Best BRL players of the 80s: Best locks and second rowers
The 1980s was a golden era for Brisbane club rugby league featuring some of the game’s biggest names (and moustaches). We’re looking back at the outstanding players in each position, culminating in the naming of a BRL team of the ‘80s. Today, it’s the locks and second rowers. VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE
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Do you remember Brisbane club rugby league in the 1980s? Over the next week the outstanding players in their positions will be suggested, culminating in the naming of a BRL team of the ‘80s.
From Test veterans to club stalwarts, the biggest names with the biggest 80s moustaches will be considered.
And we want your input into the team, too. Vote for your favourite player in the polls below to decide the fans’ favourite team of the 80s
HAVE YOU VOTED FOR EVERY POSITION?
BRL BEST OF THE 80s: FULLBACKS
BRL BEST OF THE 80s: WINGERS AND CENTRES
BRL BEST OF THE 80s: FIVE-EIGHTHS AND HALFBACKS
BRL BEST OF THE 80s: SECOND ROWERS AND LOCKS
BRL BEST OF THE 80s: FRONT ROWERS AND HOOKERS
Redcliffe’s greatest every team
Is this Wynnum-Manly’s greatest team?
BRL’S BEST LOCKS OF THE 1980S
NORM CARR (WESTS AND SOUTHS)
A fan favourite of most BRL fans of the 1980s – regardless of which team you followed. Like Souths great Bruce Astill, Carr played plenty of BRL in the 1970s but his career also stretched well into the 1980s. Carr was arguably the finest cover defending player of his era. Everyone knows of the Scott Sattler tackle when the Panthers won 2003 premiership – well that was the type of effort Carr frequently produced in the BRL. To his great credit the Queensland selectors opted for him as the forward reserve in Queensland’s first ever Origin match in 1980. Prior to that, Carr had kept Wally Lewis on the Brisbane and Queensland reserves bench, such was his standing in the game. Chasing a premiership late in his career, he moved to Souths to play a leading role in the Magpies 10-8 grand final win over Wynnum-Manly in 1985. But he was a Wests Panthers’ man to the core.
DAN STAINS (BROTHERS)
Stains started at the back of the scrum (lock) when he came down from the Darling Downs to play with Broncos, and worked his way through the pack to ultimately play front row for Queensland after moving south to Cronulla. Stains added defensive starch to the Brothers forward back with sledgehammer like defence that he could sustain across a match. If the saying tough as teak had not been around before his career started, it certainly would have been invented by sports writers of the 1980s if they had seen Stains play for Brothers.
SHAUN JOHNSON (WYNNUM-MANLY)
Came through Wynnum-Manly’s golden era in the early 1980s and was a stunning talent. Unfortunately came to grief in a clash with Brothers hardman David Cartwright in a pre-season bloodbath at Corbett Park one day which no one would have enjoyed being on the end of. But he was a fine player and a premiership winner.
CHRIS PHELAN (SOUTHS)
Tough as nails who remarkably won four premierships in five seasons – two with Souths Brisbane and two with Parramatta Eels in the then NSWRL. To this day, every forward packs needs a player like Chris Phelan to win a title. He did the dirty work, he did the easy work, Phelan just did the work, no matter the task. Followed in the footsteps of his brother Pat who tragically died young, coming through the Souths system to win the 1981 premiership with the Magpies before Jack Gibson signed him for Parramatta. And wasn’t he a Jack Gibson type of forward. Having had enough of Sydney life, Phelan’s returned to Souths Brisbane in time to help Wayne Bennett’s Magpies beat Seagulls in the 1985 grand final. Would walk into any NRL team today.
STEVE BLEAKLEY (REDCLIFFE)
Bleakley was a great servant of the Dolphins who played above his weight. He was not a big man, but this added to his mobility both in defence and running into half gaps. A really good footballer in a very strong Redcliffe forward set up. He lasted the distance in games and sustained a high level of performance, season in, season out.
