DIEHARD
02-01-08, 01:40 AM
TIME TO RECOGNISE QUEENSLAND AND BRISBANE
by Matthew O'Neill
Rugby League in Queensland and Brisbane has a very special place in our great game, yet the ignorance and arrogance in our game would suggest that neither existed prior to 1980 and 1988 respectively.
This year see's the game in Australia celebrate 100 years and it's been the unqiue cultures and traditions of two outstanding states in Australia that has made Rugby League the special sport it is on and off the field. The traditions of New South Wales is going to be extremely well documented and in fact is treated as the only lifeblood of the game.
What would surprise many people is that the first Interstate match between New South Wales and Queensland was in fact in 1908 - 100 years ago. To some Interstate battles only begun in 1980 when Arthur Beetson who was struggling that season with Parramatta led Queensland in a famous victory. State of Origin was the beginning of a new and exciting era in Rugby League, but it wasn't the beginning of Queensland Rugby League. For the record, NSW won all three interstate clashes 43-0, 37-8 and 12-3 after Queensland previously took on the New Zealand All Golds and a Maori representative side in one-off matches. A few publications - notably the A-Z Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players publication have done a good job recording appearances by players in non-Origin interstate matches.
The ignorance of many people goes further when they believe club football in Brisbane only existed following the emergence of the Brisbane Broncos in 1988. The legistation of poker machines into NSW clubs during the 1950's gave Sydney clubs a massive leg-up and the strong competitions outside of Sydney began to struggle. The Brisbane premiership began its struggle into the 1970's and the resgurance of Queensland during the State of Origin era allowed the Brisbane premiership to still compete in the 1980's until the Broncos formation.
Record books will show that Rugby League Immortal Wally Lewis made his State of Origin debut in 1980, his Test debut in 1981, captain of Australia from 1984 to 1989 including the 1986 Kangaroo Tour and yet made his first grade debut in 1988 when Lewis in fact made his top grade debut ten years earlier and his state debut was in 1979.
The Brisbane Premiership has largely been quite arrogantly ignored by historians and the record books, when from 1909 to 1987 it was regarded as a first class competition. The final year of the Brisbane Premiership saw Lewis, Gene Miles, Greg Dowling and Bryan Neibling play for Australia and the Queensland side to feature names such as Greg Conescu (who played again for Australia in 1988) and an emerging Allan Langer.
Brisbane's entry into Sydney was always inevitable as Sydney was the stronger competition financially and Sydney is a far bigger city than Brisbane - particularly during the 1980's. Rather than the competition be referred to as the National competition, it's still been a defacto Sydney competition and areas like Brisbane, North Queensland and Gold Coast referred to as expansion when they have in fact been a part of the Rugby League landscape since 1908.
Even when the rich Sydney clubs on the back of poker machines was buying the best talents in Brisbane with some notable exceptions, the Brisbane premiership was still a first class competition in its own right with the Australian Test captain not playing a single club game in Sydney from 1984-87 and the strength of coaches included Wayne Bennett, Des Morris, John Lang, Bob McCarthy, Beetson and passionate New South Welshman Tom Raudonikis. Former Australian coach Frank Stanton even had a year coaching in Brisbane. Bennett only recently rated his premiership success with Brisbane Souths in 1985 as his career coaching highlight.
Wynnum fans and died in the wool BRL supporters to this day firmly believe that the Wynnum side of 1984 would have defeated the great Canterbury and Parramatta sides of the 1980's. The arguement is very debatable, but the Wynnum side did contain the likes of Lewis, Miles, Dowling, Colin Scott and the French brothers - Ian and Brett to name a few. Put it this way, the likes of Wynnum, Souths and Redcliffe of the mid-1980's would have competed well against the Sydney clubs and put the cleaners through the lesser sides. This all without the benefit of poker machines boosting up the coffers.
