Gary Belcher reveals how Tony ‘Kennedy’ Currie beat him into junior rep teams

In BRL flashbacks today, Gary Belcher reveals how Tony Kennedy would beat him time and again into every junior representative team – only to later learn it was none other than another FOG in the making, Tony Currie.

In BRL flashbacks today, Gary Belcher reveals how Tony Kennedy would beat him time and again into every junior representative team – only to later learn it was none other than another FOG in the making, Tony Currie.

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Queensland State of Origin champion Gary Belcher has revealed how a brilliant indigenous five-eight called Tony Kennedy beat him into every junior representative side, only to find out it was really another FOG in the making, the great Tony Currie.

Currie was playing under the name Tony Kennedy and Belcher, who would go on to play 16 Origins and 15 Tests, just could not get his name on a representative team sheet because of this Kennedy character.

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“I never made a (junior) rep side,’’ said Belcher. “There was this guy Tony Kennedy who was always the five-eight and played for Wests.’’

Gary Belcher takes a high kick in his debut series of 1986.

Belcher said one day before an under 18 match he looked at the opposition team and saw T. Kennedy was not playing, and had been replaced by T. Currie.

Having thought he had never played against T. Currie before, Belcher believe finally it was his time to shine with this T. Kennedy character out of the picture.

But when the teams took the field, it was the same person lining up against Belcher.

“He was a gun,’’ Belcher said in high praise of Currie, veteran of 15 Origins, seven Tests and premierships with Canterbury, the Broncos and with his beloved Wests (1993).

And when the pair hit the BRL, Currie was still making representative teams ahead of Belcher.

“I could not maker any rep sides,’’ Belcher said.

Belcher said while he cracked it for a Brisbane side in 1984, soon State of Origin incumbent Colin Scott was reinstated. “Scotty got the job again and so he should have,’’ Belcher said.

It was only when Belcher moved to Canberra to play alongside fellow Queenslanders Mal Meninga, Gary Coyne and the like, that Belcher made serious headway in his Origin and Kangaroo career.

Gary Belcher is tackled in 1988.

Belcher said the grounding he received playing in the BRL made him the player he was.

“All I had wanted to do as a kid was make it into A grade at Souths,’’ Belcher said.

His heroes were Bruce Astill and John Grant and he just wanted to follow in their footsteps and play BRL first grade.

“I spent year in reserve grade and that was the making of me. The hard nuts like Chris Thorley were around.

“You learnt from the old blokes and that is a big thing missing now.

Gary Belcher in full flight. Pic Steve Moorhouse.

“Bob McCathy (coach) had a fantastic set-up at Souths where the whole club trained together.

“I got called up in 1982 (for his Magpies debut) and played in the centres and it was faster than anything I had played, it was tougher. The grounds became rock hard and dust bowls as the season went on.

“If you did not aim up physically you were belted.

“We (the BRL) weren’t far behind the Sydney clubs.

“It was a just a matter of money that most ended up leaving.’’