GPS First XV rugby: St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace’s best, past and present
Who is St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace greatest ever player? And who are the Best of the Rest from the traditional GPS First XV rugby powerhouse?
Local sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Revitalised St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace sit as joint GPS First XV rugby premiership leaders, but who are the great players who have gone before this current batch of players?
Terrace the Brave have an extraordinary history in producing elite rugby talent, with recent Wallaby Harry Wilson, Reds prop Josh Nasser and exciting colts rugby outside back David Vaihu highlighting recent talent.
Out of the current crop, breakaway Joe Liddy has been identified by the Queensland Reds for his on and off-field work, but several other of the kids have showed plenty of promise, including PJ Su’a, Angus Munn and Will Hancock.
But who was the best? And who are the best of the rest?
RELATED LINK
PLAYERS TO WATCH - SEASON 2021
THE GREATEST
MICHAEL LYNAGH
A perennial favourite, is fly-half Lynagh Terrace’s greatest ever player? From where we sit he is - and by a distance.
For the younger generation, Lynagh was a player with the most sublime handling skills, coupled with a precision kicking game, acceleration and a perfect boot lace tackling technique. And he also kicked goals. He had vision and was ice cool under pressure, as emphasised when he called the last minute, winning backline play in the 1991 World Cup quarter final to prevent the upset of the century after Ireland had led the Wallabies. That was Michael Lynagh. He was simply the best.
Best of the Rest
2000-2020
HARRY WILSON
Robust backrower who rose quickly post school into the Queensland and Australian systems.
Originally a NSW country kid, Terrace’s first sporting love at Terrace was cricket. Indeed he was a batsman capable of plundering quick runs, but now uses his power game in rugby.
JOSH NASSER
The son of a gun, Brendan Nasser, Josh is a towering tight forward who is as tough as his old man. An elite age group player who earned Queensland schoolboys and Queensland under 20s selection before progressing into Super Rugby with the Reds.
DIGBY IOANE
Ioane was a hulking winger and an outside centre sensation with power and pace. One of the most dynamic players to ever pull on a Terrace jersey.
LIAM GILL
A fantastic Queensland flanker. Many schoolboy sensations fail to live up to post-school live, but Gill certainly maintained his lofty standing across a wonderful career, which included 25 caps for the Wallabies.
JAMIE HANSON
When you have Tony Parker (see the 1980s era below) and Brendan Cannon (ex-Wallaby hooker) family, it is little wonder Hanson was capped 12 times for the Wallabies. An Australian schoolboy sensation, he had the distinction of helping Queensland’s win the Super Rugby final of 2011, going on to become a seven season Super Rugby veteran.
MARK CHISHOLM
The 115kg lock was the perfect modern day second rower, athletic with great hands and mobility. Although he made his Super Rugby debut with his native Queensland, it was at the ACT Brumbies where Chisholm became the pillar of their successful pack. He is currently a member of the Terrace coaching team alongside Michael Broad and Nick Stiles.
DAVID CROFT
Capped an extraordinary 116 times for Queensland, Croft had the distinction of upholding the lofty traditions set by open side flankers before him like Chris Roche, Jeff Miller and David Wilson. He was brave to the core, with his bounding runs carrying him from break down to break down. Where Queensland would have been without him is anyone’s guess and he remains a treasure of Queensland Rugby.
RELATED LINKS
ROUND 2 - SIX THINGS WE LEARNED
NICK STILES
A prop, Stiles’ career straddled both the 90s and 2000s. He was a veteran of almost 100 games for Queensland and a dozen Tests. Stiles was no giant, but had a wonderful scrum technique while his work in the line-out, both supporting the jumper and sweeping, was of the highest standard. Stiles is currently on the Terrace coaching staff.
THE ERA - 1990-1999
BRENDAN NASSER
Nasser must have been a tremendous comfort to the Queensland Reds coach of his time - John Connolly - and to the University club coach Bob Templeton. When coaches sent Nasser out to do a job, they knew they were selecting a blindside flanker who would get the job done, no matter the cost. Tough, uncompromising, the eight Test veteran he was a powerful ball runner and astute mauler who played a role in the Wallabies 1991 World Cup success. His career spanned both the 1980s and the 1990s.
THE ERA - 1980-89
MARK McBAIN
A favourite of Queensland supporters, McBain won the hearts of Queenslanders with his effort on effort. A hooker, he played with the intensity of an open side flanker. Away from representative rugby, he played his beloved Brothers to an almighty upset grand final win over a Andrew Slack-David Codey led Souths in 1987. He was simply a great player.
DAMIEN FRAWLEY
It is little wonder the 1979 Terrace were joint GPS premiers - Michael Lynagh, Michael Cook (see below) and Damien Frawley were all team mates. Broad shouldered Frawley was a marauding No.8 or lock of his era. His athletic ability enabled him to play either as a loose or tight forward, and his 10 Wallaby caps were reward for someone of his standing.
