enjoyed. The only drawback was that I couldn’t join them for a drink,” he said.

He was a devotee of horse racing and owned and raced thoroughbreds for more than 30 years. He was also a board member of the Queensland Principal Racing Club.

However it was his commitment to the Sunshine Coast Turf Club that resulted in him being conferred life membership of the organisation.

Geeves was a foundation member of the club, member of the inaugural committee in 1980 and served as chairman for 12 years.

This community service has been a labour of love.

“I feel very fortunate that I have been able to work closely with so many of my good friends and associates in the two sports that I love,” he said. “All good things must come to an end, but even though I am not actively involved any more, my heart is still with the Men of League … a great organisation.”

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

47

LEAGUE TRIVIA 1. Who is the youngest player ever to have represented Australia at Test level?

2. There are only two Australians who are head coaches in the current English Super League. Name them.

3. Who holds the record for most points scored in first grade for the Parramatta Eels?

4. Which current NRL player is within 20 games of reaching Darren Lockyer’s all-time record for most appearances in first grade?

5. Who played in Super League’s only grand final in 1997 and who were the coaches?

6. Which NRL player captained his team in his first game for the club in round 1 this season?

7. The Newcastle Knights are in their 30th season.

Who was their captain in their first season of 1988?

8. Who was the blond-haired first grader who recorded a song as a guitarist-singer in the 1980s? (Hint: he played for North Sydney and North Queensland) 9. There are six premiership winning coaches in the NRL era (from 1998) who had also won premierships as players. Can you name them?

10. Name two sets of Australian Test teammates of the past five years who were born on the same day (two players born on the same day, two separate examples)

ANSWERS: 1. Sione Mata’utia in 2014 v England (Four Nations). 2. Rick Stone (Huddersfield), Tony Smith (Warrington). 3. Michael Cronin with 1971 points from 1977-86. 4. Cameron Smith. He has played 335 games for the Storm. Lockyer’s record is 355 games (all for Brisbane).

5. Brisbane (Wayne Bennett) and Cronulla (John Lang). 6. Kevin Proctor, Gold Coast Titans. 7. Sam Stewart. 8. Jason Martin. 9. Ricky Stuart, Chris Anderson, Michael Hagan, Steve Folkes, Des Hasler and Craig Bellamy. 10. Billy Slater and Cameron Smith; Brett and Josh Morris.

48

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

49

OUR RUGBY LEAGUE HEROES...

WALLY PRIGG

Wally Prigg, during the Great Depression of early-1930s and subsequent years, had lucrative offers to move from Newcastle to play league in Sydney or England. He would never leave his roots or his family, dying in the Hunter as a true league legend. BY BARRY ROSS

W

ally Prigg, the Newcastle lock who was the first player to make three Kangaroo tours to England, spent two years of his life overseas on rugby league duties for Australia.

In his time, the team travelled to England by ship, which meant more than seven months away from home each tour. Prigg first went to England with the 1929-30 side at age 21 and was out of Australia for 222 days. He returned in 1933-34 for 238 days and captained the 1937-38 tourists when he was away for 237 days.

Between his second and third visits to England, he was vice-captain of the 1935 Australian team to New Zealand, which, after sailing across the Tasman Sea, was away for 27 days. Altogether, Prigg spent a total of 724 days away from his understanding wife Hannah, who he married at Adamstown in 1928.

Prigg is a member of the NSW, NSW Country and Newcastle teams of the century and one of Australia’s greatest 100 players chosen in the game’s centenary year of 2008. Yet, at age 15, he was playing first grade soccer with New Lambton with a glorious career in the round-ball game at his feet.

It wasn’t until the next year that he began playing under-18 league with Wests Newcastle (then called Wests United).

After consolidating his first-grade position after debuting in 1927, he was selected to represent Newcastle against Queensland. The next year he joined the Central Newcastle club which won the premiership and his star started to rise rapidly. From 1929-39 he played 12 successive games or NSW Country and never bowed to temptations to move to Sydney.

In ’29 he was chosen for NSW for the first time on what was then a traditional long tour of duty. The 20-member team left Sydney by train on Tuesday, 18 June, arriving in Glen Innes at 5.47am Wednesday after leaving Sydney on a sleeping carriage. They were then driven 50

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017

Wally Prigg, greatest bush player ever produced in NSW?

70km west to Inverell where they defeated North West by 76-0 that afternoon, with Prigg collecting two tries.

They were on the train by 9pm after the game, arriving in Brisbane at 6.40pm the next day. They met Queensland on Saturday at the Brisbane Exhibition Ground, winning 16-14.

Close to midnight next day, 15 players and one of the managers left Brisbane to Rockhampton, where they

defeated a combined Townsville-Rockhampton team by 23-0 on the Tuesday. Prigg played in this game and that night they took the overnight train back to Brisbane where they beat Queensland 11-8 at the Exhibition Ground on Saturday 29 June. Prigg did not play in this match but took the field at Grafton on the way back to Sydney when NSW beat Far North 64-16 on the Wednesday. The team arrived back in Sydney on Friday 5 July after being away for 18 days – and the players played club games on the weekend.

When Prigg retired from big time football at the end of the 1939 season, he had played 55 matches for NSW. At 20, he was the second youngest member of the 1929-30 Kangaroo touring side, named as a second rower. The NSW Rugby League held a Farewell Ball at the Palais Royal in Sydney on Monday night, 22 July, for the Kangaroos and three days later the team sailed out of Sydney on the Aorangi. The team enjoyed shore leave at Auckland, Suva and Honolulu, before docking at Vancouver on 16 August. They then took a threeday train trip across Canada and on to New York, from where they left for England on the luxury liner Aquitania, arriving at Southampton on 28 August.

The first Test was at Hull on 5 October and Prigg celebrated his Test debut with a try in the 31-8 win. After beginning his tour as a second-rower, he was moved to lock for the first Test and remained in this position for the rest of his career. He played in the second Test at Leeds but suffered an ankle injury in a club game days later and this bothered him for the next few weeks. Of the 35 tour games, Prigg played 16, including two Tests.

Captained by Tom Gorman, who was the first Queenslander to captain a team to England, the 1929 team were the only Kangaroo tourists to play four Tests. With the series standing at one-all, the third Test finished 0-all, although the Kangaroos were adamant that their halfback Joe ‘Chimpy’ Busch had scored a fair try in the blindside corner late in the game. But the try wasn’t given and a fourth Test was played on a Wednesday, 11 days later at Swinton. England won 3-0.

The Australians sailed out of Southampton on 21 January 1930 on the SS Hobsons Bay and travelled home via the Mediterranean, Port Said, the Suez Canal, Colombo, Fremantle, Adelaide and Melbourne, completing their around the world journey on 3 March.

Because of ankle ligament problems, Prigg played in just the first of the three Tests against the 1932 touring Englishmen. He went back to England with the 1933-34 Kangaroos and was vice-captain of the Australian team to New Zealand in September 1935.

At Pershing Stadium in Paris on New Year’s Eve 1933, Prigg had the honour of scoring the first try in

Prigg gets in the clear for NSW against Brisbane at the Gabba.

an international rugby league match in France when Australia beat an England XIII by 63-13.

