Sport
3 March, 2025
Warriors Planning A 60 Year Celebration
It’s certainly amazing how time gets away when you’re having fun, and while 60 years have lapsed since teams representing local rugby league hero’s the Wattles Warriors first took the field, the countless good times will be certainly highlighted later this year with the club currently planning deserved celebrations.
Way back in those days of formation the title of Wattles was yet to be raised, it was Allora-Clifton that had its beginnings back in 1966 when the Clifton and Allora Rugby League Clubs combined. The Wattles name attached some years later in 1969, as a result of competition organised by Mr Mal Eiby to give the club a name.
The club’s first President was former Allora footballer and Wattles Patron & Life Member the late Brian Smith. Brian, along with inaugural Senior Vice-President Jack Enright, James Gleeson and David Achilles were largely responsible for the formation of the Allora-Clifton club.
The club has always played in their traditional green & gold colours, their jerseys in their initial year of 1966, green with gold numbers.
The Allora-Clifton club’s first matches were pre-season trials against Warwick club Collegians on Sunday March 6th, 1966.
Collegians won all three grades played on the day, with local Warwick newspaper, the Warwick Daily News, reporting that “for Allora-Clifton, hardest worker was Dave Achilles.
Bevan Crothers penetrated well at five-eight while Rob Lester made several good runs in the backs.
Ted Cowley played his usual honest game and Kev ‘Gunner’ Smith led the forward pack”.
The very next week the two clubs clashed again in another round of pre-season trials at Warwick’s Queens Park, Collegians again winning all matches.
Allora-Clifton players to impress in the first-grade match lost 14 – 16 included Des Cantwell, Russell Cass, Des Power & Rob Lester.
A feature of the match was Ted Cowley busting through the defence and racing 60 metres before off-loading to Mal Henry to score.
A third and final pre-season trial saw the new Allora-Clifton club play its first games at Allora, at the club’s home grounds ‘Tom Cowley Oval’ within the Allora Showgrounds arena.
The Allora-Clifton team were defeated by Warwick based club Eastern Suburbs by 25 – 10.
Allora-Clifton ran on in their first official club fixture in the Warwick District Rugby League competition on March 27th, 1966 against Millmerran at Allora, winning the match in a positive start to the season.
The “Greens” as Allora-Clifton were known met Collegians in their second match of the 1966 season at Warwick’s Queens Park, suffering a 26 – 5 defeat.
Centre Barry Donegan scored Allora-Clifton’s only try.
The Allora-Clifton side that played the first-grade match that day were Tony Cartwright, Mal Henry, Des Cantwell, Rob Lester, Stuart. Sparksman, Bevan Crothers, Barry Donegan, Ted Cowley, Dave Achilles, Des Power, Tom Zeller, Russell Cass, Kev Smith (Captain).
Allora-Clifton only played one season, 1966, in the Warwick District competition, being admitted to the Toowoomba Rugby League in 1967 along with the Oakey Bears, Millmerran Rams and Pittsworth Danes.
Wattles first premiership was won by an Under 16 team, defeating Toowoomba’s All Whites 17 – 7 in the 1968 Grand Final a team that included current Wattles club Patron Neil Phelan.
The club has tasted much success in its 60-year history.
First grade premierships silverware takes pride of place in the Club’s Platz Oval trophy cabinet as a result of successes in in 1970, 1997, 2014, 2015 & 2022.
The Warriors also won Toowoomba Rugby League reserve grade premierships in 1976 & 1992; Third Grade honours in 1992; Under 19 in 1998; Under 18 in 1976, 1977, 1991 and Under 16 (When the grade was included in the senior competition) in 1968, 1974, 1975 & 1977.
Wattles highest club award is the Clifton Courier Shield for the club’s “Player of the Year”, sponsored annually by local Clifton based newspaper the Clifton Courier.
Many great players names adorn this trophy, the Clifton Courier Shield, including International representative forward Greg Platz, future Australian Rugby League/National Rugby League players Robbie Tew & Tony Duggan, three-time winner Sam Achilles, five-time winner Cameron Hamblin and seven-time winner of the “Player of the Year” award Matt Duggan.
The club has produced four Australian International players in the Platz brothers Greg & Lew, Rohan Hancock and former champion Brisbane Broncos front-rower Shane Webcke.
Robert Keleli, a Papua-New Guinea national joined the Wattles club in 1999 and was selected to represent Papua-New Guinea in 2004.
Training the House Down
Yes, the Warriors preparation is well under way for the 2025 season, and interested players are welcome to roll up to training at Clifton’s Platz Oval on Tuesday & Thursday evenings from 6.30 pm.
In what is always a massive season drawcard, the Barrett Family Shield the prize for the annual pre-season rumble between Wattles and Southern Downs neighbours the Warwick Cowboys kicks off at Warwick league headquarters Father Ranger Oval on Saturday March 22nd.
The shield brings much history to local league circles itself given its 33-year existence.
Glyn Rees