Brisbane's plunge into Sydney was always going to happen once the VFL transplanted a team to Sydney in 1982 and added teams from Perth and Brisbane. It was always going to take Adelaide longer to join the Victorian dominated competition, but when they did it all became the AFL. The VFL turned into the AFL, but the AFL has not forgotten about the traditions of the WAFL and SAFL before that. Whereas the ARL/NRL has largely ignored the BRL and in fact any Rugby League outside of Sydney unless it was State of Origin or when that area joined the Sydney premiership.
The game in Brisbane on the local scene declined rapidly after the Broncos entry into what should have been immediately called National competition in 1988. It took years for the Brisbane game to recover and only the advent of the Queensland Cup - an expansion of the Winfield State League saw local Rugby League throughout Brisbane and Queensland re-emerge. The Queensland Cup began as a fully fledged competition in 1998 and has since become the 2nd strongest competition in Australia after the NRL. Whilst Valleys, Brothers and Wests have been lost, the traditions of Easts, Norths, Souths (merged with Logan), Wynnum, Redcliffe and Ipswich preserved along with the expansion of many out of Brisbane areas, which in 2008 will include Cairns, Mackay, Rockhampton, Burleigh and defending premiers Tweed Heads.
For the record, Valleys won the most titles with 22 and Norths next best with 11 including six in a row from 1959-64 and two titles soon after that. Meninga won premierships with Souths in 1981 and 1985 and Lewis won premierships with Valleys in 1979 and two with Wynnum in 1984 and 1986. Lewis was in fact captain-coach of the Wynnum side in 1986. I'm proud to have all the Brisbane Grand Finals since 1969 amongst my collection of games, with the exception of 1977, 1985 and the final first class BRL grand final in 1987 along with other assorted Brisbane based matches.
The Sydney premiership will always be the more dominant and stronger competition, but with the Centenary of Rugby League in Australia approaching the proud history of the Brisbane premiership and Interstate clashes should be put into the record books. Even if it's a side addition, but both such fixtures - BRL 1909-97 and Interstate 1908-81 have a special place in our game and were both in their times regarded as first class Rugby League matches.
There are many in Sydney who would just like the state of Queensland to be washed away in sea, but at the same time reap the benefits of the Broncos, Cowboys, Titans and of course State of Origin, but the authorities can't have just the cream without the base. We have to give the base and fabric of our game the respect and honour it deserves.
It's time to add Meninga's 131 first grade appearances for Souths alongside those of his 166 for Canberra - taking him to 297 appearances and Lewis played 15 years of first grade football for Valleys, Wynnum, Brisbane Broncos and Gold Coast - not just 80 games in the last five years of his career.
To any doubters - where did the Australian Test captain play his club football from 1984 to 1987, which included the record breaking achievements of the 1986 Kangaroos?
BRISBANE PREMIERS 1909-87
YEAR - PREMIERS - SCORE - RUNNERS UP
1909 Fortitude Valley Diehards 22 - 4 South Brisbane
1910 Ipswich 17 - 2 Toombul
1911 Valley-Toombul 13 - 2 Ipswich
1912 Natives 10 - 0 South Brisbane
1913 West End 5 - 3 Natives
1914 Fortitude Valley Diehards 18 - 8 West End
1915 Fortitude Valley Diehards 10 - 9 Wests Panthers