Prigg skippered the first Australian team to tour France (as well as England) in 1937-38. At Stade Buffalo, he scored a try in the 33-6 win over France in the first Test between these two countries. The second Test at Marseilles on 16 January, which Australia won 16-11, was Prigg’s 19th and last Test. He played 74 matches in the Australian jersey, collecting 34 tries.

He estimated that he had played around 600 matches of senior football and was never sent off at any level. At his peak, he played at 83kg (13 stone) and stood 180 cm (five feet 11 inches).

During harsh financial times, he received good offers to play in Sydney from Balmain, Eastern Suburbs and St. George, as well as several opportunities to play in England which would have made things easier for he and his family, yet he remained loyal to his birthplace.

With Centrals (Newcastle), he was a member of three premiership winning teams – in 1928, 1930 and 1939.

He did play some club football in 1940 and 194. In 1944, he was non-playing coach of Central and the next year coached South Newcastle, when he was also the Newcastle representative coach. He coached Lake Macquarie in 1946 and in a one-off job, coached Northern District against the 1946 Englishmen at Tamworth and then moved to Kurri Kurri in 1947. After this he returned to Central where he held various committee positions for the next 10 years or so, such as senior vice-president in 1955.

He worked for Newcastle council for 19 years and during this time drove the first motor mowing machine imported to Australia. From 1945 to the 1970s, Wally and Hannah ran a general store in Hamilton. He passed away at Adamstown, a Newcastle suburb, on 8 September 1980, aged 71.

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

51

NRL WELLBEING & EDUCATION The goal of the Wellbeing and Education program is to turn talented boys into men of character and integrity; men who are better for being part of rugby league: men who are LeagueWise.

LeagueWise is being Careerwise, Characterwise and Healthwise. Every element of the program is designed to help our young players grow and develop their potential in every aspect of their lives. The Characterwise program focuses on creating men who are good teammates, respectful of themselves and others; and wise and ethical decision-makers.

Each year the NRL / RLPA wellbeing and education committee decides on the social responsibility and personal development workshops and camps to be delivered to all players and staff involved with elite teams from the under-16s to the NRL. Here is a summary of those important activities:

SEMI PRO DAY – NSWRL

One of the new programs developed in the NSWRL is the Semi-Pro Day. The Semi-Pro Day was held at the Australian College of Physical Education (ACPE) at Sydney Olympic Park.

It aimed to assist in both personal and professional development as well as provide players with invaluable life lessons as they juggle full-time work, heavy training loads and responsibilities of everyday life.

Former NRL players Anthony Quinn and Paul Whatuira joined guest speakers including Tony Parsons, Paul Heptonstall and Ryan Porter, who discussed topics including drug awareness, finance, mental health and concussion.

The players also took part in ‘theatre sports’ – an engaging program that places players in real-life scenarios.

NSWRL wellbeing and education officer Greg Nichols, who formerly represented North Sydney in the NSW Cup, believes Semi-Pro Day assists players in balancing their lives.

52

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017

“These programs are designed to acknowledge the efforts of our players and to help grow and develop their potential in every aspect of their lives,” Nichols said.

“Semi-Pro Day allows players to receive unique access and support and we want them to realise that they’re not alone in their quest to become NRL players.

“It’s such a tough pathway to make it to the NRL and most guys in their position have many things going on in their lives, including work, relationships and rugby league.”

SEMI-PRO DAY – QRL

The NRL wellbeing and education team ran a Semi-Pro Day for teams playing in the QRL Intrust Super Cup in the 2017 season in November at the University of Queensland campus in St Lucia, Brisbane.

It was attended by 13 of the 14 teams that play in the competition, with just under 400 players and staff present (the PNG Hunters having a separate education session further into the season). Also attending were numerous QRL, NRL and RLPA staff visiting, supporting and presenting to the attendees.

Going into the second year of this format of education for the ISC teams, there was a focus on delivering top quality education presentations as well as empowering those present with informative and useful tools to help make them more well-rounded people.

Players were presented to on issues such as drugs and addictions by Tony Parson, cultural awareness

Semi-Pro Day hosted by the QRL.

by John Briggs, mental health by Paul Whatuira and theatre sports and concussion by Shaun Spence. Other speakers included Queensland wellbeing and education manager Murray Hurst, QRL head of competitions Dave Maiden, QRL head of football Neil Wharton, Intrust Super and the RLPA representatives and former Rugby League professional David Solomona.

Players had a full day of education and also had time to mix with each other and catch up with friends playing on opposing teams, with this being the only time almost all players playing in the ISC competition would be in the same place at the same time.

ROOKIE CAMP

The Annual Rookie Camp leading into the 10th Season of the National Youth Competition, for the incoming NYC class of 2017, was an induction and orientation into the semi-professional environment of rugby league.

Based on the wellbeing and education program principles, this camp brought together 160 National Youth Competition players from all 16 NRL clubs to the University of Wollongong campus where 20 former or current players, along with industry experts, delivered presentations, videos and workshops designed to assist off-field behaviour and performance.

The main social responsibility areas are covered such as illicit drugs, alcohol, gambling, respectful relationships,

NYC’s 2017 newcomers at the annual rookie camp.

cultural awareness, mental health and wellbeing, social media and reputation management, personal brand, finance, concussion awareness and finishing with the interactive theatre-sports session.

“It’s an eye-opening induction for our new rookies entering into the NYC competition, the guys are given a pretty clear introduction explaining their role and responsibilities,” Holden Cup programs manager Tony McFadyen said.

“The camp is an opportunity to give them the tools they need via current workshops that are delivered by industry professionals and former and current players.

Important messages and information is shared to assist during their rugby league journey along with their postfootball years.”

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

53

Pacifica players celebrate their heritage at the leadership camp.

PACIFIC PLAYERS LEADERSHIP CAMP

Another NRL flagship event that the wellbeing and education team have hosted since 2012 is the NRL Pasifika Leadership Camp. This was held in early December and the theme was ‘Social Media for Social Change’, with a focus on the key issues of climate change and the environment.

We were fortunate enough to be joined by Dr Colin Tukuitonga from SPC to give a keynote on climate change and other key issues in the Pacific including youth empowerment. We then had digital experts of Pasifika background share how players can maximise their public persona and profile to help advance social causes and bring awareness of Pasifika climate and environment issues.

Nigel Vagana noted: “Since that camp many players have gone on to do their own research and wish to help more with raising awareness of climate and environmental issues that affect our people. That was real an eye-opener for our players and the feedback and response we got has bolstered their eagerness to explore long-term collaborations with local and international partners who are committed to improving the lives of our Pacific communities.”

The camp was filmed by FreshTV (an NZ-Pacific based magazine show) and one of our prominent professional Fijian players, Eloni Vunakece from the Sydney Roosters, was chosen for an in-depth interview.

Through such initiatives, players will become leaders and mentors to other Pasifika NRL and NYC players.

They will be better prepared to help younger players understand the existing values and culture of the club, and the whole of game, whilst retaining and embracing their own culture.

