The Wynnum Manly Rugby League Football Club has had a total of 31 players that have represented Queensland. To be part of this exclusive group, each player must have represented Queensland when playing for Wynnum Manly from 1914 to 1987.
In the first year that Wynnum Manly participated in the Brisbane Rugby League competition in 1914, Wynnum had two Queensland representatives with Mick and Henry Bolewski wearing the maroon jersey for the first time. Wynnum did not play in the first grade competition again until 1931/32, they had no representatives during this time.
Wynnum Manly were admitted back into the competition in 1951 and it took seven years before hooker Alan Hornery became Wynnum’s third Queensland representative. Alan was the uncle of 1970’s club captain and firebrand Neville Hornery. Alan was followed by club favourite Lionel Morgan in 1960 and John Wittenberg in 1962.
1963 was a successful year on the representative front, with three players chosen to wear the famous Queensland jersey, with John Gleeson, Billy McDermott and local product Trevor Neibling gaining selection from Wynnum Manly. Neibling became Wynnum Manly’s first junior to represent Queensland and John Gleeson went on to play for Australia this year.
The late sixties proved to be a lean period for Wynnum Manly, with only winger Ron Chapman in 1967 and five-eighth Bob Hardie 1969 selected for Queensland to take on New South Wales in the Interstate series.
Wynnum Manly would only have one player chosen over the next seven years for Queensland, with former Brisbane Rothmans Medallist Len Brunner playing NSW in 1973.
In the mid seventies the Wynnum Manly Football Club had a purple patch take place with centre John Rhodes, back rower Lew Platz and winger Warren Orr all taking part in the 1975 interstate series. Both Rhodes and Platz took part in the 1975 World Cup in this season. They were succeeded by centres Ian Boustead and Ron Milne in 1976.
No players were selected again for the next five years, until fullback Colin Scott was picked for the 1981 series. Colin also has the honour of playing the most amount of games for Queensland whilst playing for Wynnum Manly, with 25 games played between 1981 to 1987.
In Wynnum Manly’s first premiership year 1982, both Gene Miles and Rod Morris gained selection. Both Morris and Miles were selected as part of the Kangaroos ‘Invincibles’ team that did not lose a match the entire tour.
The golden era had commenced for club and after a 12 month break from the game, front rower Greg Dowling played for Queensland in 1983, along with three quarters Brett French and Terry Butler.
With Wynnum Manly performing so strong at club level and Wally Lewis joining the Seagulls in 1984, more Queensland representatives followed with Lewis, prop Tony Kajewski, outstanding lock Ian French, Bob Lindner and Peter Sinclair all playing for Queensland between 1984 to 1987. This was an era where Wynnum Manly on most occasions, had a higher representation in Queensland teams than any other club. Four of these five players also represented Wynnum Manly at junior level, with Lewis and Lindner (Cannon Hill Star juniors) and French and Sinclair (Wynnum Manly Juniors).
Life changed in the Brisbane Rugby League world forever in 1988, with the Brisbane Broncos accepted into the National Rugby League competition. This now made it virtually impossible to be selected for Queensland from Wynnum Manly, as all the top players had been drained from our competition. Qualification for Wynnum Manly Queenslanders would now be recognised if you were a club junior and went onto play for Queensland.
Since 1988 the club has had four representatives, props Craig Greenhill and Neil Tierney in 1996 and 97 respectively and Paul Green and Chris McKenna in 1999. One of the clubs proudest moments was when Greenhill, McKenna and Green all played in the same match 1999.
Story Source: Paul Comber