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Welcome to Redcap’s BRL, a complete record of the Brisbane Rugby League – every game, every result and as many of the players that remain in the records – from the inception of the Queensland Amateur Rugby League (QARL) in 1909 to the end of the BRL in 1995, along with a few other things. There are some good books and bits and pieces around online, but the complete record doesn’t exist anywhere else.
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ABOUT REDCAP’S BRL
The site is named after a chap called Michael Fihelly, aka Redcap, who was the chief rugby league writer for the Brisbane Courier (now the Courier Mail) during the 1920’s until his untimely death in 1927, producing by far the finest rugby league journalism Australia has seen.
He was primarily responsible for overcoming the Courier’s initial skepticism and hostility toward the thirteen-man game, with his incisive analysis, wit and pith attracting a strong following to his work, and the game more broadly. In Redcap’s spirit, I set about tracking down the long-lost history of the BRL, much of which was washed away by the great flood of 1974.
Rugby league supporters in Brisbane owe much to the Fihelly family. Redcap’s brother, Jack Fihelly was, among many things, a leading referee, including overseeing the first premiership final in 1909, a founding member of the QARL Executive, the state Attorney-General and Treasurer. And in June 1908, just as rugby league was taking its first tentative steps in Brisbane, it was Jack who published what was essentially the Northern Union manifesto in the Courier. Suffice to say, “the new and more attractive style of rugby” caught on in Old Brisbane Town.
“Sir – in connection with the utterance on professionalism… at the Mayoral reception tendered to the NSW footballers I would crave a word.
It is immaterial by whom the bullets were manufactured, but presumably they were directed at the newly formed Queensland Rugby Association, and on its behalf, I wish to deny most emphatically that any acts of professionalism have been committed or are likely to be committed.
The QRA has not paid one member of its playing body other than purely personal out-of-pocket expenses, with the exception of three players who took part in international fixtures in another state and were reimbursed to the extent of salary lost – if any.
In the only individual instance where payment was suggested or demanded, the player, although actually selected to represent the state, was sent about his business, and notwithstanding the fact that he had been training with our players for some time, he promptly turned around and rejoined the Queensland Rugby Union of which he is now an active playing member.
This action was not taken through want of funds and surely this is not part of the demoralising policy alluded to by the speakers.
Mayoral functions generally supply a fund of inspiration, but perhaps, the gentleman who indulged in such picturesque phraseology anent the skull and crossbones would cite actual facts and substitute something definite and more explicit for his vague statements; and possibly the Mayor could explain why the Rugby Union allows professionals in all other branches of sport in its ranks while posing as a purely amateur organisation and a bitter opponent of everything professional.
It is also well known to those who profess to be keeping the sport clean that the affiliated country unions have a scale of payment which might astonish many good amateurs if published. Mr Morrison’s virtuous indignation in the matter is surprising inasmuch as he is intimately associated with the Cricket Association which recognises professionalism, and he would probably be the first to jubilate were any local men chosen to go to England where they would participate in all profits of the tour.
In conclusion, I might say that the Queensland Rugby Association was formed to introduce a new and more attractive style of rugby, and although it will not allow any player to be out of pocket through playing the game, it discountenances and will not tolerate anything approaching professionalism.”
— J Fihelly (Brisbane Courier, 22 June 1908).
At the time, Jack had to dance around the issue of professionalism (if not rugby union’s rank hypocrisy) a little. His message caught on, though, and a few years later the inimitable Sunday paper, Truth put it much more succinctly:
Redcap’s BRL was made possible by the National Library of Australia’s Trove digital archive and the State Library of Queensland. Specific source material for each match is cited on the relevant page, but thanks upfront to the following publications and authors: the Brisbane Courier and Courier Mail, the Sunday Mail, the Daily Standard, the Telegraph, the Daily Mail (Brisbane), Truth, the Queensland (Ipswich) Times, Rugby League Week, Rugby League News, the Seagulls Forever website, the Brisbane Tigers website, Steve Ricketts, Steve Haddan, Max and Reet Howell, David Middleton, Roger Waite, the authors of Stand Up and Cheer: 75 years of the Norths Devils, and Rugby League Project.
Match results and league tables can be found in the ‘seasons’ tab. Please also check out my occasional blog posts, the player stats and the ‘honours, records and other stuff’ tab for some BRL eclectica.