54

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017

INDIGENOUS PLAYERS CAMP

The 5th NRL Indigenous Players Camp was held preceding the All Stars game held in Newcastle in February.

The camp strengthens identity amongst the playing group and create a better understanding of the issues Indigenous people deal with in their communities and in the NRL system so they realise their potential to create positive change in and outside the game.

The focus of the camp was around culture and leadership, combining young up and coming players with current leaders in the game and learning culture and history of Sydney area.

Current leaders in media, politics, community and education Stan Grant, Chris Sarra and Shane Phillips ran workshops showcasing proud indigenous men being leaders in their fields striving for excellence while still practising culture.

The cultural and historical aspects were to educate everyone involved to help us all feel comfortable in our own skin, feel pride as indigenous men, and confident to continue as Indigenous role models both as athletes and in community.

NRL wellbeing and education manager George Rose, who is the driving force behind the Indigenous Leadership camp, said: “I was very proud of the involvement from all current and former players. Our history gives us the connection to this country and the strength to walk tall as proud indigenous men.

This camp is an important start to the week and our indigenous players who attend always leave with their heads high, ready to lead within their own communities and inspire others to reach their potential and beyond.”

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

55

CELEBRATING

QUEENSLAND’S

HERITAGE

BY GREG SHANNON

T

he Queensland Rugby League history committee was established in 2008 under the a guidance and leadership of former Maroons team manager and QRL/ARL official Kevin Brasch with the aim of developing programs to preserve and highlight the history of rugby league in the state.

One of the key events run by the committee is the annual Ross Livermore Lecture at Suncorp Stadium.

The lecture began its life in 2010 as the Harry Sunderland Lecture and is a chance to showcase the states’ rugby league history. It was renamed after long serving Queensland Rugby League CEO and history committee member Livermore tragically passed away in April 2013.

The inaugural lecture was given by the late Emeritus Professor Max Howell who spoke on Harry Sunderland. Veteran Telegraph and Courier Mail league correspondent Steve Ricketts presented his lecture on rugby league in France in 2011.

On May 27, committee member and media personality Steve Haddan will lecture on the history of the Brisbane Rugby League competition from 1909-87 following on from the publishing of his brilliant book on the subject last year.

The book captures the essence of how the game was prior to 1988 when the BRL competition was the major one in Queensland, and second nationally to the NSWRL premiership.

Paul Vautin as a teenage Brisbane Wests rookie.

The match of the day at Lang Park was essential viewing on Sunday night TV and often drew tens of thousands to the ground.

With almost 30 years having past since the the Brisbane Broncos emerged, it is sometimes hard to explain to a younger generation how the game looked prior to 1988 when any club game in the old BRL could include players who would become, or already were, household names.

In the early 1980s internationals like Des Morris, Wally Lewis, Gene Miles, Colin Scott, Greg Dowling, Mark Murray, Bryan Niebling, Brad Tessmann, Greg Conescu, Wally Fullerton Smith, Mal Meninga and Bob Lindner were all playing in the BRL and played a major role in the emergence of State of Origin.

Some of the games greats played in this competition, which featured an eight-club premiership for much of the post-war era, are part of Queensland league folklore.

In 1978, Brisbane Wests unearthed an 18-year-old rookie of the year called Paul Vautin, while the 1983 premiers Easts were coached by former Australian Test hooker John Lang.

Most league loving kids in Queensland who were born before 1980 probably followed their favorite BRL team, whether it be Valleys, Redcliffe, Brothers, Norths, Wests, Easts, Souths or Wynnum-Manly.

As players were lured to Sydney in the 1970s and 1980s, the BRL kept regenerating itself, often with juniors and players from Queensland country areas.

56

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017

It probably reached a pinnacle in 1984 when the Combined Brisbane side, led by Wally Lewis and coached by Bob McCarthy, won the National Panasonic Cup – a midweek televised competition fought against the top ARL clubs.

The player drain picked up so much pace that by 1987 just every Brisbane club had lost several players to Sydney clubs. However, in 1986 the competition was still strong enough to have Wynnum-Manly provide five players in the first Test of the 1986 Ashes series against Great Britain – captain Wally Lewis, Greg Dowling, Bob Lindner and Gene Miles for Australia plus Great Britain winger Tony Marchant.

By 1987 it was time for a new side to be formed to compete in the expanded Sydney competition.

While several old BRL clubs remain today in the Super Intrust Cup, sadly three don’t – Valleys, Brisbane Wests and Brothers.

Other roles the history committee undertakes include responding to the many inquires coming from the public on various aspects of rugby league in the state

and, recently, committee members played a role in assisting the establishment of the memorabilia display centre at the new QRL headquarters across the road from Suncorp Stadium.

Men of League correspondent and former Courier Mail writer Steve Ricketts is committee secretary with other members coming from a varied background including media, archiving and history.

The committee comprises: Kevin Brasch (chairman, Greg Shannon, John McCoy, Steve Ricketts, Paul Hayes and Greg Adermann.

Other projects the committee are involved in is an attempt to archive the history of rugby league grounds in Queensland and to interview past Queensland players or officials to build an oral history archive.

If you would like to attend Steve Haddan’s insightful addresses on the old BRL games on May 17, contact the QRL for details.

Save money and support Men of League Foundation Contact Surry Office National to arrange a business purchases audit to see how much you could save Mention this ad and $100 from each audit will be donated to the Men of League Foundation

w. surryon.com.au e. tmurphy@surryon.com.au m. 0419 991 562 p. 1300 132 299 a. 55 Denison St Camperdown 2050

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

57

GOLD COAST-TWEED BIG EVENTS

Neal Currie, Wayne Heydt, Mal Meninga and Michael Geritz at the Tweed function held at Cudgen.

M

al Meninga quickly won the hearts of the Cockroaches when he was guest speaker at the Tweed District committee’s annual dinner in Blues territory at Cudgen Leagues Club in mid-February while Ray Price didn’t care if he upset the Cane Toads with his typically frank views at Gold Coast committee’s annual ‘Legends’ dinner a week later.

Former St George grand final fullback Glenn Burgess was compere at Cudgen but his traditional style of diffusing ‘bombs’ thrown was not needed because the respected Kangaroos coach spoke on the great work done by the Foundation.

Meninga spoke candidly with Burgess in a question-and-answer arrangement for an hour with a full 58

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017

house of around 100 rugby leaguetragics clinging to his every word.

“Men of League is a great organisation within a strong rugby league fraternity,” said Maroons legend and current Test coach Meninga.

“Men of League not only looks after players and former footballers, they also do great things to assist mums and dads, volunteers, kids and anyone needing help. People in the bush who have given their all – in time, commitment and dedication – often fall on hard times and Men of League is there to help.”

More than 220 attended the Gold Coast event at Burleigh Bears Leagues Club, among them an array of over 20 league internationals including Barry Muir, John Lang, Anthony Laffranchi

Top: Ray Price. Bottom: Ian Healy.

(Australia), Tommy Bishop (Great Britain), Kurt Sorensen, Bernie Lowther (New Zealand) and dual internationals Price, Bob Honan and Geoff Richardson.

