Former state representative, State of Origin team manager and Queensland Rugby League life member, Ben Wall, has passed away in Brisbane at the age of 83.
Wall, a goal kicking forward, played against New South Wales in two interstate matches in 1964, out of the Rockhampton club competition.
In 1995 and '96, he was co-manager of the Maroons State of Origin side, along with Chris 'Choppy' Close.
The coach was Paul 'Fatty' Vautin, and in 1995 the underdog Maroons pulled off a sensational 3-0 series win over an all-international Blues side, coached by the experienced Phil 'Gus' Gould.
Wall's name is synonymous with rugby league in North Queensland, where he was a long serving official, who worked tirelessly for the code in a region which extended from Sarina in the south to Cape York and the Torres Strait Islands, and west to Mount Isa and the Northern Territory border.
He started his rugby league playing career with the Hornets and Colts clubs in Ayr, where he had left school, aged 13, to become an apprentice baker.
Wall moved to Brisbane in 1961 to play with Souths, and then, in 1963 accepted a captain-coach job with Fitzroys in Rockhampton.
He returned to Brisbane in 1965 to play at Easts, under the coaching of legendary fullback and future rugby league Immortal, Clive Churchill.
Wall was a prodigious kicker, able to land goals from long distances. Playing for Central Queensland against France in 1964 at Browne Park, Rockhampton, he kicked a 65m penalty goal.
Wall made his debut for Queensland against New South Wales under lights at the Brisbane Exhibition Grounds in 1964.
He converted Queensland's only try in the 31-5 loss. Wall kept his place for the return match at Lang Park, and the Maroons turned in a much improved performance, before going down 22-11.
South Sydney approached Wall at the end of the 1964 season, but because he had represented his state, he was not granted a transfer.
After the 1965 season with Brisbane Easts, Wall moved to Townsville as captain-coach of West End Athletics (WEA) and won three premierships in four seasons, before hanging up the boots.
He became a non-playing coach of WEA's and also coached the Townsville representative side.
In 1966, he played hooker for Townsville in a 14-10 loss to Cairns in the Foley Shield final.
When Wall was playing for Souths in Brisbane, he was introduced to the game of squash, and outside of football, that became his passion, to such an extent he and his wife Gwyneth managed, then owned, squash courts in North Queensland.
Wall even got to play a game against world squash champion Heather McKay.
One day, at his squash centre at North Ward in Townsville, Wall was approached by 1978 Kangaroo Tour team manager, Jim Caldwell, to apply for a fulltime position in rugby league.
Wall had managed Townsville Leagues Club for a short time, but otherwise had cut ties with the code.
After talking things over with his wife, he took on the job as North Queensland coaching director and secretary.
Later he also became North Queensland chairman, and went on to serve 13 years on the QRL Board and 10 years on the ARL.
He became a life member of the QRL in 2001.
