If you asked Siri 'best year ever', it might come up with 1983 and the name Trevor Paterson.
The Tigers second rower did it all and then became a Rooster to celebrate his Rothmans Medal, Premiership medal, man of the match in a grand final and tour of the UK with Queensland.
Trevor Paterson Q&A
How did you get from Toowoomba to Easts Tigers?
I was a Valleys supporter and dad was a Tigers’ fan but Ted Verrenkamp, Easts Tigers president, came to Toowoomba and signed me at the end of 1982 for the 1983 season. I wanted to go to Brisbane and ultimately wanted to go to Sydney, so it was all very exciting.
Let’s talk 1983, just make sure I have this right. You come to Brisbane, win the Rothmans Medal, kick the winning field goal in the major semi to knock out Redcliffe and then man of the match in the grand final win over Redcliffe - leave anything out?
I remember the field goal against Redcliffe in the finals to make the grand final, they didn’t take the two points and then a few minutes later for some reason I have kicked a field goal. I reckon if I miss, Langy has plenty to say about his second rower picking a final to try and kick his first ever field goal. Then the grand final, we were just confident. We were young and fearless. We watched Redcliffe and Valleys slog it out and just waited. Redcliffe had such a great forward pack. The highlight for me was after the game, the club that night, the Stones Corner Hotel the next day. Just great memories. That team had such a great link between the past and 1983, we had Brad Backer and Wayne Lindenberg with Steve Stacey who were from that great 1977-1978 era and around them we had John Lang as coach and young players.
John Lang is Tigers royalty; how did you find the great Tiger?
I would do anything for John Lang, he is Tigers royalty, but he was ahead of his time. He’d get people in to motivate us and talk to us before games and he was big on making sure your mind was right. We were super fit; we’d do these runs around Langlands Park (Deshan Run) and you had to do them in three minutes. We’d go to QEII in pre-season to do sprint training with Gavin Jones’s uncle Lindsay Jones, running on the track doing 50m x 50m sprints with jog back recovery every Friday. We just based everything on being super fit.
Wayne Lindenberg - man or legend?
Great man but a legend too. Fantastic footballer and if he doesn’t come back in 1983 maybe we don’t win the competition. He just pulled the strings and moved around the field and then it was time he would just explode and no one could stop him. He could have gone to Sydney but I don’t think he had any desire to leave Easts or move.
Who is your favourite Tiger teammate?
I have two - I lived with Gavin Jones and Brett Le Man for the 1983 season at East Brisbane. We used to call Le Man 'Nut Grass' - he would just pop up and was a pest.
Then a UK tour with the Queensland team?
I was only 20 years old and never been away before, now I am touring the UK with the Origin team. I played two games on tour it was just a great end to the year. Larry Brigginshaw, Cavil Heugh, Gavin Jones, Shane McNally, Steve Stacey and Wayne Lindenberg all together in England after winning the competition.
How did the Roosters come to be?
I was playing for Toowoomba against Redcliffe and Wally Fullerton-Smith and myself have had a moment and started fighting. That night at the urinal, Arthur Beetson has said I went well. All I could get out was 'thanks Arthur'. Then when I was at Leeds, Arthur has rung me in England and asked if I would like to come to the Roosters.
You retired at 28, why so young?
I only played three games in 1991 and I had a good job at City Ford, so I decided at 28 that was the end. I still live in Sydney now.
Is it true that Nick Politis gave you a job?
I scored two tries against Manly at Manly and we beat them for the first time in quite a few seasons. Feeling happy with myself I thought that the timing was right to ask Nick if I could buy a car to get around Sydney. Nick said to me “come and work with me and I will give you a company car”. I started working at City Ford the next week. I worked for City Ford for 25 years and became the Fleet and Leasing Manager.
Where is your Rothmans Medal now?
Still here, I went that night with no intention of winning, I remember we finished training late and the Easts table wasn’t going to have too many people on it. We weren’t that keen to go. We have gone along and I have won by a point over Gene Miles. I have got my medal around my neck and walked outside to find a phone to ring mum and dad and tell them. I am standing there telling mum and Gene Miles came up and shook my hand and said congratulations.
