Best BRL players of the 80s: Best props and hookers
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 hookers and props packing into the front row. VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITES
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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
BEST BRL PROPS OF THE 1980S
GREG DOWLING (WYNNUM-MANLY, NORTHS)
Dowling was no front row giant, but played above his weight to take on the NSW forwards not dissimilar to the manner in which Greg Veivers took on the Blues in the 1970s. Originally from Townsville, he didn’t mind the rough stuff and if someone was up for a blue, he’d prefer a fight than a good feed. A really good front rower for Wynnum-Manly, Queensland and Australia. Certainly the best of his era in our state.
MARK HOHN (VALLEYS)
From the Darling Downs, Hohn was a wonderful frontrow tradesman. He was a steady she goes type of player around the ruck, an old school type suited to the Valley Diehards and, later, the Wayne Bennett coached Brisbane Broncos. He was a survivor. Although he arrived in Brisbane from Pittsworth in the early 1980s, it took until 1993 before he made his debut for Queensland via the Broncos. He also played a Test in 1994, and at the time was the oldest forward in Kangaroo history to do so aged 30. A great toiler.
SHANE MCNALLY (EASTS)
Although he played a limited number of first grade games with Wests in the 1970s, McNally was an Easts Tiger of the 1980s. He learnt his trade the old school way, starting at Norths as a youth and working his way through the lower grades at the Panthers where he watched first grade props Henry Williamson and Bob Green go about their business. By the time he got to Easts, he was an established first grade front rower and Easts saw the best of him. With thighs like tree trucks, he held up his end of the bargain in the middle of the field and was a renowned good scrummager for his hooker. McNally was also an outstanding goal-kicker which was, and still is, unusual for a front rower. Three times he was the BRL’s leading goal kicker and had the joy of helping a young Easts pack to the Tigers to the 1983 premiership before representing Queensland on an end of season tour.
SCOTT TRONC (SOUTHS)
Clever ball-playing front rower whose career took off in 1986 when he jointly won the Rothman’s Medal jointly with Test player Bryan Niebling. He was then off on an NRL career with Wests, Canterbury and the Brisbane Broncos. Played one Origin for Queensland.
BRAD TESSMAN (SOUTHS)
An original Brisbane Bronco, Tessman learned his trade at Souths after arriving from country Queensland. Possessing an ability to unload in tackles, he graduated through the a packed queue of quality front rowers in the BRL to win Queensland State of Origin selection in 1983. Tessman subsequently played a blinder, earning a one-off Test appearance against New Zealand. Although he had one season at Redcliffe, Souths rightly claim him as first Origin and Test cap came while playing with the Magpies. Good hard working forward who played in Sydney with Easts before returning for the Broncos inaugural season.
GARY COYNE (WYNNUM-MANLY)
A second rower or front rower, Coyne was a fixture in the Seagulls pack which dominated between 1982 and 1985. Steady she goes type whom the Canberra Raiders recruited to become a part of the Raiders’ gala success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Used his stocky build to bounce and swirl out of tackles. Great forward tradesman and it is no coincidence that success followed him wherever he went. A typical Queensland Origin forward of his era. The selectors knew what they were getting when they picked Coyne which is one reason he played 11 Origins and four Tests.
CAVILL HEUGH (EASTS)
Heugh was out of a highly success Tigers’ den that claimed the BRL 1983 premiership over Redcliffe. He was an excellent ballplayer and the boom young front rower on the scene at the time. Things happened quickly for Heugh early in his career, winning a premiership (83), a Rothman’s Medal (1984) and then the first of three State of Origin caps.
DAVE BROWN (SOUTHS)
The Souths prop broke into representative football for Brisbane in 1979, and played in three successive grand finals – 1979, 1980 and 1981. He lost the first two, but helped the Magpies to the 1981 title, a gripping, last second victory over Artie Beetson’s Redcliffe. After three seasons in Brisbane, the robust Brown was soon identified by Easts Roosters mentor Bob Fulton who lured him to Sydney, firstly to play with Easts, and then with glamour Manly. So well did Brown play in 1983 for the Sea Eagles, he was named Dally M prop of the year. Brown played five Tests for Australia.
BOB KELLAWAY (SOUTHS, BROTHERS)
Beat Paul Khan, Gary Grineke (Souths) and Geoff Naylor (Easts, Souths) into the top 10 listing, pipping Khan in particular. Paul Khan became Cronulla’s first Queensland recruit when they lured the Brisbane representative from Easts in 1974. He spent until 1981 with the Sharks, before returning to play with Redcliffe and Easts again, as well as Queensland. But Kellaway was in his prime in the 1980s, which is what tipped him into this list. A hulking man who had a huge impact in the BRL for the Magpies and briefly with the Brothers club. Rose all the way to State of Origin level and was a prized signing for the new club in the BRL, Ipswich.
MARTIN BELLA (EASTS)
Yet another amazing talent to pass through the Easts Tigers on his way to greater things, Martin Bella was recruited to Langlands Park from Mackay. He joined the likes of Brett Le Man, Cavill Heugh, Trevor Paterson, Mick McLean and Gavin Jones clambering for places in the 1983 premiership winning team around the experienced Shane McNally and hooker Jeff Ashe. After three seasons advancing his knowledge of prop play in Brisbane, Bella was signed by North Sydney and there his career took off. He went on to play 21 Origins and was a magnificent performer for Queensland on Origin night. Paul Khan almost took his place on this list, simply because his best football came after he left Brisbane, but his foundation for success was built around playing in the BRL and training with an outstanding squad at Easts.
