The power and the passion: rugby league in the 1980s
Alan Whiticker and Ian Collis
Gelding Street Press, 2024, 314 pages
RRP $34.99
Reviewed by Russel Hansen
The latest rugby league book off the press from the prolific duo of Whiticker and Collis hit the shelves of QBD in Elizabeth back in August.
The book includes review chapters of each NSWRL season of the 1980s, with each season cleverly matched with a song from the respective year. Here are a couple examples:
1980: ‘You shook me all night long’
1983: ‘Reckless (don’t be so)
1989: ‘What you get is what you see’
Other key moments of the decade are also covered: ‘Hello Illawarra and Canberra, goodbye Newtown (but not Wests)’, ‘Hardmen and cult figures of the 1980s’, ‘Unbeaten: the story of the 1982 and 1986 Kangaroo tours’, and ‘the NSWRL expands interstate: Brisbane, Newcastle and Gold Coast.’
In that era I loved the Kangaroo tours – watching the Test matches as well as the mid-week games, reading the books and the Rugby League Week special editions. Ditto for the chapter in this book about those magical end of season tours.
The chapter ‘Mastering the media’ was of particular interest. For many years, I have described myself as a rugby league consumer. In the 1980s, being a rugby league consumer was a very different scenario to 2024.
The 1980s were obviously pre-internet and pre-pay TV. No Monday night football or Friday night football.
Reading this chapter provided many, many wonderful memories of my late teenage years. Memories of finding a newsagent that may have had the Sydney Daily Mirror, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mirror, or Sydney Morning Herald newspapers. Memories of checking the Big League (program) for team lists, as well as the poster. Was it a team poster or an individual player?
I have scrapbooks of those years, old newspaper clippings of Mario, Neil Baker, Ian Roberts before he signed with Manly, and countless others.
The Bible (Rugby League Week) is accurately described as ‘arguably the most consistent source of hard news, controversial headlines and blokey humour.’
Picking up the Bible from the newsagent was certainly a weekly highlight for me, reading the news cover to cover, the player ratings, the ‘scoops’, the gossip about possible player movement. Every detail a fan needed to know! I have several seasons of the Bible in large yellow binders. Will my daughters ever be interested in them? Highly unlikely! Perhaps another rugby league tragic will be?
The authors cleverly weave in another song title of the time into this chapter: ‘Who listens to the radio’ (Stephen Cummings and The Sports). Who still listens to the radio, or the ABC listen app to hear NRL coverage? Me!
In the 1980s, that was me on Saturday and Sunday afternoons! Either the ‘Continuous Call’ networked from Sydney on 4BC, or the ABC. In 1988, I was in my first year of teaching … young and enthusiastic! Sunday afternoons during term time would usually be spent preparing for the week ahead. The radio coverage of Sydney rugby league kept me company.
Saturday afternoon TV games on the ABC before Channel 9 bought the rights – sounds a little like World Series Cricket? This was a completely different era to now living in the all games live on Kayo/Fox League smorgasbord.
As the authors so accurately summarise: ‘the game never had a more comprehensive coverage than in the 1980s and that’s what the older fans remember most about the era. Following your team was a way of life … anywhere and any way you could.’
Other interesting sections in this detailed book include the top ten players of the 1980s. What a roll call! Wayne Pearce, Terry Lamb, Michael Cronin, Gene Miles, Ray Price, Steve Mortimer, Brett Kenny, Mal Meninga, Peter Sterling, Wally Lewis.
Coach of the 1980s: Warren Ryan
There is a collection of great photos, including Frank Hyde commentating at the SCG, Debbie Spillane interviewing Benny Elias, Laurie Nicholls – in a t-shirt rather than his beloved Balmain singlet (rare!), and Mitch Brennan fending Steve Rogers in the 1981 Tooth Cup (mid-week) final.
The book covers interstate games, the mid-week cup under the various sponsorship titles, and rounds out with top ten lists and other statistics. This book is an excellent summary of a wonderful decade of rugby league, a great mixture of season-by-season analysis, as well as other parts of the game, including Australia v Great Britain and Trans-Tasman rivalry.
This book is a must for all rugby league fanatics, whether you were ‘following your team anywhere and any way you could’ back in the 1980s, or not!
Well done, Alan and Ian.
BAROSSA RED WINE OF THE WEEK:
Yet another wonderful drop from Vine Vale winemaker’s event, held over first weekend in October:
Cirello 2023 The Vincent Grenache (vines planted in 1901 and 1906)
NB: named in honour of the winemaker’s father
2023 – THE VINCENT GRENACHE – Cirillo Estate Wines
Russel Hansen, South Sydney football club diamond member 6199, lives in Nuriootpa, Barossa Valley, South Australia. His golden retriever, Murray, is named after the South Sydney captain. Twitter/X: @Rabbit in the Vineyard @Russel_Hansen
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About Russel Hansen
Russel Hansen Has worked in schools for over thirty years – as a teacher, coach, coach educator, sports coordinator and in pastoral care roles. Whilst at Brisbane Boys’ College as Director of Athletics, he led teams to six GPS premierships in track and field, and cross country. He has coached (athletics) at all levels from school to international. His squad at the University of Queensland (to January 2023) included Lachlan Kennedy OLY, Paris 4x100m relay runner, Australian record holder. He is married to Heidi, a Primary school principal, and is father to two adult daughters. Twitter: @Russel_Hansen
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It was a great decade for the code, Russel. The magnificent Parra sides, The Dogs of War, the birth of Origin, expansion, that 1989 Grand Final, the Kangaroo Tours, a huge cast of even bigger characters…on and on.
Memories of the 80s – when I came to Sydney in 1988 there was a rugby league commentary show on radio with Peter Peters and Greg Hartley the referee known as the decibel duo, a complete contrast to the solemn tones of Frank Hyde of previous years. They made rugby league fun, which was a wake up to a Canberra boy raised on Aussie Rules. Also about were the try hards, HG and Roy who were very funny in those days, but not so lately.
Anyway Mr Peters wrote a dark story in the newspaper, how Cronulla had tried to beat his team Manly in the 1973 grand final by belting them, which didn’t work. It was a contrast to his usual shouty, positive persona.
Thanks for this fine review Russel.
Alan and Ian are both very capable writers, so I’m certain it’d be a good read.
Thank you, Ian! Yes, the 80’s – what an era – full of highlights and characters. My brother is a rusted-on Parramatta member, so he loved those premiership years – Ray Price, Ella, Sterling, Grothe, Kenny, the list goes on!
Thanks, George: yes, the list of media types you list there is certainly diverse! I am still a fan of Roy & HG
Thanks, Barry, I have long been an admirer of your work, so I really appreciate you commenting on this post!
Rabbit in the Vineyard