1916 Wests Panthers 4 - 2 Fortitude Valley Diehards
1917 Fortitude Valley Diehards 13 - 5 Merthyrs
1918 Fortitude Valley Diehards 16 - 12 Merthyrs
1919 Fortitude Valley Diehards 28 - 2 Cooparoo
1920 Wests Panthers 16 - 8 Christian Brothers
1921 Carltons 12 - 10 Cooparoo
1922 Wests Panthers 20 - 9 Coorparoo
1923 Coorparoo 13 - 2 Fortitude Valley Diehards
1924 Fortitude Valley Diehards 11 - 8 Christian Brothers
1925 Carltons 24 - 5 Cooparoo
1926 Past Brothers 6 - 5 Cooparoo
1927 Past Grammars 13 - 11 Wests Panthers
1928 University 10 - 7 Carltons
1929 University 12 - 11 Cooparoo
1930 Carltons 19 - 8 Fortitude Valley Diehards
1931 Fortitude Valley Diehards 27 - 9 Past Grammars
1932 Wests Panthers 8 - 7 Past Grammars
1933 Fortitude Valley Diehards 9 - 3 Wests Panthers
1934 Norths Devils 7 - 4 Wests Panthers
1935 Past Brothers 11 - 9 Fortitude Valley Diehards
1936 Wests Panthers 13 - 12 Fortitude Valley Diehards
1937 Fortitude Valley Diehards 9 - 7 Wests Panthers
1938 Norths Devils 16 - 10 Fortitude Valley Diehards
1939 Past Brothers 11 - 9 Norths Devils
1940 Norths Devils 17 - 11 Past Brothers
1941 Fortitude Valley Diehards 13 - 7 Norths Devils
1942 Past Brothers 20 - 11 Souths Magpies
1943 Past Brothers 13 - 7 Fortitude Valley Diehards
1944 Fortitude Valley Diehards 16 - 12 Norths Devils
1945 Souths Magpies 21 - 11 Norths Devils
1946 Fortitude Valley Diehards 5 - 2 Easts Tigers
1947 Easts Tigers 15 - 2 Souths Magpies
1948 Wests Panthers 14 - 8 Easts Tigers
1949 Souths Magpies 22 - 8 Easts Tigers
1950 Easts Tigers 14 - 10 Wests Panthers
1951 Souths Magpies 20 - 10 Easts Tigers
1952 Wests Panthers 15 - 14 Past Brothers
1953 Souths Magpies 21 - 4 Easts Tigers
1954 Wests Panthers 35 - 18 Past Brothers
1955 Fortitude Valley Diehards 17 - 7 Past Brothers
1956 Past Brothers 17 - 10 Wests Panthers
1957 Fortitude Valley Diehards 18 - 17 Past Brothers
1958 Past Brothers 22 - 7 Fortitude Valley Diehards
1959 Norths Devils 24 - 18 Past Brothers
1960 Norths Devils 18 - 5 Fortitude Valley Diehards
1961 Norths Devils 29 - 5 Fortitude Valley Diehards
1962 Norths Devils 22 - 0 Fortitude Valley Diehards
1963 Norths Devils 18 - 8 Wests Panthers
1964 Norths Devils 13 - 4 Past Brothers
1965 Redcliffe Dolphins 15 - 2 Fortitude Valley Diehards
1966 Norths Devils 9 - 6 Past Brothers
1967 Past Brothers 6 - 2 Norths Devils
1968 Past Brothers 21 - 4 Easts Tigers
1969 Norths Devils 14 - 2 Fortitude Valley Diehards
1970 Fortitude Valley Diehards 13 - 11 Norths Devils
1971 Fortitude Valley Diehards 18 - 10 Easts Tigers
1972 Easts Tigers 16 - 15 Fortitude Valley Diehards
1973 Fortitude Valley Diehards 15 - 7 Redcliffe Dolphins
1974 Fortitude Valley Diehards 9 - 2 Past Brothers
1975 Wests Panthers 26 - 24 Redcliffe Dolphins
1976 Wests Panthers 16 - 1 Easts Tigers
1977 Easts Tigers 17 - 13 Redcliffe Dolphins
1978 Easts Tigers 14 - 10 Fortitude Valley Diehards
1979 Fortitude Valley Diehards 26 - 0 Souths Magpies
1980 Norths Devils 17 - 15 Souths Magpies
1981 Souths Magpies 13 - 9 Redcliffe Dolphins
1982 Wynnum-Manly Seagulls 17 - 3 Souths Magpies
1983 Easts Tigers 14 - 6 Redcliffe Dolphins
1984 Wynnum-Manly Seagulls 42 - 8 Souths Magpies
1985 Souths Magpies 10 - 8 Wynnum-Manly Seagulls
1986 Wynnum-Manly Seagulls 14 - 6 Past Brothers
1987 Past Brothers 26 - 8 Redcliffe Dolphins
http://www.rleague.com
by Matthew O'Neill
Rugby League in Queensland and Brisbane has a very special place in our great game, yet the ignorance and arrogance in our game would suggest that neither existed prior to 1980 and 1988 respectively.