MARK GRAHAM (NORTHS)
Mark Graham won’t make the BRL team of the 1980s simply because he played just the one season – 1980 – after arriving at the Devils alongside coach Graham Lowe for the 1979 winter. But Graham’s name needed to be recorded because he was a great footballer and ultimately became the Kiwi’s greatest ever player. A long time resident of the central Queensland community around Tannum Sands, Graham made his mark playing for North Sydney through the 1980s, but his 1980 season effort with Norths was monumental as the Devils pushed for an upset premiership victory.
BRETT LE MAN (EASTS, BROTHERS)
He was the Broncos’ first every tryscorer in the NSWRL in 1988, but long before that Brett Le Man had established himself as one of the BRL’s best backrowers. A lock, he was a winner, the complete old fashioned lock who was outstanding in defence and had a splash of pace about him in attack. Was primarily an Easts player and helped the Tigers to the 1983 before being lured to Brothers, where he was a member of another premiership winning outfit (1987). He was a Wayne Bennett-type of hard working, simple footballer and it was no surprise when Bennett had him in his first ever game against Manly in 1988. He played 38 NRL games and every Thursday night, as Bennett pondered the weekend ahead after the final training run, he would have had no second thoughts about naming Le Man.
TREVOR BENSON (REDCLIFFE)
Could easily have been included in the centre or five-eight nominations but also played lock, including in the 1983 Redcliffe grand final side. Benson burst onto the scene as a centre and represented Queensland in 1981. He went the distance at Redcliffe, joining the 200 game club and was named five-eight in the Dolphins’ greatest team. Aside from representing Queensland, another career highlight came late when he won the acclaimed Rothman’s Medal in 1990. In a golden era of BRL, Benson stood alongside the best of them.
BOB LINDNER (SOUTHS, WYNNUM-MANLY)
NSW had Bradley Clyde but Queensland had Bob Lindner and Lindner lost little in comparison to the Canberra Raiders and NSW great. Lindner came through the Souths system and even played at McAuley College before bursting into BRL first grade. He was a powerhouse runner, classic cover defender but also had a very, very high defensive work rate in the front line. While the legendary stories of John Sattler, Sam Burgess and Shane Webcke playing with broken limbs are rightly glorified, so to should Lindner’s amazing effort of playing four odd minutes with a broken leg in the 1989 State of Origin No. 2 clash won 16-12 by Queensland. Also a great contributor to the Kangaroos.
THE BRL’S BEST SECOND ROWERS OF THE 1980S
WALLY FULLERTON-SMITH (REDCLIFFE)
Boy he could hit. Fullerton-Smith arrived on the Redcliffe Peninsula from Roma and soon established himself as a defensive hitman. He was not big, but like so many outstanding hitters he had technique, toughness and an iron will in his favour. If it was the first minute or the last minute, whether the Dolphins were behind by 16 points or in front by 16, the idea was not to take a ruck directly at Fullerton-Smith if you could avoid it. He also had excellent hands and developed a nice passing game. His decorated career included 12 Origins and eight Tests.
GARRY WALKER (NORTHS, BROTHERS)
The father of the famous Walker boys Chris, Ben and Shane, Walker was an outstanding second rower of the early 1980s. A premiership winner with Norths, he switched to Brothers, but the Devils rightly claim him as their grand final winner. Rumour has it the Queensland State of Origin selectors one year considered Walker or Souths giant Bob Kellaway for an Origin bench spot. They opted for Kellaway, but if he had been given a go, Walker would not have disappointed.
GLENN HAGGATH (BROTHERS, IPSWICH)
Tom Raudonikis recruited him from Sydney and Haggath gave Tommy great value for money when he coached both Brothers and Ipswich. Scored an unbelievable 50m try one day at Corbett Park, shrugging defenders off and displaying great speed and strength. He was good enough to make the Queensland residents team, but I reckon he was even better that. Tasted the NSWRL with South Sydney, but returned to play under Raudonikis at Ipswich.
