Dave Trewhella came from Newcastle and landed at Redcliffe and became a rock-solid part of their all-star pack of forwards.
“Helmet” would play at the Dolphins for two years and then return to Sydney and Arthur Beetson’s Roosters in 1986 with Origin and a Test tour of New Zealand included in a great career.
Dave Trewhella Q&A
Dolphin hysteria is sweeping the state. Do you have your 'phin up?
I don’t know if I have my 'phin up but I am not surprised by their success. They have been successful at anything they do, so why not this time?
I think mid-year when you’re playing Penrith with a few injuries that might test them, but that’s the beauty of a long season.
Lot of good people at Dolphins and you can’t not want success for them.
1984 and you come to Redcliffe, how did you end up in the Brisbane Rugby League at Redcliffe?
My girlfriend’s dad worked for a shipping company which had ties to 'Tosser' Turner and to Wests as well, so I paid my own way up to Brisbane to check out both clubs and had a look at Redcliffe and decided to stay. I signed for $1000 to play for the Dolphins.
I didn’t know anything about either club so it was all new to me but I was impressed by Redcliffe straight away. I thought it would be good for me to get away from Maitland and come up to Brisbane.
I ended up working for 'Tosser' with Trevor Gillmeister, he was at Norths and 'Tosser' employed both of us. Gilly would always whinge that I got the easy jobs at work because I played for the Dolphins.
Brisbane Finals 1984 but you lose 18-16 to Valleys and then miss the finals in 1985.
I remember at the end of 1984 we are at Arthur’s pub the Moreton Bay Hotel in Redcliffe and I am going to get a shout for Trevor Benson and Steve Bleakley on Mad Monday. Arthur has just got the job as Roosters coach so he’s said 'how about you come to the Roosters with me' and I said no thanks I am happy at Redcliffe. I’ve gone back to the table and Benson and Bleakley can’t believe I said no, they kept saying: 'Do you know what he just asked?'.
I wanted to stay at Redcliffe for another year and at the end of 1985 Arthur rang and asked again and I said I’m ready to go to Sydney. So, I went to the Roosters.
Fullerton-Smith, Niebling, Tessman, Brown, Conescu - you played with some handy forwards?
It’s a very handy pack isn’t it? How hard did Wally Fullerton-Smith hit? One of the best tacklers I have seen. I think when you come into that company it’s about can I contribute and I think you figure out pretty quickly if you belong and that’s all any footballer wants to know - that they belong.
I think at the time Redcliffe had more internationals than Manly. Add in Mark Murray, John Ribot and Mitch Brennan in the backs and you have nearly a whole Queensland side.
81 games for the Roosters and a Prelim Final in 1987 coached by Arthur Beetson.
Yeah 1987 was a great year, we didn’t have a lot of team success but 1987 was great. Beaten by the Raiders for the Grand Final spot.
Raiders were like little Queensland then and Gary Coyne got two tries.
Two Origin games in 1988 and 1989- probably up against the best Queensland side ever. How did you find playing against your Queensland mates?
I didn’t have any extra insight from playing in Brisbane, it was just so quick. That’s my learning experience from Origin that you’re on your third wind minutes into the game.
Queensland had some terrific players. It was a great team we had some great players too. Peter Sterling, Wayne Pearce and Michael O’Connor were great players but we just couldn’t get the money in 1988 and 1989.
It was just so fast, a gap you see on the weekend against the Raiders just isn’t there on Wednesday night in Origin.
You toured with the Australian team to New Zealand in 1989 is that a highlight?
Three weeks in New Zealand in the middle of the season with the Australian team - it was so good. I played the mid-week games and they were always so willing. You’re playing at night in the cold with a local ref and against some Kiwis that want to be in the Test team and the crowd is going berserk.
Are you a jumper keeper?
I am, I have all of them kept away in storage. I even have my Maitland High jumper.
You’re minus one jumper I know. When I told Dolphins’ fan Rupert McCall that I was interviewing you he said that he had your State League jumper and sent me a photo. Rup’s son Lachie wore it round one against the Roosters.
I remember that, he wrote a poem with my name in about tackling and I sent him my signed Dolphins’ jumper to the Leagues Club. He was there after the game and the staff have said you’ve got mail Rupert and he’s put it straight on to celebrate a premiership. Good to see it’s still going strong and being worn.