BEST BRL HOOKERS OF THE 1980S
STEVE WALTERS (NORTHS)
The recruitment of Steve Walters continued a proud tradition Norths had in rolling out outstanding hookers. In 1977 Nick Geiger played for Australia, Shane Bernardin was a representative player and by 1982 Greg Conescu had joined them on the Norths’ honour board. After that trio came a young kid from Ipswich, Steve Walters, who was to go on and become one of the best. Indeed immortal Bob Fulton rated him the best hooker of all-time before Cameron Smith arrived on the scene. And ironically Smith was from which club? Norths. After tasting BRL first grade, Walters was signed by the Canberra Raiders where he had a glittering career.
KERROD WALTERS (IPSWICH)
Kerrod Walters rebounded around the Ipswich ruck area between his halfback Allan Langer and his brother Kevin like he was a pinball in a machine. The trio had grown up together and knew each other well, making for an exciting hooker-halves combination in the BRL. His brothers Kevin and Steve may be more famous, but Kerrod beat them all into representative football after his career blossomed when the Broncos entered the NSWRL in 1988. You could see at a glance when Walters was a teen at Ipswich that he had a huge future.
TREVOR BAILEY (BROTHERS)
A favourite of Brothers supporters even before he captained the Brethren to the drought breaking 1987 premiership – the last BRL premiership before the Broncos’ arrival changed the landscape of BRL forever. Bailey was much liked simply because he was such a damn good bloke. But when he captained Brothers to the title, many people want to nomination for Australian of the Year, such was his popularity. On the field he was a sniping dummy half who scampered off the back of a quick play the ball to send the defence retreating further. He was also a classic support hooker down the middle of the park and often bobbed up when long raids were launched. Cheeky like all hookers, he gave splendid service and was no speed bump in the defensive line. To be honest, if he had ever been given a rep jumper, he would have held up his end of the bargain.
GREG CONESCU (NORTHS, REDCLIFFE)
What a great servant of Queensland, Norths and Redcliffe. A premiership winner with the Devils in 1980, he won plaudits because he did the simple things right, and he did them time and again throughout a match. And when you had a representative backline featuring Lewis, Meninga, Miles, Kerry Boustead, Gary Belcher, Tony Currie and co, the last thing you wanted to do was over play your hand close to the ruck. As such, his pass from the ground at dummy half to his halfback Mark Murray was as good as you see, a seemingly simple task but one which was utltra important under the 5m defence rule. He was not possessed with any speed whatsoever, but when he did scamper he often caught defence by surprise as he held the ball to his chest with one hand, while half signalling where he would pass in the other. He rose to Test football and was a 1982 Kangaroo tourist. It was a career to saviour that was capped by being a foundation Brisbane Broncos’ player.
DAVID GREEN (WYNNUM-MANLY)
It was an era when Queensland had plenty of hooking choices and at another time and in another place, Green would have played rep footie. But the same could be said for Trevor Bailey, Billy Johnstone and the crew. Green was a greater leader at the Seagulls, learning from the best in the business in coach Des Morris. He also had crack side around him, headed by Greg Dowling, Gene Miles, Wally Lewis, Colin Scott and the French brothers.
BILLY JOHNSTONE (SOUTHS)
It is little known that Johnstone started his BRL career with Brothers as a five-eight – and would you believe his halfback was Terry Butler who went on to play an Origin match on the wing for Queensland. A boxer, Johnstone was well suited to the rough and tumble BRL days of the late 1970s and early 1980s – and even more suited to playing with the “Dogs of War’’, the Canterbury Bulldogs, which he did later in the 1980s. A long time Queensland Maroons’ trainer, Johnstone was man of extraordinary tough character, both mentally and physically.
SHANE BERNARDIN (NORTHS, REDCLIFFE)
Bernardin was a survivor from the brutal 70s era where you had to be able to hold your fists up to survive in the front row. As such, he was an uncomprosing footballer with a “its him or me’’ attitude. He sometimes played prop, but at less than 90kg in weight, hooker was his prime position. Bernardin was a skilful player who could carry the ball in both hands to the defensive line, draw and pass to a support. He did not play Origin, but he did represent Queensland teams picked from the BRL and played with all those greats – Lewis, Meninga, Miles, Fullerton-Smith, Murry etc.
EDDIE MULLER (SOUTHS)
The arrival of Queensland Country hooker Muller was a real bonus for the Souths Magpies who had lost Billy Johnstone to the south. Such was the log-jam of quality hookers around at the time, progressing in rep footie was hard but he managed to play for the Queensland resident Maroons. From the proud league district of Proserpine, Muller mixed it with the best and won the 1985 premiership with Wayne Bennett’s Souths. Aside from all the normal skills, Muller also had a nice turn of pace which made him an asset supporting any break made. Canterbury snapped him up for the NSWRL and after two seasons at that powerhouse club of the time, he returned, happy as Larry, to captain coach in his beloved Proserpine region. It was a fine 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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