GAVIN JONES (EASTS)
Massive forward who, although he ultimately played front row, spent plenty of time in the second rower at Easts before moving to North Sydney. Was part of the Tigers young, rough and tumble forward pack of 1983 which beat Redcliffe in the grand final. Had a huge State of Origin series for Queensland in 1986 and despite the Maroons going down 3-nil, looked set for inclusion on the Kangaroo tour but unfortunately broke his leg.
TREVOR PATERSON (EASTS)
Another who was a part of the youthful Easts pack of 1983. Was winner of the esteemed Rothman’Medal in 1982. Hard working, honest player whom the Eastern Suburbs Roosters snapped up. Excellent footballer.
MICK MCLEAN (EASTS)
The Easts side of 1983 had many gun players and another to join that list was Bowen boy Mick McLean. Affectionately known as “Charge McLean’’ by his old Marist Ashgrove College mates, McLean had long hair and looked like the wild man from Borneo. He thundered onto the ball, he thundered out of the line in defence. He was all action, arms and legs and a career highlight must have surely been playing in Wally Lewis’ farewell series of 1991. That night, he did what so many big-hearted Queensland forwards had done before him – he ran hard, he didn’t drop the ball, and he held his position in the defensive line. That is all Wally Lewis, Mal Meninga and the backline boys of that era asked of their forwards and McLean should be so proud of his role in that famous series win.
IAN FRENCH (WYNNUM-MANLY)
The brother of centre Brett French who was featured earlier in the series as a centre nomination, French was a beauty. He had a ball running off Wally Lewis on the fringe of the ruck at Wynnum-Manly and if he found space, his long stride would move him swiftly across the ground. He also carried the ball effectively in the tough stuff, and could knock would-be defenders off at first contact. Also rolled his sleeves up in defence and thoroughly deserved his nine games for Queensland. Also played nearly a 100 A grade games for North Sydney.
TREVOR GILLMEISTER (NORTHS)
An amazing Queenslanders in all aspects. Never has such a small forward (89kgs, 178cms) left such an impact on the code. Named after the original defensive axeman Bunny Reilly (Easts Roosters, 1970s) Gillmeister cut blokes in half for fun – and then got serious. He had a heart as big as Phar Lap and never has a person been more suited to the Queensland jersey than Gillmeister. Most famous of all was when, against doctors advice, he left hospital to play an Origin for Queensland, which the Maroons won. Gilly also had great ball skills and could slip a pass in a tackle. You’d also never meet a nicer, more unassuming down to earth champion than Gillmeister. He played 22 Origins and three Tests and was a Brisbane Broncos premiership winner. Legend.
BRYAN NEIBLING (VALLEYS, REDCLIFFE)
Neibling was a model forward citizen of the 1980s and as such rich rewards came his way in the form of nine Origin caps and 13 Tests. Like Gillmeister and Fullerton-Smith, Neibling was no giant but played to his ability within his limitations. He played the same way for Valleys and he did for Redcliffe, as he did for Queensland and as he did for Australia – that was to keep it simple, do the basics very well and do your job regardless of what was happening around him. Neibling, who could also play prop, also had nice hands. It was a career to be proud of.
GARY SMITH (BROTHERS)
Smith arrived in Brisbane from North Queensland and soon established himself in the BRL. He was a player in the Neibling mould, but probably with a little more gusto to his running game. Played around six minutes of Origin football and that jersey should sit proudly in his household. Like a lot of Queenslanders at the time, he was lured to North Sydney where he had a decorated career.
HAVE YOU VOTED FOR EVERY POSITION?
BRL BEST OF THE 80s: FULLBACKS
BRL BEST OF THE 80s: WINGERS AND CENTRES
BRL BEST OF THE 80s: FIVE-EIGHTHS AND HALFBACKS
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