‘Pricey’ was his typically forthright on referees, the talents of Queensland’s most feted hero Wally Lewis and his Eels teammate Brett Kenny, who is claims was the better player, while Chris Close, more than 40kg lighter when many in the room last saw him, gained wild applause with his passionate recollections of State of Origin.

But the man who brought the house down was guest speaker, cricket legend Ian Healy, who regaled in tales of Shane Warne and Merv Hughes and his observations on the current game - and spoke of playing in the Queensland primary schools rep team as a halfback.

SMITH CREATES SUNSHINE COAST GUEST RECORD

BY TONY DURKIN

C

ameron Smith has helped the Sunshine Coast committee smash an attendance record that is unlikely to ever be broken.

The Storm, Queensland and Australian captain was special guest at the February Kick-Off Club at Mooloolaba Surf Club and he drew 218 members and guests through the door.

Guests from as far away as Bundaberg, Roma and Brisbane attended the function, and also heard interviews with successful former Parramatta and Wigan coach John Monie and hard-hitting former Rabbitohs prop Charlie Frith.

The previous record attendance for this function - in the 10 years the Sunshine Coast Kick-Off Club has been held - was 140 when rookie Maroons coach Kevin Walters spoke at the February event 12 months ago. Generally, around 80 to 100 attend.

“The function was an outstanding success and is a real feather in the cap of our committee,” said president Don Oxenham. “We had nothing but positive feedback from those attending, who no doubt appreciated the fact we were able to secure as our guest one of the best players in the game, and also the most respected.

“We thank Cameron for giving his valuable time and sharing with us his thoughts on the game, past and present, and the many aspects of his personal life.

“And we are also extremely grateful to Melbourne Storm management for allowing Cameron the time to join us for what was such a memorable evening.”

The Dally M Medal winner’s standing in the game is obvious through his list of achievements and it was a real coup for him to speak at a Men of League local event.

Smith holds the record for most State of Origin appearances with 39 (18 as captain), is second to Darren Lockyer (59) with the most Tests played for Australia (49, of which 26 were as captain) and is on target to become the ARL/NRL premiership appearance record holder (currently 20 behind

Cameron Smith with MC Tony Durkin.

Lockyer’s 355) and perhaps greatest points-scorer (currently 425 behind Hazem El Masri).

Melbourne Storm were on the Sunshine Coast to play a trial against the Warriors and although their mostcapped player and most-capped captain (232) did not play, he accompanied the squad on their trip north.

His busy schedule permitted a 30-minute window for his Kick Off Club appearance but in that short time Smith revealed much about himself, his club and his future.

He told the gathering that he hoped to continue playing for another three seasons, which would almost certainly take him past Lockyer’s NRL record. Cameron also revealed that another Smith – 20-year-old Brandon who recently joined Storm from the Cowboys – was being groomed as his eventual replacement.

In a light-hearted moment, the Test skipper conceded the combination of the Big Three – he, Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater – had been important to the success of the Storm over 15 seasons, but said he had assisted them in more tries than they had helped him.

He said he was confident Slater would find his best form after missing most of last season with shoulder issues. And he revealed that Cronk was the most dedicated player he had encountered.

On a personal note, Smith announced that his eightyear-old son Jasper, who he described as ‘a terrier’, would make his rugby league debut this season.

The next Sunshine Coast Kick-Off Club will be held at Mooloolaba Surf Club, from 5pm to 7pm, on Thursday 13 April.

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

59

REMEMBERING JOHN ARMSTRONG Armstrong went on to manage hotels in Sydney, South Grafton, Nambour and Bundaberg.

Following a move back to Nambour he pursued his passion for golf and became assistant green keeper at the Nambour where he worked with Arthur Beetson’s son Bradley.

E

very year the Australia Day holiday weekend coincides with the annual John Armstrong Memorial Golf Day on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast by where his former friends and teammates get together to remember the tough forward.

Armstrong was a larger than life front-rower who played 136 first grade games for Wests, Canterbury and the Roosters in Sydney from 1964-73. He also played for Wests Panthers in the Brisbane competition, winning a premiership in 1975.

TRAINING BALLS

CONTACT TRAINING SUITS

John passed away from cancer in 1998 and the following year some of his mates from the golf club and his former teammates from Wests Brisbane created an annual event, which is now in its 19th year. It includes Saturday at the pub talking about old times and watching the video of the 1972 Roosters v Manly grand final.

Saturday’s yarn-spinning is followed by a golf day on the Sunday. The winner of the event gets to wear a special jacket which is highly sort after. There is also a ‘red wine day’ at Mooloolaba Surf Club on the Monday for those that can last the distance.

If any of John Armstrong’s friends would like to attend next year’s event, please contact Peter Foreman – peterforeman7@gmail.com – for details.

HIT SHIELDS

TACKLE BAGS

MARKER DOMES

Our limit is your imagination!

STRAPPING TAPE

*We can also assist in any necessary repairs to your protective equipment*

P R O F E S S I O N A L PROTECTION 60

Free Call: 1800 640 096 • Phone: 07 3370 3800 • sales@madisonsport.com.au

MEN OFwww.madisonsport.com.au LEAGUE MARCH 2017

COMMITTEE NEWS Johns, a Brisbane committee member, was one of those to take advantage of the new corporate table offer. For information contact Reg Green on 0438 749607.

BRISBANE

BY STEVE RICKETTS, PUBLICITY OFFICER The Brisbane committee has landed a coup with Queensland coach Kevin Walters agreeing to be guest speaker at our State of Origin lunch at Norths’ Kallangur Leagues Club on Friday, 21 July, just 10 days after the third match of the State of Origin series.

Walters will be interviewed by Fox Sports league expert Ben Ikin, a former Queensland Origin star and teammate of Walters.

The Kallangur lunch promises to be one of the highlights of a busy 2017 program, which included (at the time of going to press) – a Kick-Off Club lunch at Club Pine Rivers on 16 March (guest speaker is former Test forward, Bryan Niebling); a function in conjunction with Wynnum-Manly’s past players’ get-together at Wynnum Leagues on 26 March (guest speaker is former Wynnum coach Des Morris); and our annual golf day at Keperra on April 28.

Our most recent lunch at Pine Rivers, on 11 November, was an outstanding success and special thanks must go to club executives Wayne Moffat, Steve Ratcliffe and their staff.

Once again, the Brisbane Broncos have committed to holding three lunches at their Red Hill leagues club on 12 April, 9 August and 6 December.

The 2016 Christmas function at the Broncos was an outstanding success, with Ben Ikin and media personality Steve Haddan guest speakers, the latter giving an insight into the writing of Our Game, a history of the Brisbane Rugby League competition from 1909 to 1987.

In the packed auditorium were the likes of former internationals Mick Veivers, Glenn Lazarus, John Ribot, Chris Johns and John Cleary as well as former BRL stars like Ron Raper, Bob Green, John Young, Alan Currie, Des Lea, Mick Reardon and Bob Carroll.

With secretary Vance Rennie again at the forefront, committee members have made a host of hospital and home visits, with former Queensland forward and North Queensland division chairman Ben Wall and former Brothers’ and Queensland stars Barry ‘Tubby’ Dowling and Graham Lena among those to benefit.

