Push to honour Queensland rugby league’s mysterious Phantom of Lang Park, Alex Watson

You’ve probably never heard of The Phantom but he stands as Queensland’s most underrated rugby league player ever - and the push is on to finally honour “Reg Gasnier before Reg Gasnier’’.

Alex Watson (left) sitting with Immortal Clive Churchill in the Australian team photo from 1955.

The push is on to give a mysterious Queensland rugby league star nicknamed “The Phantom” the credit his vastly underrated career deserves.

Alex Watson is not a name widely celebrated in rugby league circles as a former great yet the debonair centre owns arguably the most underrated career in Queensland rugby league history.

Long before the Broncos, when Brisbane clubs were playing against each other, he played 19 Tests between 1954-57 and 20 matches for Queensland as a large, robust, defensively outstanding centre.

The 121 male members in rugby league’s Hall of Fame include many entrants who played far fewer matches for Australia than Watson, who lived in Paddington in Brisbane’s western suburbs and played for Brisbane Wests.

Former Courier-Mail chief league writer Steve Ricketts was a judge at the recent Hall of Fame meeting in Sydney and spoke up about how he felt Watson’s achievements had been seriously undervalued.

It did not get Watson, who died in 2002, in the Hall of Fame in that meeting but Ricketts remains committed to the cause.

“I mentioned at that meeting that Watson was (legendary centre) Reg Gasnier before Reg Gasnier,’’ Ricketts said.

Steve Ricketts (right) wants Watson’s achievements to be recognised. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

“Before Gasnier burst on to the scene in 1959, Watson was our best centre of the 1950s.

“That was probably the most competitive era of international rugby league.

“France was strong. New Zealand was strong. Great Britain was very good. Australia seemed to lose as many series as they won.

“The French, the Kiwis and Great Britain beat us during the decade and Alex Watson played 19 Tests and was our go-to man in our three-quarter line in that really tough time.

“He was known as The Phantom because he was a bit of a mystery man. He had big offers to go to Sydney. He was a very good surf life saver and he didn’t want to go to Sydney because he did not want to leave the lifestyle up here.’’

“When I was a schoolboy in NSW, my hero was Les Johns (who played 14 Tests), a great fullback, and he is in the Hall of Fame yet Alex, who played more Tests than Les, isn’t.’’

Watson’s son Scott said his family had kept a letter from Sydney Wests trying to lure Alex to Sydney with the message “name your price’’ but he stayed in Brisbane.

Alex, a member of the Burleigh Surf Club, enjoyed the Queensland lifestyle and his working career included stints in carpentry, for Rothman’s cigarette company and Sun Rice.

Watson’s career highlights included scoring two tries for Wests in the 1954 Brisbane grand final before he fractured his left collarbone early in the second half.

In 1956, he delighted home fans when he scored a 40m try at the Gabba against New Zealand to give the home side its first Test series win against the Kiwis since 1909.

Watson played his last match for Australia in the 1958 World Cup then headed north for one last season with Sarina.

Originally published as Push to honour Queensland rugby league’s mysterious Phantom of Lang Park, Alex Watson