Pride of Newtown Lions take out 1973 Toowoomba grand final and gather to celebrate 50 years on

Some 13 of the 20 players of the Newtown Lions victorious 1973 rugby league grand final winners gathered in Toowoomba 50 years on.

Newtown Lions' Gary (Barney) Meara passes to Graeme Wockner (No. 9) as Oakey Bears' centre Nev Tate (left) looks to cover defend in the 1973 Toowoomba Rugby League grand final.

It was the year Gough Whitlam was prime minister, Joh Bjelke-Petersen was premier of Queensland, Manly-Warringah won the then Sydney rugby league premiership and Fortitude Valley took out the honours in the Brisbane rugby league comp.

But in Toowoomba, the pride of Newtown Lions reigned supreme in winning the A-grade TRL premiership by defeating the Oakey Bears by 21-14 in the grand final.

The win came in the club’s 50th year since entering the Toowoomba Rugby League (TRL) competition and 50 years later most of that team gathered with partners, family, supporters and club officials of the day to celebrate that win, catch up and reminisce.

Newtown Lions 1973 premiers (back from left) Max Esplin (strapper), Frank Hedge, Graham Jenkins, Trevor Barron, Barney Meara, Tony Brunner, Russ Zimmerle, Doug Muir, Graeme Wockner, Kev Collins (manager); (front, from left) Brian Meara, Les Rabbitt (rubber), Ray Prouten, Robin Horn, Graham Tucker (coach), Ron Cameron, Sandy Brackin (manager) and Trevor Smith.

GOLDEN TEAM: Celebrating 50 years since winning the 1973 Toowoomba Rugby League grand final are Newtown Lions (back, from left) Don Lederhose (team selector), Frank Hedge, Graham Jenkins, Gary Meara, Tony Brunner, Russ Zimmerle, Doug Muir, Graeme Wockner, Nev Sloan and John Ritter; (front, from left) Ray Prouten, Robin Horn, Phil Essex (1973 club president) Ron Cameron and Kevin Dixon. Picture: Peter Hardwick

Remarkably, all of the players from that team are still around today although, unfortunately, the side’s captain-coach Graham Tucker, who now lives in Brisbane, couldn’t make the 50-year reunion held at Club Toowoomba on Saturday night.

The full squad of 20 that day included: Ray Prouten, Frank Hedge, Russ Zimmerle, Doug Muir, Trevor Smith, Graham Jenkins, Graham Tucker, Robin Horn, Graeme Wockner, Trevor Barron, Gary (Barney) Meara, Tony Brunner, Brian Meara, Ron Cameron, Ashley Smith, Phil Lep, Jack Hardey, Kevin Dixon, John Ritter and Geoff Say.

While skipper Graham Tucker, who played for Canterbury Bankstown in the Sydney competition as well as for Queensland, was among the older squad members, Ron Cameron was just 17.

Catching up with their 1973 captain-coach Graham Tucker (front, left) are 1973 Newtown Lions team members (back, from left) Russ Zimmerle, Ray Prouten and Graeme Wockner and (front) Graham Tucker (left) and Frank Hedge. Picture contributed.

And, for young footballers who think “Mad Monday” is a relatively recent invention, this team celebrated the day after the Toowoomba grand final just as hard.

“Yeah, we had a Mad Monday,” explained Graeme Wockner.

“We went to the Carlton Hotel (east side of Ruthven St between Russell and Bell streets).

“Some of us went across the road to Pigotts to get some ‘different’ clothing to wear that day,” he laughed.

Under the team mascot and the TRL premiership trophy in 1973 are (from left) Ray Prouten, Frank Hedge, Brian Meara, Doug Muir, Graeme Wockner (looking up ground level), Trevor Smith (No. 5), captain Graham Tucker, Gary (Barney) Meara and Trevor Barron.

Well before the CBD nightclubs of today, young people in 1973 Toowoomba were more likely to do the cabaret circuit at such venues as The Whitehorse Hotel (Ruthven St east, just south of Margaret St) where often the band playing was Chapter III, or the Matador Lounge in the Ruthven Hotel (just north of City Hall in Ruthven St) where The Countdowns were regularly the rock group on stage, or the Crown Hotel (corner of Neil and Margaret Sts), or The Portadown.

There was also JBs (Jungle Beat) at St Stephen’s Hall and The Bowl (where the Toowoomba Sports Club carpark now stands in Russell St).

“We used to go to the Helidon Spa as well where there would be bands playing and one of those bands was The Bee Gees,” Frank Hedge recalled.

“Late at night after the pubs shut you could also go to the Foodatorium across Ruthven St from the Foundry (now Bunnings).

“You were certain to get a feed and/or a fight there,” he grinned.

Newtown Lions second rower Graeme Wockner sprints to the try line in the 1973 TRL grand final as Oakey Bears fullback Mal Muirhead tries to stop him.

Newtown Lions' Gary (Barney) Meara (No. 13) passes to Graeme Wockner (No. 9) as Oakey Bears' centre Nev Tate (left) looks to cover defend in the 1973 Toowoomba Rugby League grand final.