This year see's the game in Australia celebrate 100 years and it's been the unqiue cultures and traditions of two outstanding states in Australia that has made Rugby League the special sport it is on and off the field. The traditions of New South Wales is going to be extremely well documented and in fact is treated as the only lifeblood of the game.
What would surprise many people is that the first Interstate match between New South Wales and Queensland was in fact in 1908 - 100 years ago. To some Interstate battles only begun in 1980 when Arthur Beetson who was struggling that season with Parramatta led Queensland in a famous victory. State of Origin was the beginning of a new and exciting era in Rugby League, but it wasn't the beginning of Queensland Rugby League. For the record, NSW won all three interstate clashes 43-0, 37-8 and 12-3 after Queensland previously took on the New Zealand All Golds and a Maori representative side in one-off matches. A few publications - notably the A-Z Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players publication have done a good job recording appearances by players in non-Origin interstate matches.
The ignorance of many people goes further when they believe club football in Brisbane only existed following the emergence of the Brisbane Broncos in 1988. The legistation of poker machines into NSW clubs during the 1950's gave Sydney clubs a massive leg-up and the strong competitions outside of Sydney began to struggle. The Brisbane premiership began its struggle into the 1970's and the resgurance of Queensland during the State of Origin era allowed the Brisbane premiership to still compete in the 1980's until the Broncos formation.
Record books will show that Rugby League Immortal Wally Lewis made his State of Origin debut in 1980, his Test debut in 1981, captain of Australia from 1984 to 1989 including the 1986 Kangaroo Tour and yet made his first grade debut in 1988 when Lewis in fact made his top grade debut ten years earlier and his state debut was in 1979.
The Brisbane Premiership has largely been quite arrogantly ignored by historians and the record books, when from 1909 to 1987 it was regarded as a first class competition. The final year of the Brisbane Premiership saw Lewis, Gene Miles, Greg Dowling and Bryan Neibling play for Australia and the Queensland side to feature names such as Greg Conescu (who played again for Australia in 1988) and an emerging Allan Langer.
Brisbane's entry into Sydney was always inevitable as Sydney was the stronger competition financially and Sydney is a far bigger city than Brisbane - particularly during the 1980's. Rather than the competition be referred to as the National competition, it's still been a defacto Sydney competition and areas like Brisbane, North Queensland and Gold Coast referred to as expansion when they have in fact been a part of the Rugby League landscape since 1908.
Even when the rich Sydney clubs on the back of poker machines was buying the best talents in Brisbane with some notable exceptions, the Brisbane premiership was still a first class competition in its own right with the Australian Test captain not playing a single club game in Sydney from 1984-87 and the strength of coaches included Wayne Bennett, Des Morris, John Lang, Bob McCarthy, Beetson and passionate New South Welshman Tom Raudonikis. Former Australian coach Frank Stanton even had a year coaching in Brisbane. Bennett only recently rated his premiership success with Brisbane Souths in 1985 as his career coaching highlight.
Wynnum fans and died in the wool BRL supporters to this day firmly believe that the Wynnum side of 1984 would have defeated the great Canterbury and Parramatta sides of the 1980's. The arguement is very debatable, but the Wynnum side did contain the likes of Lewis, Miles, Dowling, Colin Scott and the French brothers - Ian and Brett to name a few. Put it this way, the likes of Wynnum, Souths and Redcliffe of the mid-1980's would have competed well against the Sydney clubs and put the cleaners through the lesser sides. This all without the benefit of poker machines boosting up the coffers.