BUNDABERG

BY TERRY DODD, PRESIDENT Christmas and New Year are gone. I hope all survived with no problems other than a few hangovers.

Planning is well underway for our fundraising activities.

First up will be our golf day which will be on Friday 2 June at the North Bundaberg Golf Club. Big thanks must go to Craig Swift and his crew for what they do for us towards the day being such a success. Teams again will be limited so you are advised to book early to avoid disappointment. What better way to spend a Friday afternoon with friends and have a few cold ones?

The annual sportsman dinner is on again and this year will be on Friday 20 October at the Brothers Sports Club. For years now this club has been great with the assistance it gives to the Men of League. At the moment I am in talks with a quality guest speaker who is keen to come to Bundaberg, however with the World Cup coming to Australia and New Zealand and starting in late October, work commitments may prevent his visit, so fingers crossed and hope all will be fine.

As soon as I know all will be revealed.

The final event will again be our Christmas race day meeting in early December. Surely it can’t happen three years in a row that rain spoils our day. Just the same, it went ahead with our guest (thanks to Marto

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

61

Farms) Paul Langmack enjoying meeting and talking with the members. Even with no local races the day still raised much needed funds for Men of League. To all who spent much of their time helping us on the day, a special thanks.

All our Kick-Off Club dates have been finalised and are now available on the events calendar on our website.

We are still hoping more members will attend these nights as they are well received by those who attend.

Some of the yarns are great, drinks are cold and the food is fine, all for only $20 per person. Hope to see you there throughout 2017.

While on the Kick-Off Club nights, a big special thanks to the Bundaberg Rugby League under chairman Mike Ireland who allow the club house to us for the nights.

Hope to see more new faces in 2017 at our events and help Men of League support those in need of assistance.

CENTRAL COAST

BY DENNIS TOMSETT, PUBLICITY OFFICER Chrisco hampers were presented to Jim Williams and Peter Diversi to enjoy during the festive season. Both are battling through hard times due to illness.

Jim, a former Erina and Wyong player who suffered a severe stroke some years ago, is continuing to improve with his rehabilitation. He’s had excellent physical progress reports and is now working hard with his speech therapy.

Peter Diversi, a former Australian player, has been battling illness for some time. Peter is in an aged care facility, Peninsular Aged Care at Umina, and would love to see any old friends or teammates who have the time to visit him.

Originally from the Wollongong area, Peter played five Tests for Australia in 1954 and 1955, as well as being a member of the Australian team for the first World Cup in France in 1954.

He played with the North Sydney Bears from 1952 to 1955, Gundagai from 1956 to 1957, and Manly from 1958 to 1962.

Our events for this year are a bowls day on Monday 27 February, a State of Origin luncheon on Friday 25 May, a race day on Thursday 20 July and a golf day on Friday 22 September. Details of these events will be sent via email or SMS. 62

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017

FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND

BY KEV MAHER OAM, PUBLICITY OFFICER Men of League Far North Queensland recently held its AGM with John McAlister returning as president and we welcomed some new faces with Greg Ryan (vice-president), Chey Bird (secretary) and Leah Slade (treasurer) part of the executive. Peter Narducci (membership), Bruce Slade (welfare) and Kev Maher (publicity) will continue in their previous roles.

Our committee expresses its deep sympathy to Mary Lazarus and her family on the sad loss of her husband Les recently. Les was a stalwart of the Ivanhoes Club as a player and club member for many years. Bruce Slade paid a visit recently to Nev Hornery, the former Western Suburbs, Canterbury and Wynnum-Manly forward who hasn’t been very well.

A ‘back to the game’ function is planned for 20 May at the Mareeba Leagues Club. A special guest will be Stan Williams who coached Mareeba Wests in the 60s.The function will coincide with the Mareeba Gladiators v Ivanhoes home game. We are also planning a luncheon to coincide with the South Sydney v Cowboys fixture match being played in Cairns in July.

FAR SOUTH COAST

BY SHELDON WYKES, SECRETARY The Far South Coast committee held its annual golf day at the Eden Gardens Country Club on 8 January.

The event was held earlier than in previous years and as a result was the most successful yet. The day was a mixed four ball Ambrose event and had a record field of 108 starters along with many guests who made the long journey down the coast to attend our major fundraiser for the year.

In attendance were local legend and Canterbury Bulldogs grand final hero of the 80s, Peter Kelly, Parramatta team of the century member Neville Glover (who did a marvellous job as our auctioneer) and his band of merry men, Men of League and former Eden Tiger Stuart Raper with good friend Peter ‘Snouter’ Hartnett who all made a wonderful contribution to a fantastic event. The winner of the prestigious Steve Kennedy Award went to local sporting legend Mark Spink who nearly killed one of the volunteers who was serving food on the course, with a golf ball after one of his massive drives; it was just one of the many funny moments that happened out on the course.

There were many prizes on offer for the day with many women and men taking home a variety of awards due to the generosity of our major sponsor Con Zurcas and his organisation the Eden Motor Group.

Con has been the sponsor since the golf day’s inception in 2013 and the committee is very grateful for his continued support.

In appreciation for their continued support of our golf day, a plaque was presented to a representative from the Eden Fisherman’s Recreation Club, Scott McLean, due to unavailability of their general manager John Hurst.

President Colin Clarke and his committee would like to thank everybody who attended the event and their great support for both the raffles and auctions and look forward to the continued support into the future.

GOLD COAST

BY GREG SYLVESTER, WELFARE OFFICER The Gold Coast committee has had a very busy time over the past few months. In December, we held a combined bowls day and Christmas get together at the Gold Coast Bowls and Community Club in Broadbeach Waters. Congratulations to the winners, and to all the competitors, volunteers and especially our president Ian Amos for making this day a great success.

Following the bowls, many stayed for a Christmas get together. Thank you to the following internationals for attending: John Lang, Geoff Richardson, Dennis Ward, Bob Honan, Tom Bishop, Paul Charlton, Graeme Farrar, Bob Irvine and former Queensland representative John White.

The next event will be our bowls day with the date and time to be advised at our next meeting.

In December, our welfare officers were kept busy delivering Christmas hampers, and it was pleasing to receive thanks and letters of appreciation from all the recipients.

FRASER COAST

We have made many welfare visits over the past months, and it is great to report that Bobby Dimond is home again after a period in hospital suffering from dehydration, and that Graeme Farrar and John White are once again in good spirits. Speaking of John, we would like to thank him for his generous donation to the Foundation.

BY JEFF BACCHI, SECRETARY The rugby league stories flowed thick and fast in the clubhouse at the conclusion of play at the Maryborough annual Men of League golf day held on Sunday 11 December.

A field of 124 players participated in the day, enjoying the good weather and a great golf course. As is always the way with golf there were some good scores and a few not so good but it was a chance to catch up with old friends and enjoy a day out and raise some muchneeded funds for a worthy cause.

Winners were the team of A. Grevell, P. Griffin, J. Kahler, and S. Hubert with a low nett score of 50.75.

Major prizes went down to fourth place and the ball rundown to tenth place. Long drives for ladies and men and nearest to the pins prizes completed the presentation. There were some great shots played on the day.