BILL CAMPBELL
The towering Campbell was Wallaby vice-captain in 15 of his 26 Tests. He was tall timber, standing more than 2m tall in the line-out, but his mauling and rucking skills were first class, and his scrummaging technique contributed to Queensland’s powerhouse set piece of the era.
He was a crucial player in the Wallabies 1986 Bledisloe Cup defeat of the All Blacks.
TONY SHAW
There is tough, and then there is Tony Shaw. A flanker, the former Wallaby captain knew no fear. If you wanted a forward leader in any generation, then Shaw was your man. Did I mention how tough he was?
MICHAEL COOK
A reliable centre with a great tackling technique and decisive running game. He played 11 Tests and was a member of the inaugural 1987 World Cup, but broke his arm. A good Aussie, knock about character.
TONY PARKER
A first class Queensland halfback whoSE career helped Queensland emerge from world rugby wilderness. Although he played for Australia, he would have played more had his path to the Wallabies not been blocked by NSW players John Hipwell, Philip Cox and Nick-Farr-Jones. But he was good enough to play many more Tests.
RELATED LINKS
THE GPS FIRST XV SEASON IN PICTURES - SO FAR
THE ERA - 1970s
CHRIS HANDY
A great Australian whose drinking games and passionate commentary was world renowned. But he was also an outstanding Queensland prop who was at the forefront of Queensland’s rise to become the best provincial side. Indeed he was in the side which beat a Test strength All Blacks. It is remarkable to think he played in an era when Queensland players were billeted by families when the side toured to play in New Zealand.
BRUCE COOKE
One of the many Easts Tigers players who won Rothman’s Medals as club rugby’s best player. It took a great, Roger Gould, to snip Cooke’s Queensland career in the bud, but not before cooke played a Test and four or five season for Queensland at a time when the Reds were rebuilding.
DAVID DUNWORTH
David Dunworth, a five Test veteran and Wallaby squad member over six seasons, initially started as a flanker before moving into the tight five. He will forever remain in the hearts of Queensland supporters of the era when he helped the state dismantle NSW by almost 40 points in 1976. He was a veteran of the pack and his steadying influence on young players around him contributed to the success of the side.
THE ERAPRE-1950s
JIMMY CLARK
Yet another former Australian captain who has graced the famous footsteps at St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace. A flanker, Clark spearheaded Queensland’s rugby recovery during the years of the Great Depression.
JIMMY FLYNN
Time never diminishes his reputation. He could play halfback or centre with ease and was aged just 17 years When he was thrust into the Queensland team. He was set to become Australia’s youngest ever skipper - aged just 20 - only to have World War I breakout.
BOB McMASTER
You would never have won a mauling one-on-one with McMaster - he went on to become an Australian wrestler. But as a rugby prop he played for Queensland and Australia in the 1940s and 1950s.
HARRY ROBERTS
Harry Roberts was one of those special talents who played three seasons of First XV rugby - culminating in him being a part of the 1956 premiership winning team.
A winger, he was capped four times for Australia.
CLEM WINDSOR
Windsor celebrated the end of World War II by earning his only Test cap - against the All Blacks of all teams. A surgeon, he toured England with the Wallabies 18 months later but was lost to Australian rugby when he opted to return to the mother country to play club rugby.
The full-back’s career was then cut short, with a knee injury ending his sporting career.
THE DORE BROTHERS
A turn of the 19th century prop, Eddie Dore joined his brother Michael, a halfback, in playing for both Queensland and Australia. They may have played different positions, but they possessed the same trait which state and national selectors loved - fearless defenders.
Dore Oval stands a memorial to the family.
ANSELM OXENHAM
A former Queensland captain who could play any position in the forward pack.
PHIL CARMICHAEL
Another turn of the 19th player who had the rare distinction of winning an Olympic Games medal in rugby.
Other elite pre-1970s players were: Austin Gralton, Peter Flanagan, Bill Canniffe, John Fihelly, James Flynn, Simon Kreutzer, Tom Sweeney, Colin Forbes, Peter Reilly.
TOMORROW - NUDGEE COLLEGE’S GREATEST - and the Best of the Rest
Emerging Reds Cup: Who starred on day 1? Find out here
Emerging Reds Cup: Queensland’s next-up rugby top guns were glimpsed at Ballymore Stadium on Monday. The top pictures, moments and players are highlighted here from day one as SEQ made a stunning statement.
QGSSSA Track and Field champs: Mega picture gallery
Pace-setters Moreton Bay College snared an incredible ninth consecutive QGSSSA Track and Field title last Thursday at QSAC. See over 100 images from the day here with our mega gallery.