Ex-Wallaby Laurie Monaghan still giving back to the game he loves

FORMER Wallaby Laurie Monaghan could easily have been lost to rugby union, writes BERNIE PARMBERG in Love of the Game.

Laurie Monaghan has no regrets about staying with rugy. Picture: Tim Marsden

LAURIE Monaghan faced a tough decision in his final year of high school: Aussie rules or rugby union?

It was 1971 and Monaghan was captain of the NSW Combined High Schools Australian football team and had just been named in the CHS rugby side to tour New Zealand. He had already received offers from Hawthorn and Carlton to move to Melbourne and aim for the VFL.

“What clinched it for me was the CHS rugby trip to New Zealand,’’ he said. “We played curtain-raisers before provincial games and experiencing the feel of rugby in New Zealand was exhilarating.

“So I came back and decided I was going to commit to rugby.’’

Monaghan joined the Western Suburbs club in Sydney, went straight into first grade and debuted for NSW later in the season.

The following year he played the first of his 17 Tests for Australia when he lined up against England on the hallowed turf of Twickenham.

A dashing fullback or winger, courageous and safe under the high ball and endowed with a strong kicking game, Monaghan’s status in the game was recognised yesterday when he presented jerseys to the Australian team as they finalised preparations for tonight’s Test against France at Suncorp Stadium.

“I never regretted the decision to go to rugby,’’ he said. “I saw many things around the world the average person would never see. I love the game and always played for the enjoyment.

“We were truly amateur. In those days an Australian side would only assemble on a Wednesday afternoon before a Saturday Test match. You’d be trying to fit your training in with whatever work you did.’’

Laurie Monaghan was a dashing fullback /winger for the Wallabies in the late 1970s Pic Tim Marsden

Monaghan made five Wallabies tours during his career, playing 22 of the 26 games on the 1975-76 tour of Britain and Ireland.

He moved from Sydney to Queensland in 1989, four years after hanging up his boots at age 35 when his on-going involvement in the game moved into other phases.

“I came to Queensland primarily because of a work opportunity and go involved coaching my son in juniors at Logan,’’ he said.

Monaghan had already enjoyed coaching success in Sydney, taking an Under 16 team to a state championship.

“I loved working with kids and enjoyed the opportunity to mentor them. Some kids thrive on that, others not so much,’’ he said. “It’s very satisfying to see young talent coming through.’’

In 1994 Monaghan embarked on another aspect of the game when he took up refereeing. Twenty years later he is still blowing the whistle (as little as possible) every weekend in school and junior matches.

“Referees get the best seat in the house,’’ he said. “You see the impact of tackles and thank God you’re not getting hit by them.’’

He reckons the man in the middle views the whole game, not just half of it as do coaches and others with vested interests in the outcome.

“Refereeing really does provide a different perspective,’’ he said.

An anecdote from his early days refereeing a Brisbane sub-district match is interesting.

“It was my first senior game and there was a bit of argy-bargy going on,’’ he recalled. “Near the end of the game I talked to one of the players to try to calm him down.

“He looked at me and said ‘what would you know, you’re just a referee?’. I didn’t say a word, just walked away.’’

Laurie Monaghan was a dashing fullback-winger for the Wallabies in the late 1970s.

Now 63, Monaghan retired from fulltime work last November and has committed more of his time to the game. He is responsible for allocating referees to all schools and junior matches in the Brisbane area. It is a job which can take up to two days each week.

“I have the time now and enjoy the involvement,’’ he said.

Monaghan estimates he has “another couple of years’’ left in the tank for active refereeing and then hopes to return to coaching.

“I want to keep as active as possible and coaching is something I’ve done on and off,’’ he said. “The game is changing all the time. I was reading research done since rugby went professional in 1995 which claimed the average weight of players had increased by 25 per cent.

“In terms of speed, intensity and the impact of the tackle the change is incredible.’’

Monaghan played in an era of great players including outstanding Queenslanders Mark Loane, Paul McCabe and Tony Shaw.

“The interstate games were pretty tough,’’ he said.

“You would have to have Mark Ella as one of the greatest players of my generation. His ability to read a game and his support play were tremendous.’’

He also rated Welsh fullback J.P.R. Williams and winger Gerald Davies as standouts with Wallabies halfback John Hipwell.

Monaghan’s famous field-goal from near touch and 45m out to give Sydney a last-minute victory over Wales in 1978 is well-remembered by rugby buffs.

“Kicking was one of my strengths,’’ he said. “It goes back to the Aussie rules days.”