Yet again the support from the community in sponsoring the day and providing the prizes for the golf and raffles was outstanding and gets better every year.

A special mention to all those who helped on the day selling raffle tickets, running the barbeque, manning the drinks stations around the course, and the staff of the golf club for their assistance

I would like to acknowledge the unusual exploits of Gold Coast member and Forbes 1987 premiership winning hooker Brian Hodge. At the commencement of the 2013 season he plucked an Easts ball from a football vending machine, they went on to win the competition, in 2014 it was a Souths ball they won, in 2015 it was a Cowboys ball and they became premiers. In 2016 he scored a Cronulla ball, low and behold they were the premiers. We are anxiously awaiting to see who he comes up with this season.

GYMPIE

BY GREG POUNTNEY, SECRETARY Our final Kick-Off Club for 2016 was a rugby league quiz night held at the Great Eastern Motor Inn. We had our biggest attendance for the year and it was great to see a number of new faces. Broncos development officer Darren Burns demonstrated how closely he follows what’s happening in the rugby league world by taking his team to an early lead but they couldn’t maintain the pace and with a strong finish

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

63

Ashley Pearce, Ross Groundwater and Darren Webster won. I was grateful to Bruce Thompson from Southern Sydney who provided me with questions relating to State of Origin, the Kangaroos and rules of the game.

On the welfare front, we visited John Blaik who suffered a stroke and is now in the Gympie Nursing Home. John has some way to go on the road to recovery but we intend to continue visiting and hope to set him up with a supply of ‘talking books’ to help him stay occupied. Thanks to the generosity of Chrisco we were also able to deliver a hamper to one of our members who was very appreciative of the gift.

We’ve found delivering a copy of the magazine to doctors, x ray clinics and pathology collection centres has helped increase the awareness of Men of League and its role as well as help to boost membership.

If you are online and not receiving emails about upcoming events please contact me at – Gympie@menofleague.com to update your details.

for the seven local clubs. Dapto – former Dragons player Michael Henderson; Wests – ex-Storm and Sharks player Brett Kimmorley; Helensburgh – local Ryan Powell; Collies – ex-Warrior and Dragons player Nathan Fein; Thirroul – former junior Jarrod Costello; Berkeley – Aaron McDonald, who has coaching experience with Parramatta; and Corrimal – former Country Player of the Year Jimmy Grehan. The local under-23 rep side will be coached by Wade Forrester.

Chris also advises that together with teams from Queanbeyan, Picton and Kingsgrove, the local seven sides will compete in a pre-season VB Challenge Cup which starts March 4. The two finalists will compete in the NSW Challenge Cup and the two finalists from that will play off at Mudgee with the city-country competition.

Local members will be contacted to advise of the various functions during 2017. I’m hoping all of you had a very good Christmas and wishing all Men of League members a very happy 2017.

MACKAY

BY PAUL HUDSON, PRESIDENT Men of League’s Mackay committee scheduled a fundraising game between the Mackay Men of League All Stars and the Queensland Intrust Super Cup team, the QCCS Mackay Cutters, at the BB Print Mackay Stadium on Saturday 4 February.

The winning team. Darren Webster, Ashley Pearce and Ross Groundwater.

ILLAWARRA

BY BARRY HARLE, PUBLICITY OFFICER The final event for 2016 for Illawarra was our annual Christmas Kick-Off Club held at Collies Wollongong on 6 December. It was a very well attended event, with over 190 members and friends enjoying the occasion.

Our MC Andrew Farrar introduced a great round-up of guests – Australian Hall of Fame member Harry Wells, local identity and coach of the Dragons Paul McGregor, new Dragons prop (ex-Raiders) Paul Vaughan, and ex-Steelers, St George, Newtown and Roosters player Shane ‘Fox’ McKellar. Their wonderful stories and insight were very appreciated by the crowd.

General manager of Illawarra Division, Chris Bannerman, has advised the following coaching details 64

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017

This game acted as a trial for the Mackay Cutters as they prepare for the Intrust Super Cup season. The event also featured the Cutters’ under-18 and under-20s playing trial games against the Townsville Blackhawks.

The Men of League All Stars team was made up of a selection of the best players nominated from all the Mackay District Rugby League premiership teams and included former NRL player Joel Clinton.

The game was heavily promoted via radio and news bulletins. This is the second year of this fixture, with the inaugural game finishing with the Men of League All Stars defeating the Mackay Cutters.

This season the Mackay Cutters took out revenge and ran out comfortable winners 42-6. However, the result of the game was not important as 100 per cent of the gate takings were donated to the Men of League.

The event was also used to promote memberships of the Foundation and emphasise the great work that we provide to the rugby league community, which often goes unnoticed.

Through sponsorship, the Men of League All Stars team were fitted out with fantastic jerseys in the Foundation’s colours. The players were also supplied with training apparel and polo shirts to commemorate the event. After the game the All Stars jerseys were sold via a silent auction, which also raised valuable funds for the Men of League. The cost to use the BB Print Mackay Stadium was also donated by the CASS board.

The Mackay community came out in droves to support this fantastic event, with the Mackay Cutters confirming the attendance figures were greater than any ISC home game last season.

With such great support, we expect this game to be a regular fixture for years to come.

MELBOURNE

BY PETER FOREMAN, PRESIDENT Our 2017 fundraising activities kicked off with the annual golf day held at the Keysborough Golf Club on 9 February.

The event was again well attended by more than 60 players. We are pleased to report that we were able to generate funds of over $6000 thanks to all that attended which included former Storm players Robbie Kearns, Peter Robinson, Dallas Johnson and Danny Williams. We also had teams from the VRL and NRL. At the time of writing we were still finalising dates for other events for the year and once confirmed we will post them on the events calendar.

Our Men of League round at AMMI Park will almost certainly be against Manly in late July.

As I have mentioned in previous reports, we are operating in the middle of AFL territory and as such we are highly dependent on the generosity of the Melbourne Storm and we thank them for their continued support.

The other major stakeholder is the Aces Sporting Club who have been with us since our inception; their ongoing support essentially allows us to do what we do, we are extremely grateful.

Finally, I would like to acknowledge our patron John Ribot whose support for our team goes somewhat unnoticed, however the wisdom, guidance and generosity that he and his wife Renee provide are immeasurable.

MID NORTH COAST

BY MARSHALL LOADSMAN, MEDIA LIAISON AND PUBLICITY OFFICER It was a busy end of year for us here on the Mid North Coast with a full house at a function for a local Wauchope family and an involvement with the Group 3 Hall of Fame induction at Wingham Services Club in November. Inductees were Port Macquarie’s Pat Cudmore, Gloucester’s Kevin Everett and Tony Hinton from Taree Old Bar Lifesavers.

The start of 2017 has also been busy with a dedicated race day on 18 February at the recently established Tuncurry Racecourse, courtesy of the Tuncurry-Forster Jockey Club. Garry McQuillan, himself a Group 3 Hall of Famer who is president of the progressive Jockey Club.

The day turned into a huge success for the race club and Men of League. Raffles prizes associated with the day were drawn at Tuncurry Beach Bowling Club that evening.

