Les Geeves won Brisbane premierships with Norths, played for his state and helped select some of the best sides to represent Queensland and Australia during a long association with rugby league.
Geeves, who died on January 10, aged 84, was an old-style hooker / prop forward who played an integral role in the success Norths enjoyed under the astute coaching of Bob Bax in the 1960s.
He was a regular in Brisbane representative sides from 1963 until 1967, and in 1967 played five games for a Queensland side captained by Peter Gallagher.
Geeves played two matches against New South Wales and three on the Maroons' tour of New Zealand against Auckland, Canterbury and West Coast.
The tour preceded the interstate series, with Queensland losing to Auckland, before winning the next two games to go into the match against New South Wales at the Sydney Cricket Ground full of confidence.
Geeves was part of a courageous Maroons' effort with the star-studded Blues winning only 14-8.
The return game was played at the Sydney Sports Ground with NSW winning 28-9. Geeves was also part of the Maroons' squad for two games played in Brisbane later in the year, but did not get on the field.
The 1967 season was Geeves' last at Norths, where he had made his first grade debut in 1960, before cementing the top grade hooking spot in 1962.
Geeves was hooker in the grand final wins in '62, 63 and '64. Redcliffe won the 1965 title, but Norths were champions again in 1966 with Geeves captain and man of the match in a 9-6 win over Brothers.
He was captain again in 1967, but this time Brothers were victorious in the grand final.
Geeves switched to Easts for the 1968 season and as captain-coach took the Tigers to the grand final, only for Brothers to triumph again.
Geeves remained Easts' captain-coach in 1969. It was as a captain-coach Geeves became involved in the selection of football teams.
At Easts he brought future Queensland forward Des Morris into first grade, after Morris moved from Ipswich, as well as giving future Test hooker John Lang his chance.
"I was the one who gave Des the nickname 'DJ'," Geeves told The Courier-Mail. "He had won the Booval Swifts' best and fairest award the year before and he came to Easts with his prize – a training bag with 'D J Morris' on the side."
Geeves went on to coach Laidley in the Ipswich and West Moreton competition, while running a pub in the Lockyer Valley town.
He also had stints as ABC Radio's football caller in Brisbane (in 1971) and Channel 10 (Toowoomba) co-commentator with Doug McIntyre from 1977-79, when he was based in Dalby.
In 1987, Geeves replaced Wide Bay's Bert Quinn on the Queensland selection panel and became chairman of selectors in the 1990s.
The selectors' brief was to ignore players aligned with the proposed rebel Super League, and that ruled out most of the Broncos, along with a host of stars from the other 19 clubs in the ARL competition.
It seemed a thankless task for Geeves and fellow selectors Arthur Beetson and Des Morris.
When the Queensland team was announced it was met with widespread derision, a reaction only strengthened by the appointment of novice Paul 'Fatty' Vautin as coach, and the selection of an untested teen from the Gold Coast, Ben Ikin.
'Fatty's Nevilles' as they were to be called, won the series 3-0 against an all-international NSW side, with that Queensland side to be honoured at a number of functions this year.
Geeves took great pride in the selection process, focusing on a particular player for 10 or 15 minutes to see where he positioned himself; where he should have been and where he might have been.
If a break was made, Geeves would look at the player's ability to read play and back-up.
He said every player who wore a Queensland jersey, gave 100 percent.
"I feel very strongly and sincerely about the pride shown in the Queensland jumper since that first night at Lang Park (in 1980)
Les Geeves said in an interview with The Courier-Mail in 1996
"I feel very strongly and sincerely about the pride shown in the Queensland jumper since that first night at Lang Park (in 1980)," he said in an interview with The Courier-Mail in 1996.
"From 1980 to 1987 I used to sit in 'The Outer' and barrack for Queensland, just like everyone else.
"In 1984 when Wally Lewis led Queensland to a 34-2 lead and I looked up at the scoreboard and realised we were doing to New South Wales what they used to do to us – well my life was complete."
Geeves' other sporting love was horse racing and he served as chairman of the Sunshine Coast Turf Club for 13 years, earning life membership.
A noted publican and licensed club manager, Geeves was something of a troubleshooter, being hired to bring struggling businesses back up to speed.
He was long term publican of the Perle Hotel, Caloundra, and also managed the Crushers Leagues Club at Grange after being a foundation director of the ill-fated South Queensland Crushers Rugby League Club.
Geeves is survived by his wife of 65 years, Daphne; four daughters and a son; and eight grandchildren.
His funeral is to take place at Victory Church, 32 Carseldine Road, Bridgeman Downs on Monday, January 20 at 1pm.
- with additional reporting from Steve Haddan – QRL History Committee
