Retro Round: Mal Meninga’s five favourite BRL players from the 1970s

In honour of Fox League’s Retro Round The Courier Mail’s MAL MENINGA list the his five favourite players from the Brisbane Rugby League in the 1970s.

Mal Meninga has nominated his five favourite BRL players from the 1970s.

As we celebrate the 1970s this week with Fox League’s Retro Round, I thought it would be timely to take a trip down memory lane and remember some of the greats of the Brisbane Rugby League premiership from that decade.

I grew up watching the BRL in the 1970s and played alongside and against some of my idols after making my debut with the Souths Magpies in 1979. I don’t think the BRL ever got enough kudos for how tough the competition was and it still doesn’t today.

There were countless quality teams and great players that came out of the BRL in the 1970s but here are five of my favourites.

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Bruce Astill was a great centre and an inspiration for Mal.

BRUCE ASTILL (SOUTHS MAGPIES)

Bruce was someone I looked up to and someone I learnt plenty off. He was a centre and leader of the Souths club. He was someone I aspired to be like. He was part of an era where the club was really successful but also had to fight hard through the mid 70s to keep nurturing club traditions. His work ethic was incredible and I was in awe of his passion for the club, which probably goes back to his father Jack, who was president of Souths juniors. The whole Astill family was inspirational for me and I am glad he was around when I kicked off my career.

Ian 'Bunny' Pearce was a great player and an even better person.

IAN ‘BUNNY’ PEARCE (REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS)

Bunny was a great player to watch. He used to lope around the field with hunched shoulders, but he would always seemed to come up with the right effort at the right time. A great fullback, who also represented Queensland. He was Mr Consistency. He was a toe poker as a goal kicker, so I admired him for that as well. I got to meet him a couple of times and he had the aura of a real winner. Playing behind a ferocious Redcliffe pack that boasted the likes of Tony Obst, Forrester Grayson and Bobby Jones certainly helped. What I also loved about Bunny Pearce was that he was a good person as well as a good footy player. He always had time to talk to anyone.

Warren Orr represented Queensland and Australia in the early 1970s.

WARREN ORR (WESTS/WYNNUM MANLY)

I remember him being a big winger, had some good size about him. But he was also really quick and a great finisher. Through the 70s when Queensland was being beaten by NSW, he made the Australian side. So that tells you a fair bit about how good he was.

Greg Veivers played well above his weight for Souths Magpies, Queensland and Australia.

GREG VEIVERS (SOUTHS MAGPIES)

Greg captained Queensland and Australia was the captain at the Souths they year I made my debut in 1979. He was a tough man, a real hard nut. He wasn’t the biggest front rower but he never took a backwards step. He didn’t mind getting into a stink either ­- of course for all the right reasons — sticking up for his mates, his team and the jersey. He is still a mate of mine today, as Bruce Astill is. He was skilful too, had a good offload and passing game. He was one of those players you wanted to play alongside.

John Lang was crafty and possessed great speed out of dummy half.

JOHN LANG (EASTS TIGERS)

I followed his career as a youngster and was lucky enough to play alongside him for Queensland. I also played against him in my first year, when he was playing for Easts Tigers. I followed his career with interest when he left the Tigers to go down to Sydney to play for the Roosters and went on to play for NSW and Australia in the hooking position. In those days a hooker was a hooker in the scrums and he was very good at his craft. I remember he was also very quick out of dummy half, had good speed. I always had great admiration for what he achieved, making the transition from the BRL to the Roosters, which in those times was no mean feat.