Brisbane's plunge into Sydney was always going to happen once the VFL transplanted a team to Sydney in 1982 and added teams from Perth and Brisbane. It was always going to take Adelaide longer to join the Victorian dominated competition, but when they did it all became the AFL. The VFL turned into the AFL, but the AFL has not forgotten about the traditions of the WAFL and SAFL before that. Whereas the ARL/NRL has largely ignored the BRL and in fact any Rugby League outside of Sydney unless it was State of Origin or when that area joined the Sydney premiership.
The game in Brisbane on the local scene declined rapidly after the Broncos entry into what should have been immediately called National competition in 1988. It took years for the Brisbane game to recover and only the advent of the Queensland Cup - an expansion of the Winfield State League saw local Rugby League throughout Brisbane and Queensland re-emerge. The Queensland Cup began as a fully fledged competition in 1998 and has since become the 2nd strongest competition in Australia after the NRL. Whilst Valleys, Brothers and Wests have been lost, the traditions of Easts, Norths, Souths (merged with Logan), Wynnum, Redcliffe and Ipswich preserved along with the expansion of many out of Brisbane areas, which in 2008 will include Cairns, Mackay, Rockhampton, Burleigh and defending premiers Tweed Heads.
For the record, Valleys won the most titles with 22 and Norths next best with 11 including six in a row from 1959-64 and two titles soon after that. Meninga won premierships with Souths in 1981 and 1985 and Lewis won premierships with Valleys in 1979 and two with Wynnum in 1984 and 1986. Lewis was in fact captain-coach of the Wynnum side in 1986. I'm proud to have all the Brisbane Grand Finals since 1969 amongst my collection of games, with the exception of 1977, 1985 and the final first class BRL grand final in 1987 along with other assorted Brisbane based matches.
The Sydney premiership will always be the more dominant and stronger competition, but with the Centenary of Rugby League in Australia approaching the proud history of the Brisbane premiership and Interstate clashes should be put into the record books. Even if it's a side addition, but both such fixtures - BRL 1909-97 and Interstate 1908-81 have a special place in our game and were both in their times regarded as first class Rugby League matches.
There are many in Sydney who would just like the state of Queensland to be washed away in sea, but at the same time reap the benefits of the Broncos, Cowboys, Titans and of course State of Origin, but the authorities can't have just the cream without the base. We have to give the base and fabric of our game the respect and honour it deserves.
It's time to add Meninga's 131 first grade appearances for Souths alongside those of his 166 for Canberra - taking him to 297 appearances and Lewis played 15 years of first grade football for Valleys, Wynnum, Brisbane Broncos and Gold Coast - not just 80 games in the last five years of his career.
To any doubters - where did the Australian Test captain play his club football from 1984 to 1987, which included the record breaking achievements of the 1986 Kangaroos?
BRISBANE PREMIERS 1909-87
YEAR - PREMIERS - SCORE - RUNNERS UP
1909 Fortitude Valley Diehards 22 - 4 South Brisbane
1910 Ipswich 17 - 2 Toombul
1911 Valley-Toombul 13 - 2 Ipswich
1912 Natives 10 - 0 South Brisbane
