WHAT ARE YOU UP TO THESE DAYS GARY?
Life’s pretty cruisy these days mate. I’ve been retired for the last few years and am doing a little bit of work guest speaking to keep me busy. I’m living up in northern New South Wales so life is mostly organising surf trips and different holidays, fishing and spending time around the water.
HOW DID YOU GO WITH THE WEATHER UP THAT WAY OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS?
We were really lucky where we are mate. We’re high and dry and didn’t have any dramas but a lot of our neighbours had issues and you really feel for everyone that has. As I’m talking to you though, I’m looking at the ceiling on my back deck and that doesn’t look real flash, so I might have a bit of work ahead of me.
THAT DOESN’T SOUND FUN. TO TAKE YOUR MIND OFF THAT, TELL US ABOUT THE START OF YOUR CAREER PLAYING WITH SOUTHS UP IN THE BRISBANE COMP THROUGH THE EARLY 80S?
It was a super strong strong competition before the Broncos came into existence and in my opinion, there was a bunch of teams, Souths included, that were good enough to have been middle of the road in the Sydney comp.
Wynnum were full of stars and were the other strong club alongside Souths. Valleys, Redcliffe and Easts were strong as well and all had great history going way back to 1909.
But the one thing that most clubs didn’t have enough of was money and the clubs down south all had pokies to support them. That’s the main reason why we all left. But it was also a chance to test ourselves in the best competition because the best players always end up in the competition with the most money.
When I first played in the Sydney comp, I didn’t think there was too much difference in the first few rounds that I played.
But then we played against a side like Canterbury, with that crazy swarming defence and we just got smashed. Then is was like, hang on, this is a bit different.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR BEST MEMORIES FROM YOUR DAYS PLAYING IN BRISBANE?
Well, we just had a 40-year reunion for Souths winning the 1985 Grand Final, and everyone that played or coached was there apart from Peter Jackson, of course, who sadly passed away.
We were coached by Wayne Bennett and had Big Mal leading us around. Our captain Normie Carr and Chris Phelan both played for Queensland, then we had Gary French, Wayne Cullen, Johnny Elias and Eddie Muller, who all went on to play for the Broncos or in Sydney somewhere.
We played Wynnum who had smashed us something like 42-8 a year before in the 84 grand final. They had Wally (Lewis), Gene Miles, Greg Dowling, Colin Scott, Gary Coyne. They were a great team full of big names but we managed to squeeze out a win, 10-8, in a tight, defence focussed game.
I know for a long time Wayne Bennett said that was his favourite or perhaps his most important grand final win, even after he had all that success at the Broncos because
it was the first of many for him. It taught us all a lot about playing in big games. It doesn’t matter who you’re up against, if you put in your best effort, you’re always a big chance.
THE REUNION WOULD HAVE BEEN A PRETTY BIG AFTERNOON THEN?
It was great and it tied in with the season launch for Souths Logan ahead of their season. It was great to catch up with everyone, even if a few blokes were falling asleep at 9pm, because they were up past their bedtime.
YOU HEADED DOWN TO CANBERRA AFTER THAT. IT MUST HAVE BEEN QUITE A CHANGE OF PACE?
I was lucky to join a good footy program that became great over those next few years.
I went down in 86 and Wayne (Bennett) came down a year later with Kevin Walters. Steve Walters had arrived with Gary Coyle and myself in 1986, so we had some very good players there but it still took a fair bit of time to build.
Wayne started it, then I think Tim Sheens deserves to be given a hell of a lot of credit for what he did with the club and the professionalism he added.
We lost in 87 against Manly and deserved to lose that one, then we were going pretty good in 88 but Mal missed a lot of footy that year. Even still, we went pretty close. Then it all came together in 89 with that win over Balmain.
YOU PLAYED IN SOME VERY GOOD FOOTY SIDES ACROSS BOTH CLUB AND REP FOOTY. WHAT WAS THE BEST TEAM YOU EVER PLAYED IN?
It’s hard to go past the Raiders across 89-90.
But, you know, I played in a magic area for Queensland too. We won three series in a row in 87, 88, 89 and at one point we won eight games in a row, which is still a record.
Then I was lucky enough to play in some good Test teams. But at a club level, I can’t go past that Raiders’ side.
WHO WAS THE MOST UNDERRATED PLAYER YOU EVER PLAYED WITH OR AGAINST?
That’s a really difficult one but probably the first person that jumps out at me is Gary Coyne. It took
him a long while to break into the Queensland side and then he finally got to play Test footy in 91 I think.
He wasn’t a tall front rower, but just a really skilful player and hard worker who was appreciated by his teammates.
The other bloke I don’t think people talk about enough is Chicka (John) Ferguson.
He was a crowd favourite and even in those stacked teams we had with guys like Mal and Laurie Daly, Ricky Stewart, Brad Clyde, Steve Walters, Glenn Lazarus – genuine superstars of the game – the biggest roar always came whenever Chicka Ferguson touched the ball because it was just incredible what he could do.
ARE YOU STILL FOLLOWING THE RAIDERS?
I’m watching less footy than I used to which tends to happen when you retire from the media but I went over and watched them in Vegas, which was a great experience.
They are a good young side. I wouldn’t say they’re going to win the comp this year, but I think they’ll go a lot better than most people think and they could be a finals team if they play to their potential.
Plus they’ve got some great kids coming through and if they can keep developing good young players and keep them down in Canberra, then I think they’ll scare a few teams in the years ahead.
