If you wanted to engage in the dark arts of scrums and you were looking for a teacher, Wests' and Brothers' hooker Arty Connell would step forward from the shadows with cut off sleeves and teach you.
Connell came to Brisbane and played for Brisbane and Queensland in a stellar career.
Nothing brings a smile to his face like talking scrums.
Why did you leave Canterbury and come to Brisbane?
Clive Churchill was coaching Canterbury in 1963 and 1964, and I didn’t see eye-to-eye with Clive.
What did you know about Brisbane football and why did you choose Brothers?
I met with Brothers and Norths, and both said I would have to trial, so I played for Brothers one morning in third grade and then for Norths in the afternoon.
I met with Norths with Bob Bax and Les Geeves — and Les Geeves suggested he’d be playing hooker, not me, so I joined Brothers for 1965.
In 1965 you came to Brisbane and headlong into a Redcliffe side with Arthur Beetson, then you played a 1966 Grand Final against a Norths side that had dominated the 1960’s.
Brian Davies came and coached Brothers in 1965, we had John Smith and Barry Dowling come to Brothers too.
We played Norths in the finals and won 22-8 and Peter Gallagher was outstanding with John Lohman.
Then we played Redcliffe and lost 12-5.
They had a great team, including Henry Holloway and Arthur Beetson.
Then in 1966 we lost in the finals against Norths and then beat Valleys to make the Grand Final.
There was a storm and Johnny Gleeson got smashed off the ball.
In response, Denis Manteit wanted blood and chased him — then he got sent off.
Then a fan ran on the field to tell the ref what he thought, and Morrie Pinfold and I had to take him back to the fence and tossed him over.
Tom Purtell got you to Wests in 1968 as well as your vice-captain to Barry Muir. What happened against Valleys?
Barry kept feeding the scrum into the second row, and I kept saying to him ‘put it in the middle’ because I believed I could win the ball.
The ref kept penalising him and telling him ‘you can’t do that Barry’.
After Valleys scored, Barry said ‘that’s it, we are going off’.
I told him that I thought it was a drastic move over scrum penalties.
Tom Purtell met us at the gate and said turn around and play, but Barry couldn’t be talked around.
Barry was suspended for a month and Wests was fined $300.
Purtell fined Barry $150 and the other $150 was divided up amongst the rest of the players.
I can tell you that we weren’t too happy with Barry about that!
History shows Barry was banned the following year for a different controversy, and I took over as captain, which was a great honour.
Who do you think was your favourite teammate?
I had so many: Richie Twist was great, and I loved playing with him.
My Brothers’ front row Denis Manteit and John Lohman, Big Max Williamson was great at Wests.
Greg Oliphant was a great half.
But as a hooker, my favourite front-rowers to pack a scrum with were my Wests front rowers, Ray McCarron and Stu McAllister.
You played three games for Queensland in 1972 — what was your experience like in the Queensland team?
I loved it, I thought I could have played for Queensland earlier.
I rang Bob Bax and said look I am going alright why don’t I ever get picked for Queensland — don’t you think I am good enough?
He said I think you’re good enough, but we got told you’re not eligible, so we have never picked you.
I suspect that was Henry Holloway to be honest, I upset him when he was playing for Redcliffe, and I knocked him out and I think when he became coach, he told them not to pick me.
Do you still have your Queensland jumper?
I have one jumper left.
My kids framed it for me and it’s something I’m very proud of.
You were playing alongside some good company in that star-studded 1972 Brisbane team.
It was a very good team and really, we killed President’s Cup, we were undefeated, and you look at that team, it was pretty good company: Lang, McCabe, O’Doherty, Denman, Grant, Morris, Twist.
What can you say about Lang and O'Doherty?
I remember the first time I played John Lang; he beat me in the scrums but Twisty had been sent off, so we weren’t allowed to put anyone in the scrum to replace him.
John Lang was a great player, but as a hooker he never beat me in the scrums after that day.
Hugh O’Doherty, was so fast out of dummy half, he was quick to react.
Brian Fitzsimmons too towards the end of my career was a very good hooker.
They were all tough and knew the role.
Teams now play with two hookers, what would you have said if you got replaced after 30 minutes?
You couldn’t print what I would say.
What is your number one trick in a scrum?
You must position yourself and be able to see the ball, that’s the key.
You can’t win a ball you can’t see.
You learn to watch the ball and your half back’s hands which way they are facing or which way the ball will bounce.
Why did you cut your sleeves off?
So, the opposing hooker or front-rower couldn’t grab my sleeves and pull me down.
I had no idea it was something I’d become known for!
How would you rank the following in order of importance as a hooker: Winning the scrums, passing or tackling?
Win the ball and pass is probably equal, if you can’t win the ball in scrums, you aren’t a hooker and if you can’t pass to the right person, you’re not much use either.
Tackling is very important, but winning the ball was what I prided myself on.
What was your game day ritual?
I lived probably a few hundred metres from Lang Park so I would sleep in and then get breakfast before walking to Lang Park.
I'd get there just after reserve grade had started and then I'd go get ready at about half time of reserve grade.
What was your job when you played?
I was a car mechanic by trade but started selling cars.
What was the best bit of scrum trickery you engaged in?
John McCabe punched me once when we were playing Valleys and even though I was alright, I knew that because we were in a scrum and I was unprotected, he could be sent off.
So I thought maybe I’ll go to ground here!
The ref saw that and sent McCabe off.
As it turned out, with McCabe sent off and Valleys one man short, we ended up winning the game.
Another time, against O’Doherty, I knew I had some size over him, so I basically used my head to manoeuvre him out of position.
If a hooker couldn’t see the ball, they couldn’t win it!
