Broncos beaten in last visit to Cairns
THE last time the Broncos played in Cairns, only one player in their line-up for tonight’s trial had been born.
The year was 1991 and it was the second year in a row the then fledgling NSWRL club came north for a pre-season fixture against Cairns Connection – a combined local side of the Far North’s best players.
It was also the second year in a row the Broncos left without a win, with Cairns fighting their way to a 16-16 draw in 1990 before a historic 6-4 upset win a year later.
Ivanhoes backrower Neil Gregory played in both matches and etched his name in the history books by scoring a try in each, including Cairns’ sole four-pointer in 1991’s triumph.
“We really shocked them in that first game,” Gregory said.
“We come up short of a win, but it was a fantastic result to get a draw.”
That year, the Broncos fielded eight Test players – Paul Hauff, Tony Currie, Kevin Walters, Allan Langer, Sam Backo, Greg Dowling, Chris Johns and Willie Carne – but could only manage a draw.
“The important thing was our team believed we could win the game and we gave it our best shot,” Gregory said.
“We also believed the weather conditions would suit us and not them, and I think that was evident in both games. In 1991, the weather was just atrocious and we knew all we had to do was hang in there and we would outlast them. But while 1990 was very hot and humid, 1991 was very hot and wet.”
Buoyed by their surprise draw the year before, Cairns entered the 1991 clash with an extra shot of confidence.
In another tight affair, the Broncos would get out to a 4-0 lead before Gregory squared the ledger.
“I was lucky to be on the end of a great backline movement that came up just short,” he said.
“John Skardon probably had every right to score the try but he got pulled down a couple of metres short of the line.
“I just happened to be there at the right time and place and I managed to charge over and score a try on the back of that.
“The thing was, though, we didn’t get the conversion, so the game was still in the balance at 4-4.
“Our backs made a break down the side and we got a penalty with a couple of minutes to go and Greg Davis put it over to win the game.
“It was fantastic to be involved in both of those games. From memory, Barlow Park was full and had a capacity crowd for both games.
“It was just good for the region and it strengthened rugby league in the districts, in what was already a really strong competition.
“It was one of those things that pulled everyone together.”
Gregory’s Cairns teammate in 1991, Trevor Tim, said he could remember the crowd getting behind the local boys.
“The Broncos had plenty of Origin players and that was the big drawcard,” he said.
“People were going to watch them perform and probably didn’t think we had a chance, even though we were the local heroes.
“But the war cry for the Broncos changed as we were holding them out and the local crowd got behind us.
“You could tell they were thinking ‘ we can win this’ – and that was the case.
“They (Broncos) might have had some good players on their team but we held our own on our home turf.
“We were there as a team, we were focused and we stood together strong.”