The following Friday we held our annual golf day at Forster Golf Club with participants at maximum capacity.

The following luncheon was also well attended.

Nursing home visits continue with some members of our committee being the recipients of such visits particularly from our president Brian ‘Blakey’ Atherton.

NEWCASTLE

BY PETER CORCORAN OAM, SECRETARY Another highlight achieved. Men of League Newcastle Hunter staged a very successful night at the Newcastle Paceway on Saturday 4 February. Ten races were fully sponsored by local corporate groups with the Newcastle Wests Group adding their name to the feature race of the night – the Ross Gigg Memorial. Many members would remember Ross personally, when he was the very energetic secretary of our committee. Ross died suddenly of a heart attack in 2015.

Other sponsors were the Central, Souths and Cessnock leagues clubs, Club Macquarie, Nelson Bay Bowling Club, the Kelly Trotter Motor Group and P & M Shelving – the company run by Mick Alchin, a long-time committee member at Newcastle and a celebrated Wests (Newcastle) player of the 1970s.

Three busloads of patrons travelled from Nelson Bay Bowling Club for a wonderful night out at the paceway.

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

65

Sponsors and their guests, numbering over a hundred, enjoyed a great night of racing together with a tremendous lightning display amidst a downpour that held up the meeting for over an hour.

Coffs Hotel, Park Beach Bowling Club and Molly’s Cradle Wines who kindly loaned us Paul ‘Nobby’ Clark.

Again our adopted host Neil Pringle ensured the day ran smoothly and asked the speakers all the questions those attending wanted to hear. Neil’s interview with former jockey Robert Thompson had the 160 guests listening intently, especially when Rob turned the tables, taking the microphone off Neil, who he has known for 30 years, and asking him some tricky questions.

Neil also had his hands full with the knowledgeable Paul Dunn, former Bulldog and Clive Churchill Medallist, and former Wests and Canterbury player Joe Thomas, who both could run the NRL with their experience and had the crowd applauding with agreeance. Blasts from the past included former Balmain boys Bruce Sinclair and Ron Ryan, who did a great job with the bash up on Nobby Clark who had no answers.

The golf day at Bonville grew with 10 teams thanks to Nobby and I can see it doubling this year. They were a great couple of days - golf, breakfast and races, what a way to end the year. So mark down the first week in December 2017 in your diary. Welfare visits increased last year which is satisfying for our committee but we still need to get the word out. So contact us when you hear someone is struggling.

Top: Directors and friends of major sponsors, Newcastle Wests Group.

Bottom: Leigh Maughan, Carol Leo, Sue Doran, Steve Doran and Garry Leo.

NORTH COAST

BY PETER BARRETT, PRESIDENT We are looking forward to 2017 hoping to increase our memberships from Grafton to Macksville. Another aim is to set up a sub-committee in Bellingen and Grafton to be more active in those areas with welfare visits and functions.

Our breakfast and race day on 9 December was an outstanding success thanks to Coffs Harbour Hotel publicans Donna and Marty Phillips, and all of their staff.

After seven years at Coffs Harbour Race Club we had to find a new venue because of the postponed Coffs Cup taking over our day.

However, we turned it all around thanks to our sponsors The Edge Real Estate (major sponsor) Watsons Caravans, Coffs Harbour Hardwoods, Geoff King Motors, Coffs Office Choice, Scone Motor Inn, John Corfe Concerting, Davis Security Storage, 66

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017

Breakfast and race day major sponsors, The Edge Real Estate Coffs Harbour.

NORTH WEST

TAMWORTH SUB-COMMITTEE BY KEVIN ROBINSON It is a case of ‘out with the old and in with the new’ as we look back on what we achieved in 2016.

I think the Tamworth sub-committee can say (as Jack Gibson would) ‘we done good’. Achievements this year include a seafood dinner in February with 77 guests in attendance and a carvery dinner in October with 98 being entertained by well-known bush poet Murray Hartin. To pay for the cost of the entertainment the guys on our committee volunteered many hours selling raffle tickets at the local Woollies Shopping World.

Our welfare guys did a great job in keeping track of welfare recipients that we had visited in the past. Later in the year we were informed of two guys who were in Nazareth House Nursing Home – Owen Jerry, an avid Parramatta supporter, and Vic Duncan, former Group 4 referee, so we approached Neville Glover to see if he could send some Parramatta items to give to the guys.

However, he did more than that – he drove up to Tamworth, sat in on our last coffee club meeting for the year, visited the guys at the nursing home, got in his car and drove home… and wouldn’t accept any reimbursement. If that’s what the Men of League Foundation is all about, then give me more of the same.

At Christmas, our welfare guys delivered four Chrisco hampers to some needy families, and as we had one hamper left over we presented it to Inala House which provides accommodation for out of town cancer sufferers who come to Tamworth for treatment.

2017 sets up to be our busiest fund raising year yet.

Belrose Bowling Club is hosting our bowls day on 18 March with the combination of a serious bowls competition and a fun bare foot bowls roll up. Berowra Rugby League Club is backing up with a Kick-Off Club at their club house after such a terrific night last year (date to be confirmed). This year’s golf day will be held at Warringah Golf Club on 26 May. On 1 September comes the event we have to limit the tickets to because it has become so popular – the annual knuckles and cheeks sports lunch, so get in early for this one.

To cap off the year, it’s our family Christmas Kick-Off Club on 1 December.

Phew, sounds like another busy year but I can’t wait to see all the familiar faces as well as a lot of new fresh faces.

So folks, that was 2016, we look forward to doing it all again in 2017 in the name of the Men of League.

RIVERINA

GUNNEDAH SUB-COMMITTEE

BY JOHN CAMPBELL

BY DAVE MULROONEY, RETIRING PRESIDENT

Between our five local sub-committees we had a very successful year on the fundraising front. Various events were held by different sub committees, with seafood and carvery nights, bowls and golf days and events at home games, approximately $28,000 being raised.

Congratulations to all those sub-committees on a splendid effort. We will have to try to match it this year.

This has helped us with benefitting players, past players, referees and relatives in their moments of need. Home and hospital visits have also been made.

Men of League Riverina has been run by basically the same executive and committee since a steering committee was formed in 2008.

Due to work commitments, health issues and personal reasons the members of the executive have decided to step down.

At the recent annual meeting a new president and treasurer were appointed. We are still looking for a secretary.

The first fundraiser for 2017 is a golf day at Gunnedah on Sunday 23 April. A good roll-up is expected.

The new president is Kel Tilden who, in his previous life, worked at the Commonwealth Bank for 20 years before moving into the hotel industry for 25 years.

NORTHERN SYDNEY

This included stints in the Southern Highlands, Crookwell and Yass. Kel played rugby league for Wagga Magpies, Turvey Park and Albury Blues.

We are back from a long break over Christmas and new year and gearing up for huge upcoming Men of League year.

Our new treasurer, Dave Cook, is a police officer and uncle of Martin Cook who is well known in Men of League circles and the current Western Region president.

BY TREVOR BAILEY, PRESIDENT

But first I have to report that our annual Christmas Kick-Off Club held at North Narrabeen Surf Club was a massive success, with about 150 people attending.

