Teams of the century named to celebrate QLD Primary Schools Rugby League centenary

To celebrate the centenary of the QLD Primary Schools Rugby League, Mike Colman will reveal the teams of the century of two regions a day. Today, it’s Metropolitan North and Peninsula.

For 100 years it has been the gateway to rugby league success for some of Queensland’s greatest players, providing them with an opportunity to display their talents against the best of their age and often setting them on the road to State and Test glory.

It is the Queensland Primary Schools Rugby League and every day this week it will celebrate its centenary by naming teams of the century for each of its 12 regions, culminating in the announcement of the overall Team of the Century at a dinner held at Carina Leagues Club next Sunday night during the annual regional carnival.

The Cannon Hill PS team photo of 1968, with a very familiar – king-like face – front row, second from right. Coach Ray Himstedt is on the right.

The league was formed in 1919 with the original members Manly, West End and Eagle Junction State Schools and Brisbane Practicing School. The following year this had grown to six schools and in 1921 the first Queensland representative team travelled to Sydney to play against a combined NSW primary school side.

Since then thousands of Queensland primary school boys and girls have represented their schools, regions and State, and hundreds taken part in interstate trips.

Included have been some of the biggest names in the recent history of Queensland rugby league such as Wally Lewis, Darren Lockyer, Cameron Smith and Johnathan Thurston, as well as many who were just as well-known during their own heyday.

The QLD Primary Schools Rugby League Team of 1989, with Darren Lockyer (3rd along front row) and next to him is Elton Flattley.

The task of coming up with the 12 regional sides and then picking the overall Team of the Century has been a combination of intensive research, long memories and detective work, according to Department of Education assistant regional sport officer Tim Pilgrim who has coordinated the massive operation.

“We’ve had people in all the regions going back as far as they could, coming up with names from memory, newspaper clippings and old programs and then sitting down and picking 17-player sides,” he said.

“Unfortunately a lot of the records going right back to the 1920s, 30s and 40s are no longer around. We believe there might be a treasure trove in a box in Ipswich somewhere but we never managed to get our hands on it.

“We’re hoping that announcing these teams might unearth some old programs or family history going right back. If so we’d love to hear about it.”

Billy Slater in early primary school playing for Innisfail Brothers.

While the very earliest records remain undiscovered, the selectors have managed to choose players from every decade from the 1950s to the 2000s.

All 17 players chosen in the Team of The Century have been contacted and invited to the dinner, with seven definitely attending so far.

“The criteria was not necessarily how good they were when they were 12 years-old, but what they went on to become,” he said. “We’ve got an Immortal, Test and Origin players, one of the country’s best female players and some who got away, including Wallabies like Ben Tune and Sean McMahon and cricketer Chris Lynn who made the Queensland Under-12 side in 2002. There is one named Michael Bond from 1999 who not too many would have heard of but the people in his region said he was the best player they ever saw so we couldn’t leave him out.

Chris Lynn played in the QLD U-12 side in 2002. Picture: AFP

“It’s going to be a great night on Sunday, not just because some of the greatest players of all time will be in the room, but because the people who helped them along the way will be there as well.”

Each day for the next week the Courier-Mail will publish two regional teams, culminating with the announcement of the Queensland Primary Schools Rugby League Team of The Century on Sunday.

Today we start with Metropolitan North and Peninsula:

METROPOLITAN NORTH

1. Johnny Rhodes (Grovely SS, 1960)

2. Jharal Yow Yeh (Grovely SS, 2001)

3. Dale Copley (Undurba SS, 2003)

4. Shaun Berrigan (Grovely SS, 1990)

5. Ben Tune (Albany Creek SS, 1988)

6. Greg Oliphant (Windsor SS, 1962)

7. Kodi Nikorima (Norris Road SS, 2006)

8. Dylan Napa (St Patrick’s College, Shorncliffe, 2004)

9. Kurt Baptiste (Bracken Ridge SS, 2003)

10. David Wright (Nundah SS, 1963)

11 Francis Molo (St Kevin’s School, Geebung, 2006)

12. Darryl Brohman (Chermside SS, 1968)

13. Jason Bukuya (St Patrick’s College, Shorncliffe, 2001)

14. Sean McMahon (Hamilton SS, 2006)

15. Chris Lynn (Virginia SS, 2002)

16. Bob Conway (Nudgee SS, 1982)

17. Michael Bond (Petrie SS, 1999)

Jharal Yow Yeh and Justin Hodges both made their respective regional sides. Picture: Jono Searle.

PENINSULA

1. Justin Hodges (Edge Hill SS, 1994)

2. Ash Graham (Balaclava SS, 1996)

3. Enari Tuala (Hambledon SS, 2010)

4. Kris Tassell (Edge Hill SS, 1985)

5. Nene Mcdonald (Edge Hill SS, 2006)

6. Jake Clifford (St Clare’s, 2010)

7. Chris Sheppard (St Thomas’s, 1993)

8. Scott Bolton (Mourilyan SS, 1999)

9. Ryan Ghetti (Mourilyan SS, 2001)

10. Rod Giffin (Tolga SS, 1999)

11. Nick Alexander (St Francis Xavier’s, 1992)

12 Paul Pensini (Kairi SS, 1995)

13. Dallas Johnson (Herberton SS, 1994)

14. Rhyse Martin (Hambledon SS, 2005)

15. Jayden Hodges (St Joseph’s, 2005)

16. Steve Lacaze (Good Counsel Primary, 1994)

17. Brad Tassell (Balaclava SS, 1979)