TUESDAY TANTRUM with Gerard Walsh

BRUCE Peel and Laurie Jones had a story to tell after the three grand final successes by the Collegians Dragons in 1967.

They played in the reserve-grade premiership wins and then two weeks later were part of the A-grade win.

Those were the days when if the minor premiers went down in the preliminary final, they had the right to challenge the winners a week or two later.

The Collegians A-grade team of 1967 was led by captain-coach Dinger Bell, who moved to Warwick after winning six successive premierships in A grade for Norths Devils in Brisbane.

Dinger recalled the premiership win in the grand final against Border Rovers (Tenterfield) after an earlier loss.

It was the same in the Under-18 game with Collegians going down to Inglewood and then as minor premiers challenging and winning the grand final.

Current Broncos coach Wayne Bennett was U18 captain in 1967 and said that the players of that era would compare favourably with today's players.

Reserve grade coach Bruce Peel led a team with four Warwick and District representatives and the reggies made sure of a title win in the first finals game.

That allowed two of the reggies to back up in A grade a fortnight later in an era of no interchange.

Bruce spoke of the class of three of his players, centre Brian Sullivan, hooker Tom "Hammer” Barrett and prop Bob Garred. Shane Webcke was guest speaker at the reunion, which drew 80, and he recalls playing at Father Ranger Oval, Collegians and Suburbs ovals.

Past player Greg Carey spoke of two more Collegians milestones - 90 years since the first Collegians team was formed and 50 years since the first women's game in Warwick. He also highlighted the fundraising effort led by Fr Hal Ranger to pay off new facilities opened in 1966 and later called Father Ranger Oval.

Team photos from Saturday in future edition of the Daily News.