A Brisbane Rugby League stalwart, Michael Booth started in Gin Gin but found his way to Brisbane and a rugby league career that went the distance with the Tigers, Diehards, Devils and Seagulls.
Michael Booth Q&A
How did you get to the Tigers from Gin Gin in 1980?
I had just turned 18 and Ted Verrenkamp came to watch a grand final against Brothers to see another player. I played fullback and went all right, so got a contract with Easts Tigers. I came down in 1980.
Who was your team when you were kid?
Valleys, I was a mad Valleys fan but nearly every kid was. You only got the one game on TV in Gin Gin and it was more than likely Valleys every Sunday.
Can you remember your debut?
I can, Redcliffe at Langlands Park and I marked Chris Close. Marking Choppy stays with you. He was big and strong.
The 1983 grand final, what a great Tiger day?
That game and premiership was building for a couple of years, we had such a great blend of players through the club. Wayne Lindenberg came back to pull it all together. Langy was terrific and he was ahead of his time. The things he was saying then are still relevant now.
In 1984 you go to Wynnum with Des Morris, but you play only three games?
DJ got me to Wynnum and things were going well, I was playing fullback and Colin Scott was playing in the centres. I played with a sore ankle and I didn’t know it was stress fractures. It broke and was just flopping all over the place and it took me 18 months to get back. It was really disappointing because Wynnum won the grand final and I was playing well, but played no part in it in the end.
Finals in 1985 and 1986 for Valleys - are they opportunities missed?
I think so, 1985 we beat Easts in Round 20 and as a reward we get Wynnum first week, they won and we were very young but then the next year I felt like we could have gone further. I thought there was a grand final in that Valleys side but again they slowly built and played grand finals in 1988 and 1989.
Bob Bax comes into your life and convinces you come to Bishop Park?
Baxy rang me and said I want to have a chat, I said ok. I had met him a couple of times and obviously knew who he was but hadn’t had a lot to do with him. We met in the back bar at Norths and he laid it all out for me. I am going to buy Greg Dowling and Paul McCabe and I want you to come to Norths in 1987. He started writing on the coaster what he’d offer and I thought that was just urban legend, but he wrote it down on there and handed it to me and said take it home and think about it. I came back to meet him and brought my coaster and we signed it, that was my contract then he went away and wrote it up. Baxy was just brilliant, you knew he cared about you and he would do anything for you. If he said he’d do something he would.
Who did you not want to see opposite you on game day?
That’s easy, Gene Miles. He was so skilful, so hard to tackle, and just had everything. I think between '83 and his knee, the first time he was the best player in the world. He sat out most of 1985 and he still came back a great player in 1986, but I think just before his knee he was the absolute best.
Favourite Tiger, Seagull, Diehard and Devil?
That’s hard, I had so many favourites. Gavin Allen was at Valleys and he was just great to play with. Darryl Duncan at Norths, if he wanted to play and felt like it, he was the best player in the competition at times. Wally at Wynnum, and Miles of course. Wayne Lindenberg at Easts was great and just so skilful.
Des Morris, John Lang, Peter McWhirter and Greg Oliphant were your coaches in Brisbane. They’re Brisbane royalty - what did they bring?
You take bits from all of them, but you’re right, it was so good to be coached by so many great players. I learnt a lot and I still apply the things they taught me to life. I catch myself saying something and then think 'that’s Des', or 'that’s Langy'.
