The Eastern Suburbs Tigers and the world of Rugby League lost one of their greats on Friday with the passing of Ron McLennan after a brave battle with cancer.
Ron was robbed of a Kangaroo tour to England in 1948 and never played for Australia again after his only Test against New Zealand at the Sydney Cricket Ground, but played many more seasons after and what a great player he was.
Ron was born on the 10th May 1922 in a small town called Mooball just south of Murwillumbah on the northern NSW coast and he went to school at the Burringbar State School. In those days there was no organised sport and he learnt by playing with the few other children in the school. When he left school his first job was a dairy farm helper followed by a bit of banana farming, timber cutting and cane cutting. During this time he expanded his football experience by playing in the Tweed League, the Byron League and the Richmond League until he joined the army where he served for two years in 1944 and 1945.
In 1946, he joined Easts in Brisbane and played with them from 1946 to 1949. His arrival coincided with a golden era for the Stones Corner based Club and the Tigers were to play in every Grand Finals from 1947 to 1951. His teammates included legendary Eastern Suburbs figures in the Ryrie Brothers, Jack and Nev as well as Jack Atkin and Tom Drysdale who were later to become outstanding administrators for the game.
He was a prominent member of the 1947 side that totally dominated the competition that year winning every trophy on offer. Ron McLennan was to excel for the Club mainly as a back rower and he was a player of great defensive qualities who also possessed a fine attacking game. In fact, he was occasionally used in the backline by the Club when injury struck.
Ron gained international honours against the visiting New Zealand side in 1948. Ron was selected for the First Test played in Sydney on the 29th May but was curiously omitted from the Second Test held in Brisbane. He was then the victim of one of the greatest League selection shocks when left out of the Kangaroos Team to tour England at the end of the year. The Brisbane Telegraph newspaper of June 21 1948 reported:
"The Australian Rugby League Board of Control apparently is the only section of Rugby League which was not shocked by the selection of the 1948 Kangaroos.
While other sections were seething about shock selections the Board of Control apparently is quite satisfied. It actually congratulated the selectors on their choices.
Perhaps that is fitting for it completes the farce. Queensland Rugby League, including the QRL itself, is far from satisfied because of the omission of McLennan and O’Connor, and particularly McLennan.
McLennan was given a raw deal. Hailed in Sydney as a Test and tour certainty he was reserve for the first test. He was beaten for the tour by Rayner and Mulligan. The only time Rayner was really in the picture on Saturday was when McLennan was burying him in the Cricket Ground turf. Hall and De Belin were certainties for the second row and McLennan should have been the next picked.”
Many years later, w hen asked how disappointed he was to miss the 1948 Kangaroo tour Ron said, "Naturally I was very disappointed but life goes on and the way I looked at it was I played for Australia and that's the highest you can go. A lot of good players don't get that far and during my career I played rep games for Brisbane, South Queensland, North Queensland, Queensland and Australia so I consider myself lucky."
Ron was famously “sent off” in the 1949 Grand Final by referee Digger Chambers for an incident with Souths Reg Pegg. Many Easts supporters believe that this was the turning point of the game but Souths finally proved too strong and won a very rugged match by 22 points to 8.
Ron then went to Ayr in North Queensland in 1950 and 1951 then moved to Mt Isa for the next two years. He then moved back to Brisbane to coach Brothers in 1954.
When asked to pick the best player he played with or against he always claimed it was almost impossible to pick one as there were so many good players, but Easts teammate Jack 'Gunboat' Ryrie was outstanding. When asked to nominate his favourite team he was just as reluctant, diplomatically acknowledging that he enjoyed playing in all representative teams and twas his greatest memory.
In recent years, Ron lived by himself at The Grange on the north side of Brisbane as he lost his wife Elizabeth a few years ago and at 84 years he still drove his own car. As recently as earlier in 2007, he was a special guest of the Easts Football Club at a Sportsmans Lunch to celebrate the players who had played for Australia whilst at the Tigers. He impressed all present with his demeanour. In his spare time, he always loved fishing and is survived by his daughter, Robyn Clark and two grand children.
A fine gentleman and an outstanding Rugby League player. R.I.P. Ron McLennan.