This event seems to be getting bigger and better every year.

As retiring president, I will remain on the committee.

I would like to pay special tribute to the other retiring executive members, Ian Lloyd and Tom Looney, for their hard work and devotion to the Men of League.I must also sincerely thank our small but ever reliable committee members.

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

67

SOUTHERN SYDNEY

TOWNSVILLE

Our 2016, in which we had several of successful functions, concluded with a Kick-Off Club function where our special guest was able to cross the boundaries of cricket and rugby league as we drifted from one season to another.

This year is still young and already our keen committee has had planning meetings. The first Kick-Off Club will be held on Friday 7 April at the Mercure Townsville where the Wests Tigers will be staying and will also provide a guest speaker.

Stuart Clark, chief operating officer of the NSW Rugby League and former member of the Australian cricket team, addressed those present, answering questions about both sports in an informative and friendly manner.

The North Queensland Cowboys have allocated the home game against Tigers the next day as their Men of League game while the Townsville Blackhawks have allocated 15 July when they play Northern Pride. We will have a stall for public awareness and membership sign on at both events as well as an opportunity for fundraising. Our second Kick-Off Club will be held at Brothers on Saturday 15 July preceding the Blackhawks v Pride game which starts at 6pm.

BY BRUCE THOMPSON, SECRETARY

So to 2017. We have some great events coming up so keep your eyes and ears open and encourage as many as possible to attend. There are to be functions at Sharks Leagues and St George Leagues to honour the first Sharks team and the 1977 Dragons team that won the premiership, as well as our ‘how well do you know rugby league’ trivia night. More info to follow.

Lastly, we are pleased to announce that John Harris has joined the committee to look after our welfare activities.

John played footy with Renown United and represented St George in the junior rep sides. He is well known in the shire and is a welcomed addition to our team.

TOOWOOMBA

BY ANDREW O’BRIEN, PRESIDENT The Toowoomba Golf Club was at capacity for our annual golf and luncheon day. The region president was delighted with the turn out and thanked sponsors, our guest speaker Mark Hohn and organisers. “Our Foundation is firmly on the map in the region and today was an example,” O’Brien said.

Councillor Geoff MacDonald did a wonderful job as MC while former NRL player Ben Walker was the major sponsor with his ithink Property Group.

BY BARRY BUCHANAN, PUBLICITY OFFICER

A meeting with Cowboys Leagues Club general manager Clint Williams has resulted in our committee being given the go ahead to conduct raffles when Cowboys play away games on Saturdays. Support on these days whether as a ticket seller or buyer, would be appreciated. The dates are 15 April, 17 June and 1 July.

On 4 January, we sadly farewelled another rugby league character, Terence ‘Gibbo’ Gibson. Gibbo always had a thing about not calling touch judge’s linesmen but, as well as officiating at many games as a referee or touch judge, he was a linesman with NORQEB. One of the great Curly Bells punters, Freddy the Frog Foster, once presented Gibbo with a Terry Gibson Rulebook which consisted of only blank pages. No wonder we love the game. Keep on caring for our rugby league community.

TUGGERAH

BY GREG TUNN, PUBLICITY OFFICER Welcome to 2017; it promises to be very busy for the Tuggerah Lakes members. We have already held our first function which was a Kick-Off Club at Wyong’s Grand Hotel.

Ken Glover, Emma Robin, Alan Robin and Monty Clelland.

68

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017

Over 60 people attended and heard president Denis Smith outline our plans and functions for the year.

Thanks to Rob Wilmont, the generous owner, who hosted the evening. Our next event is a golf day on 7 April at Canton Beach Sports Club.

Prior to Christmas our welfare team, led by Paul Dixon, delivered Christmas hampers to several needy families, these were greatly appreciated. A recent addition to our committee has been Matt Smith who brings a lot of business expertise and technical skills.

Thanks Matt – we look forward to having you involved.

Finally, congratulations to our secretary Terry Wand who was recently awarded an OAM for his services to rugby league. Terry has made a life time commitment to rugby league and this recognition is thoroughly deserved.

President John Strong (left) met with Bernie Lowther, Paul ‘Dolly’ McLean, Leigh O'Brien and Larry Corowa to celebrate the 2017 New Year at Greenmount Surf Club.

WESTERN SYDNEY

BY GARRY O’DONNELL, SECRETARY

Terry Wand, with his family, celebrating his OAM award on Australia Day

Our year finished on a great note, ensuring fundraising in 2016 was our most successful yet. We finished up with our Christmas party at the Coolibah Hotel. It was a great day, even though it wasn’t a major fundraiser, yet we made just under $5000.

Thanks to John Peard’s kind donation of memorabilia, a couple of guests made sure we got a good price by digging deep into their pockets.

TWEED DISTRICT

BY GRAHAM CALLAGHAN, PUBLICITY OFFICER Queensland’s most successful coach Mal Meninga stepped into enemy territory before Origin 1 to help Men of League Tweed District. Meninga, the Kangaroos’ coach, was guest speaker at Tweed District’s 12th annual luncheon at Cudgen RLFC at Kingscliff.

Kirra Beach Hotel publican Greg Hodge, a wonderful supporter of rugby league, presented the committee with $10,000 which was raised during the year from Men of League raffles at the pub. Thanks ‘Hodgy’ for your support.

We would like to also thank Gary Cameron, mine host of the Coolibah, who has kindly invited us to join two local sporting clubs who receive a donation from the pub patrons via a raffle each week. Since last July Men of League has received $3500 which is much appreciated by our committee and the Foundation.

On a sad note, we lost our friend and brother Chad Robinson just before Christmas.

Chad was a great supporter of Men of League Western Sydney and turned up at our last golf day in May unannounced and said “I am your celebrity golfer for the day”. He pulled out three boxes of balls, went to the 17th hole and he welcomed every group that went through and said just “follow me” and then hit the ball 300m down the middle of the fairway. He was a rare talent.

He then asked if he could make a speech at the presentation luncheon. It was the best Men of League speech I have heard regarding what the Foundation did for him when he was going through a tough time.

Kirra Beach Hotel publican Greg Hodge hands out $10,000 raised during the year at Men of League raffles to Tweed committee’s John Strong (left) and Paul Remington.

Former greats of the Parramatta Eels and Sydney Roosters joined the large group of family and friends at his old school, Parramatta Marist in a fine send off for a champion young man. RIP Chad.

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

69

GOLD AND CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP If you and your business colleagues are passionate rugby league fans and feel strongly about helping the community, then joining the Men of League Foundation as a Gold or Corporate Member is the perfect way to show your support.

Your Gold Membership package costs $150 per annum and includes:

Your Corporate Membership package costs $1,000 per annum and includes:

• A Gold Membership plaque

• Five individual memberships

• A Gold Membership keyring

• A Corporate Membership keyring and plaque

• Recognition on our website Current member renewals due 1 March

70

join MEN OF To LEAGUE MARCHvisit 2017

• 10 copies of the Men of League Magazine • Recognition on the Men of League website and in the December magazine

menofleague.com or complete the following form

CARING FOR THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY

71

72

MEN OF LEAGUE MARCH 2017