1913 West End 5 - 3 Natives
1914 Fortitude Valley Diehards 18 - 8 West End
1915 Fortitude Valley Diehards 10 - 9 Wests Panthers
1916 Wests Panthers 4 - 2 Fortitude Valley Diehards
1917 Fortitude Valley Diehards 13 - 5 Merthyrs
1918 Fortitude Valley Diehards 16 - 12 Merthyrs
1919 Fortitude Valley Diehards 28 - 2 Cooparoo
1920 Wests Panthers 16 - 8 Christian Brothers
1921 Carltons 12 - 10 Cooparoo
1922 Wests Panthers 20 - 9 Coorparoo
1923 Coorparoo 13 - 2 Fortitude Valley Diehards
1924 Fortitude Valley Diehards 11 - 8 Christian Brothers
1925 Carltons 24 - 5 Cooparoo
1926 Past Brothers 6 - 5 Cooparoo
1927 Past Grammars 13 - 11 Wests Panthers
1928 University 10 - 7 Carltons
1929 University 12 - 11 Cooparoo
1930 Carltons 19 - 8 Fortitude Valley Diehards
1931 Fortitude Valley Diehards 27 - 9 Past Grammars
1932 Wests Panthers 8 - 7 Past Grammars
1933 Fortitude Valley Diehards 9 - 3 Wests Panthers
1934 Norths Devils 7 - 4 Wests Panthers
1935 Past Brothers 11 - 9 Fortitude Valley Diehards
1936 Wests Panthers 13 - 12 Fortitude Valley Diehards
1937 Fortitude Valley Diehards 9 - 7 Wests Panthers
1938 Norths Devils 16 - 10 Fortitude Valley Diehards
1939 Past Brothers 11 - 9 Norths Devils
1940 Norths Devils 17 - 11 Past Brothers
1941 Fortitude Valley Diehards 13 - 7 Norths Devils
1942 Past Brothers 20 - 11 Souths Magpies
1943 Past Brothers 13 - 7 Fortitude Valley Diehards
1944 Fortitude Valley Diehards 16 - 12 Norths Devils
1945 Souths Magpies 21 - 11 Norths Devils
1946 Fortitude Valley Diehards 5 - 2 Easts Tigers
1947 Easts Tigers 15 - 2 Souths Magpies
1948 Wests Panthers 14 - 8 Easts Tigers
1949 Souths Magpies 22 - 8 Easts Tigers
1950 Easts Tigers 14 - 10 Wests Panthers
1951 Souths Magpies 20 - 10 Easts Tigers
1952 Wests Panthers 15 - 14 Past Brothers
1953 Souths Magpies 21 - 4 Easts Tigers
1954 Wests Panthers 35 - 18 Past Brothers
1955 Fortitude Valley Diehards 17 - 7 Past Brothers
1956 Past Brothers 17 - 10 Wests Panthers
1957 Fortitude Valley Diehards 18 - 17 Past Brothers
1958 Past Brothers 22 - 7 Fortitude Valley Diehards
1959 Norths Devils 24 - 18 Past Brothers
1960 Norths Devils 18 - 5 Fortitude Valley Diehards
1961 Norths Devils 29 - 5 Fortitude Valley Diehards
1962 Norths Devils 22 - 0 Fortitude Valley Diehards
1963 Norths Devils 18 - 8 Wests Panthers
1964 Norths Devils 13 - 4 Past Brothers
1965 Redcliffe Dolphins 15 - 2 Fortitude Valley Diehards
1966 Norths Devils 9 - 6 Past Brothers
1967 Past Brothers 6 - 2 Norths Devils
1968 Past Brothers 21 - 4 Easts Tigers
1969 Norths Devils 14 - 2 Fortitude Valley Diehards
1970 Fortitude Valley Diehards 13 - 11 Norths Devils
1971 Fortitude Valley Diehards 18 - 10 Easts Tigers
1972 Easts Tigers 16 - 15 Fortitude Valley Diehards
1973 Fortitude Valley Diehards 15 - 7 Redcliffe Dolphins
1974 Fortitude Valley Diehards 9 - 2 Past Brothers
1975 Wests Panthers 26 - 24 Redcliffe Dolphins
1976 Wests Panthers 16 - 1 Easts Tigers
1977 Easts Tigers 17 - 13 Redcliffe Dolphins
1978 Easts Tigers 14 - 10 Fortitude Valley Diehards
1979 Fortitude Valley Diehards 26 - 0 Souths Magpies
1980 Norths Devils 17 - 15 Souths Magpies
1981 Souths Magpies 13 - 9 Redcliffe Dolphins
1982 Wynnum-Manly Seagulls 17 - 3 Souths Magpies
1983 Easts Tigers 14 - 6 Redcliffe Dolphins
1984 Wynnum-Manly Seagulls 42 - 8 Souths Magpies
1985 Souths Magpies 10 - 8 Wynnum-Manly Seagulls
1986 Wynnum-Manly Seagulls 14 - 6 Past Brothers
1987 Past Brothers 26 - 8 Redcliffe Dolphins
http://www.rleague.com