If you Google 'fearsome sight on a rugby league field', then a picture of Forrester Grayson should come up.
The Dolphins forward played in two grand finals and for Brisbane against France, rumbling forward against any pack put in front of him, and then he put on his cowboy hat and rode off into the distance.
Forrester Grayson Q&A
Why the Dolphins?
I was playing on the Gold Coast in Group 18 for Tweed and had signed to go to the Roosters in Sydney, but there was some issue and I had to play the season on the Coast. I was at work one day driving a cement truck and this car has pulled up and I thought it was a police car, so I have gone and hidden. It turns out it was 'Tosser' Turner, Barry Muir and Don McLennan come to convince me to come to the Dolphins. Someone came and found me and assured me it wasn’t the police, just the Dolphins.
Can you remember your debut?
It was Lang Park and against Wests in 1974. I remember it because it was the first time I had played under lights. I had played Foley Shield and for North Queensland, but never under lights. So I got out there and was just looking at the lights.
Brisbane v France, what are your memories of that game?
I was picked in the second row and Darryl Van de Velde was picked in the front row. Darryl wasn’t too keen on playing front row against the French. I said to him 'pack the first scrum and if you don’t want to play there, I will play there but at least give it the first scrum'. First scrum was over and Darryl said 'it’s all yours, we are swapping'. I went to the front row and he went to the second row.
Do you have a favourite Dolphin you played with?
Bob Jones was my favourite. Jones wasn’t the best ball winner in the scrums so we would have a bit of a meeting before the game and decide how best to win the scrums. He was a tireless worker and would go the full 80 minutes full of effort.
Two grand finals in 1975 and 1977 but no wins, what happened?
I don’t think we got things right during the week, we did enough to win both games. 1975 against Wests we were down at half time but came back and should have won but lost by two and 1977 we lost by four points.
Let’s just talk about the positives - Redcliffe attacking Oliphant short ball to a flying Grayson beat three and scores first try of the grand final.
I was at the shops at Redcliffe the other day and a gentleman looked at me and said: 'Are you Forrester Grayson?' I said yes. He said 'my name is William McInnes', I said 'nice to meet you William' and we had a great chat about footy. He said that try was a highlight and nothing more he loved in the 1970s then to go to Lang Park and watch the Dolphins. I asked if he wanted to meet my dog and he said yes, we had a great chat. My wife came out of the shops and I introduced them and as we walked away, she said 'that’s William McInnes the actor' and I said 'well he doesn’t look like Tom Cruise'.
Who did you know was going to make it a hard day when you played them?
The Morris boys. Rod was a great tight head prop, never played a bad game, didn’t stand out but always did his job and played well. Des was a great player and very hard to get a hold of with his arms, legs and hips. John Sattler too, just when you thought he was gone he popped up at Norths. Very hard man and he knew it too - he’d just smile at you before the scrum. I eventually learned that his smile meant something different to someone else smiling at you.
Is there a current Dolphin you think I might have been a bit like him?
I watch Tom Gilbert and think I might have been a bit like him. He certainly plays football how I like it played. I just love all the Dolphins. I go to training and games and watch and I am so impressed. My grandson plays for the Dolphins under 10s.
What was your biggest contract at the Dolphins?
I can’t remember the amount, but I went to the showgrounds to get paid one year and I thought 'this should be good' - 25 games some quick maths and I should do well here - and Don McLennan is working it out and says I have to take 40 cents in the dollar for tax. Ok Don, seems reasonable. Then he said the club is broke and we might not be here if you don’t make a contribution. I said 'I thought I already made a contribution over the last 25 games' but apparently not. I have walked out to the bar after my meeting with my cheque and asked the barman if he cashes out cheques - yep - so he’s taken it out of the till I said 'take one beer out please' and I said 'anyone else want a beer?', so I spent the rest shouting the bar - it was all gone.
