Tributes flow for Ted Gill

RUGBY LEAGUE:

The wider Queensland rugby league community is mourning the passing of Ted Gill.

Survived by wife Barbara and three children Peter, Sandra and Patrina, and a tremendous player is his own right, Gill enjoyed success both on the field and in a coaching capacity.

Playing with Southern Suburbs in the TRL from 1951-59, Gill was a premiership player in 1957, the year he first represented Toowoomba in the Bulimba Cup.

Moving north, he played in four grand finals in as many years, winning titles as captain/coach with Centrals (Townsville) in 1961 and Brothers (Cairns) in 1962.

Gill returned to the Darling Downs, taking on captain/ coach roles with Eastern Suburbs (Warwick) and AlloraClifton.

After coaching Southern Suburbs in A-grade, Gill shifted his attention to All Whites (now Brothers), where he successfully coached a number of junior teams.

In 2008 he was named in the Southern Suburbs team of the century, an honour he shared with son-in-law Scott Kuhnemann.

Perhaps the biggest influence he had was that on son Peter, who went on to play first grade here and in England.

“I remember him coaching me as a junior,” Peter said.

“He was a tough coach, but I learnt so much from him, and that had a lot to do on my career.

“He was a big fan and terrific supporter of mine. He’d come to Sydney every second weekend to watch me play

“In the same sentence, he was a tough man, but a gentle giant. He never drunk, and had a good grin.”

Peter recalled one of the great compliments his father received, from former first grader Dan Stains.

“When he was growing up, he had coaches all through his career who liked to have a drink,” he said.

“When dad taught him in U16s and U18s, he said he taught him about more than football, but morals and being a good man.

“He then went on to play in Sydney and be coached by Jack Gibson and Ron Massey.

“For Dan to hold him in the same regard as those coaches, I thought that was a big compliment.”