Sport
7 August, 2024
Foley Shield heroes to reminisce on highs and lows of 1974 series
The former Mount Isa Miners players will gather for a reunion in September.
Rugby league was life in Mount Isa 50 years ago, says former great Bruno Cullen, who will next month gather with old teammates and friends to mark five decades since playing in a golden era for the mighty Miners.
“When we won the first one in 1969 I remember getting the train back to Mount Isa and as we came into town the whole of Railway Parade was just chockers with people,” he said.
“We couldn’t get off the train because it was like a barricade of people.”
To put it in perspective, the Foley Shield was perhaps the third strongest rugby league competition in Australia at the time, behind the Sydney and Brisbane first grades.
An iconic North Queensland competition would see rep teams from the region gather to duke it out on the field for bragging rights.
In the 1960s, Mount Isa became known as a stronghold for rugby league, mostly because the mine had an unofficial hiring policy that involved prioritising top-line footy players.
The Foley Shield was 20 years old before Mount Isa made its first grand final, defeating Townsville 12-9 in a thriller in 1969.
The Miners returned to the big stage in 1972 and triumphed over Innisfail 19-16, while that era ended its run with a 12-6 loss to Cairns in 1974.
Cullen, who is perhaps best known as a former Brisbane Broncos CEO, or a Queensland Country Bank executive, was a top centre for Mount Isa in that golden era.
“I was just 20 when we won that first one,” said Cullen, who in 2020 was made a Member of the Order of Australia.
“Mick Backhash and I were the babies of the side.”
However, by the time 1974 rolled around, the Blackstars hero was considered a senior member of the Miners squad.
“I remember that we drew with Burdekin in the southern zone and there had to be a playoff to see who would go into the final (against Cairns),” Cullen recalled.
“The NQRL decided that we deserved the home game because we had a better for-and-against.
“Burdekin had actually beaten us quite easily the last time we played them and they decided to offer Mount Isa Rugby League $3000 to host the game.
“In my mind, Mount Isa Rugby League didn’t think we could beat them, so they took the money.
“It turns out we went down there and smashed them!
“That put us into the grand final but because MIRL didn’t think we were a chance they didn’t book us any accommodation or flights.”
Cullen said the team was forced to sleep in caravans and that the “ordinary preparation” cost Mount Isa a chance of beating Cairns.
“We didn’t play very well at all,” he said of the six-point loss.
“That was sort of the end of our run as a team.”
It was a golden period for Mount Isa Rugby League, which saw the Miners play games against France and Great Britain at Kruttschnitt Oval – the former home of the sport in the city.
Mal Brosnan, who still lives in Mount Isa, was the only person to play in those five features – the first three Foley Shield finals and the two matches against the French and Great Britain.
“Those were great times. They were bloody tough games,” the Brothers legend said.
“Rugby league out here was so strong that we’d host games against St George, South Sydney and Western Suburbs.
“Those Sydney teams would be looking for a bit of beer money on their end-of-season trips so they would come out and play here.
“Clive Churchill came out here as the coach of the Rabbitohs.”
While teams that lose a grand final don’t usually have reunions, co-convenor John Moran, the man with the golden tonsils who called many a Foley Shield clash, said it was a celebration of the era, including the two wins in 1969 and 1972.
“This will be the third reunion we have organised in the past six years,” he said.
The reunion is being held at the Brothers Leagues Club in Townsville from September 27 to 29, coinciding with the 1974 grand final date of September 29.
“On the Friday night of the reunion, we are having a celebratory dinner for all the players and partners from the Foley Shield teams from 1969, 1972 as well as the players and partners from the 1974 team,” Mr Moran said.
“There will be a gathering on the Saturday for supporters and old friends of the Mount Isa teams.”
For tickets, go to queenslandcountry.bank/foley-shield